Eerie Geller
SPOON-BENDING ILLUSIONIST... THE FACTS!
Geller, 74, was born in Tel
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Aviv, Israel, where he now lives. He is a distant cousin of psychologist Sigmund Freud.
Geller says his powers of
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telepathy and psychokinesis – reading thoughts and manipulating objects with his mind – were activated by an encounter with a UFO when he was three. He claims he was struck by a ray of light and days later when he had a bowl of soup the spoon drooped.
As a boy he progressed to
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making the metal of his watches move, causing basketballs to curve towards the hoop and looking at the back of other students’ heads to see what they were writing in exam papers.
At 18 Geller volunteered for
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the Israeli Army. He was wounded in the head and arm during 1967’s Six-day War in which Israel clashed with Jordan, Egypt and Syria.
After the forces, he worked as
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a male model before finding fame with his own shows involving spoon bending, describing hidden drawings and making watches stop or run faster.
In 2017, documents revealed
6 Geller underwent a week of CIA experiments in 1973 as part of the Stargate programme which investigated psychic powers and how they could be weaponised by the
CIA. They concluded he did have paranormal abilities.
URI Geller plans to use his powers to help Scotland beat England tomorrow – but how much do you know about the celebrity spoon bender?
He vowed to make up for his actions at Euro 96 after claiming to have moved the ball as Scotland’s Gary Mcallister ran up to take a penalty before he missed. And while Three Lions fans are sporting the tin foil hats your trusty Daily Star printed to combat his spooky brainwaves, reveals 12 eerie Uri facts.
Geller claims he worked with
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the FBI and the CIA, to wipe KGB computer files, track serial killers and use brainwaves to influence Russia to sign a nuclear treaty.
Sceptics claim Geller’s performances
8 can be duplicated using tricks. Stage magicians suggest spoon-bending can be done using misdirection to get an audience to briefly look away as the implement is bent, or heating it previously, making it easier to manipulate.
Geller was pals with Michael
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Jackson, and Jacko was best man when he renewed his vows to wife Hannah in 2001. He also introduced the singer to controversial journalist Martin Bashir – whose interview sparked Jackson’s child sex-abuse trial.
In 1997 he tried to help
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Second Division Exeter City win a crucial game using energy-infused crystals. They lost 5-1. He became co-chairman of the club in 2002 and they were relegated the following year.
In 2009, the illusionist bought
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an uninhabited Scottish island as he believed it was the hiding place of ancient Egyptian treasure.
12 Geller, who once sued
Nintendo for £60million over a psychic Pokémon who carried a bent spoon, took part in ITV’S I’m A Celebrity in 2002.