Sword Swallower Literally Risks His Life on Britain’s Got Talent

Rationally you know a show like “Britain’s Got Talent” wouldn’t actually allow a contestant to die onstage for the sake of fame, but sometimes you start to wonder.

Take Alexandr Magala, for instance. He’s a sword swallower — but he doesn’t just stop at sliding a sharp piece of metal down the middle of his torso, oh no. He also does backflips and slides headfirst down a pole with the sword in his throat, risking slicing his internal organs at every moment. In fact, while practicing for his “Britain’s Got Talent” routine, he once nicked his lung and had some internal bleeding.

Ofcom, the UK version of the FCC, has received dozens of complaints about the act, apparently from terrified parents who are worried their kids are going to stab themselves in the face. Ofcom is reportedly assessing these complaints and trying to decide if they need to investigate the show.

Regardless, Magala will be moving on to the next round — though judge Amanda Holden assures everyone that a giant “Don’t Try This At Home” warning will be on the screen throughout his performance.

Our host Ava Gordy has more on the internet’s horrified reactions: