The British TV4 show Faking It is in the reality TV mode of many productions currently in favor on both sides of the Atlantic.

The show seeks out contestants to try to take on a role completely outside their comfort zone. They’ve featured a young man from the wrong-side of the tracks being groomed (literally) to work as a doorman for a very posh joint. The subjects are taught by the best in their new field and hope to learn the shibboleths and mannerisms to avoid detection as a fake.

Kevin McMahon was a studying at the UK’s Institute of Physics when producers recruited subjects for the reality show. His trek from a ‘timid Kevin’ to faking it as a top magician just four weeks later made for compelling television.

The Scotsman described the transformation thusly: “He left the Capital a diffident, tongue-tied wallflower and after several cringe-worthy scenes returned a confident, convincing illusionist – and a ladies? man. Now Kevin has permanently hung up his white lab coat in favour of becoming a full-time magician.”

Said Mr. McMahon, “I wasn?t satisfied with my career, knew I didn?t want to be doing this [physics] and just thought I?d give it a try. I just wanted some fun.”

The show brought Mr. McMahon to London to study under professional magician, Nigel Mead.

It was truly baptism by fire.

“Even on the first night they were testing me,” recalls the budding star. “I had just arrived, had dinner and Nigel showed me this great card trick. I said I liked it and he replied: ?Good, as we?re off to a restaurant and you?re performing it.? I just couldn?t do it [the trick], it was really embarrassing – and annoying. Looking back, I see they did it so I would fail.”

In the second week, Kevin worked under his new mentor, comedy magician Mandy Muden. Her job was to teach Mr. McMahon how to be funny. Talk about a tough job.

He said: “We were practising when I realised I was going to perform that night. It was very, very nerve- wracking. It was comedy – no magic – but it was my first time ever on stage. I did make the audience laugh but at some points I made a joke and it was like tumbleweed. I was thinking, s**t, please laugh. But fortunately it picked up and I eventually got laughs.”

The show even flew Mr. McMahon to Las Vegas where he met with Penn and Teller. Unfortunately, Mr. McMahon wasn’t prepared for the meeting. Assuming he would only be watching the masters perform, he elected to get drunk and return to his room at 6:00 am. When he met with Penn and Teller a few hours later, he fell flat. “I was hungover and hadn?t prepared, which didn?t go down well.”

Apparently part of the intrigue and sick-pleasure Faking It provides is the inevitable berating of the subject by mentors and producers. The television producer told Mr. McMahon he was not prepared and had failed. His mentor, Mr. Mead said he was disappointed with Mr. McMahon’s performance with Penn and Teller. The incident made for great television but caused a permanent rift between the producers and Mr. McMahon.

His last mentor, Scottish Magician Pat Page, worked Mr. McMahon hard. The student was required to perform a week of off-camera shows, three times a night, in restaurants and comedy clubs.

How would we know, though, whether Mr. McMahon succeeded in his quest to “fake it” convincingly? The show invented a magic contest and invited Paul Daniels, booking agent Rosemary English and magician Carey Marx to judge. The contest featured Mr. McMahon against three other “upcoming magicians.” The judges were asked to determine who among the four performers the faker was.

Mr. McMahon thought the show went well. He not only fooled the judges — none thought he was the fake — but he also won the “clap-o-meter” to judge the audience reaction. “That was horrible as the four of us had to stand outside and listen. I felt bad, as there?s me, trained by some of the best guys in the industry and these other three guys have had nothing. I felt such a fraud, a fake.”

So what does a new magician do? How is he different than a physics student locked in a lab?

“Well, I?m big-headed now. Before, I?d never approach a group of girls. Now, I take a deck of cards out with me and use my magic! I didn?t like public speaking before, now I have confidence.”

“Before, a typical day was eight hours in front of a PC in a lab working alone. Now, I?ve found my niche and love what I do.”

Mr. McMahon performs at restaurants around Glasgow as well as The Strand.