Joel Mawhinney, known as Joel M, has praised Blue Peter bosses for moving the show into the digital age. The Bangor-born magician, who stepped down as the 41st presenter earlier this year, said traditional channels are "going in the right direction" as audiences shift to smartphones and tablets.
Mawhinney, who has amassed over 20 million followers online, presented his last episode on July 3, just over a year after the show moved from a live format to a fully pre-recorded one. He told the Mirror that the change was necessary because "a lot of the live show stuff now is probably just too slow for somebody who's used to just scrolling away."
From social media to Blue Peter
Mawhinney initially found fame on social media with his magic tricks, posting his first video during the Covid lockdown. He and his brother Ethan often filmed videos together, leaving viewers bewildered. When he was phoned about the Blue Peter role, he thought it was a "scam."
"I didn't believe it was a real thing until I was on the floor for my first day of filming," he said. During his three and a half years on the show, he described the role as his "biggest achievement." He added: "I'll miss it, for sure, but I think I left at a time when I still loved it."
America's Got Talent experience
Earlier this year, Mawhinney appeared on America's Got Talent after years of turning down offers from the franchise. He reached the Judges' Callback round, earning three "Yes" votes. During his audition, he used a bracelet belonging to Melanie Brown, which her Spice Girls bandmates had given her for her 50th birthday, and smashed the famous red buzzer to reveal it inside.
"I was so scared," he said of smashing the buzzer. "It was a big risk worth taking." He had initially planned to use Melanie's engagement ring, but she was wearing it at the time. He described the experience as one of the "most adrenaline-fuelled experiences" of his life.
Future plans
Mawhinney said he had rejected requests from Britain's Got Talent, Ireland's Got Talent and Romania's Got Talent over the years due to his schedule, but knew America's Got Talent was the "perfect opportunity" to re-establish the magic aspect of his career. Reflecting on his career, he admitted he needs to "force" himself to focus in a world of smart tech and doomscrolling.
For now, he is making the most of his downtime after his stints on Blue Peter and America's Got Talent, with "exciting things in the work."
