Will Parfitt, a 36-year-old male stripper originally from London but now based in Australia, has said his resemblance to Hollywood star Channing Tatum attracts "thousands of women" to his shows. He is preparing for a UK tour with Magic Men, the male entertainment show he co-founded, which begins in Liverpool in October and is expected to draw thousands of ticket buyers.
From Topless Waiter to Global Star
Parfitt's journey began years ago when he was working as a topless waiter at a local venue in Australia. He said he "never imagined" he would end up in his current role. "Someone started joking about the Channing Tatum thing," he explained.
That joke led to the creation of Magic Men, which Parfitt co-founded. "Magic Men was something that started out quite small. We were performing for around 50 to 60 people," he said. "It got bigger and bigger in Melbourne. We toured around Australia and then everything started going crazy, and then having the Channing Tatum thing - it blew it up."
Pandemic Pivot and Record Audiences
When the Covid pandemic halted shows, Parfitt focused on building his social media presence. Since returning to the stage, the show has sold out venues worldwide. Magic Men has now sold more than one million tickets globally, growing from intimate nightclub performances into arena-scale productions across North America, Asia and Europe. In 2025, the show drew a record-breaking audience of 6,000 in Oslo.
With more than 15 million followers across social media and performance content generating over two billion views, Parfitt has become one of the world's most recognisable male entertainment personalities. His journey began as a British backpacker in Australia, taking on odd jobs before being invited to perform by a nightclub promoter.
Embracing the Comparison
Despite years of comparisons to Channing Tatum, Parfitt now has his own fan base. "If he were to stand next to me, everyone would be like 'they don't look alike'. Maybe after a few drinks, you could see some sort of resemblance," he said. "You would be like 'you look like Channing Tatum'."
He acknowledged the recognition from fans. "People bring posters with my name on now. It's been nice to see they come for me now. It's lovely to see that recognition," he added.
Parfitt also noted that the show is interactive and not what people often stereotype. "We have 32 to 50 members of the audience up on stage with us," he said. "Oh, and our clothes come off too."
