A Norfolk magician who reached the final of Britain’s Got Talent has seen a positive video message about the coronavirus pandemic prove hugely popular on social media.

Thetford 20-year-old James Samuel encouraged his fans to “spread positivity, not fear” as he performed tricks with a silk handkerchief during the video, which has been viewed over 82,000 times on Facebook since being posted on Saturday night.

Mr Samuel was part of the group 4MG which reached the final of the ITV talent show last year, being dubbed the ‘boy band of magic’ by judge David Walliams, who described their audition as a ‘dazzling performance’.

The group were eventually beaten to the BGT crown by singer James Thackery and have since disbanded but Mr Samuel now works as a professional magician, mind reader and speaker, performing at his own shows as well as functions such as weddings.

In his video, Mr Samuel says: “Friends on Facebook that are sharing scary stories and those media channels that you keep watching but are only highlighting certain points, now is the time to remove them from your life and have a little more positivity around you.

“Anxiety and worry can most certainly tie you in knots but try some breathing exercises. Breathe deeply through your nose and out through your mouth - and you will notice slowly but surely your worry begins to melt away.

“One last thing before I go. Germs are what’s causing this pandemic. Please stop the spread of germs. It doesn’t matter where you are, whether’s you’re in your house, whether you’re outside, whether you’ve got to go to work because you’re a key worker.

“Please don’t forget, no matter where you are, make sure you’re washing your hands as regularly as you can.”

You can watch the full video above and can find out more at Facebook.com/JamesSamuelMagician

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