Dynamo star Steven Frayne reveals he turned to self-harm while taking 28 tablets a day at the height of his battle with Crohn’s Disease after medication left him feeling ‘numb’

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Magician Steven Frayne, known as Dynamo, has shared that he self-harmed while struggling with Crohn’s Disease. He was taking 28 pills daily to manage the condition at its worst.

The 43-year-old illusionist revealed he was hospitalized for eight months in 2018 due to a serious health issue. He said he felt ‘really sick’ and disliked how he looked afterward, as the medication changed his appearance significantly.

I’ve been following Steven’s journey for a while now, and it’s incredibly inspiring. He first dealt with Crohn’s disease when he was just 14, and even now, he’s still managing tough side effects from the medication. It’s been really hard on him – he’s experienced hair loss, and he’s also been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, which I understand is a type of arthritis that affects the spine. He’s a fighter, though, and always tries to stay positive.

The magician stepped away from the public eye for a while, and later revealed he’d been hospitalized with Crohn’s disease and food poisoning. He shared this with his fans months after the initial disappearance.

Steven explained on Pete Wicks’ Man Made podcast that he started self-harming because he felt emotionally numb as a side effect of taking a lot of medication.

He had previously revealed that his wife, Kelly Frayne, urged him to seek professional help following instances of self-harm, and he started therapy in November 2020.

Steven explained that he became seriously ill in 2018. He was hospitalized for around eight months, with frequent visits continuing for about another ten months after that.

While I was going through that, the only way they could keep me alive was with a lot of medication – 28 pills a day, plus infusions every other week. It got to the point where all that medicine just numbed everything; I didn’t really feel anything at all.

It’s like you’re going through the motions, feeling disconnected and unsure if your emotions are even real. I remember feeling that way myself – completely numb. I don’t want to dwell on the details, but that numbness was actually a big part of why I started self-harming; I just desperately wanted to feel something, anything.

The medication brought me back to life, but I disliked how it changed my appearance, making me feel like someone else.

I’m still dealing with side effects from my medication. I’ve developed a rash all over my body, including my scalp, and I’ve lost a lot of hair. I really don’t like how my hair looks now, so I usually wear a hat.

After dealing with a health issue, Steven realized he needed to prioritize self-care and make changes to his lifestyle. He marked this new chapter by returning to performing magic with his 2023 TV special, ‘Dynamo is Dead’.

He mentioned he continues to experience some side effects from his medication, and had to stop taking a lot of pills abruptly to get off them.

He shared: ‘There’s parts of me that I’ll never get back, because of that experience.

I don’t feel the same joy I once did, but going through a difficult time helped me realize I needed to slow down and completely re-evaluate my life. Now, I’m starting to pursue bigger goals again, slowly but surely.

I’m back to doing challenging stunts. I went through a difficult period recently, but I’m recovering well. I’m gradually reducing my medication, and it’s been a real process – taking 28 pills a day definitely feels like an addiction.

Stopping the medication completely was incredibly difficult – one of the worst experiences of my life, honestly. It took a long time to overcome my reliance on it.

I’ve reduced my medication to just two tablets a day, but I still need them to be able to walk comfortably.

I take my medication consistently and get regular treatments. I avoid starting my day too early because it takes a few hours for my body to really get going. I also worry about falling asleep, as my body tends to shut down when I do.

I have ankylosing spondylitis, which causes my spine to stiffen and fuse together while I sleep. This means I wake up in pain every day, feeling like it’s the same day over and over. The pain usually eases as the day goes on, but it’s always there at the start.

In 2023, magician Steven Frayne, known as Dynamo, officially retired his stage persona with a dramatic final performance broadcast as a one-time special on Sky called ‘Dynamo Is Dead’.

Dynamo was buried under five tonnes of soil and had only three minutes to escape before he ran out of air. He managed to dig his way to the surface in two minutes and 47 seconds.

Dynamo became deeply depressed and unable to perform after a Crohn’s disease flare-up caused by eating undercooked chicken. This led to several years of hospitalizations.

He explained that issues with his medication caused a difficult cycle last year. While he felt physically capable, he completely lost enjoyment in his job.

‘You take magic away from a magician and you lose your sense of purpose,’ he told The Sunday Times.

Steven discovered magic as a teenager after receiving a diagnosis, using it as a way to cope with his health challenges. He rose to prominence in 2011, becoming well-known for his amazing street magic, card tricks, and impressive stunts.

After getting back on his feet following a health issue, he’s eager to perform again and share his magic. He recently starred in a feel-good holiday special called Miracles on Sky.

If you need confidential support, you can call the Samaritans free of charge from a UK phone at 116 123. You can also find more information on their website: https://www.samaritans.org/

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2026-04-15 11:04