Jay & Joss
{{Short description|English illusionists and entertainers}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jay & Joss
| image = Jay_and_Joss_Magicians.jpg
| caption = Jamie Docherty (left) and Lewis Joss (right) at the Royal Albert Hall in 2022
| birth_name = Jamie Docherty
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|09|19|mf=y}}
Lewis Joss
{{Birth date and age|1995|12|27|mf=y}}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| occupation = Magicians, entertainers
| homepage = {{URL|jayandjoss.co.uk}}
| signature =
| known_for = Magic
| years_active = 2012–present
}}
Jay & Joss (Jamie Docherty and Lewis Joss) are a UK contemporary magic and illusionist couple. Their act is known for using lasers, projections & fire, as well as dangerous stunts with blades & spikes.{{Cite news |date=2025-02-17 |title=Wicksteed Park train 'disappears' as Britain's Got Talent magicians Jay & Joss bring show to Kettering attraction |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/wicksteed-park-train-disappears-as-britains-got-talent-magicians-jay-joss-bring-show-to-kettering-attraction-4994555 |access-date=2025-02-21 |work=Northamptonshire Telegraph |language=en-GB |issn=0307-1235}} They met at the world's largest magic convention, got engaged in 2019{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=18 May 2024 |title=ITV Britain's Got Talent fans 'rumble' magic couple's trick as they 'go into the future' |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/itv-britains-talent-fans-rumble-32841209.amp |work=Daily Mirror}} and further got married in 2023.{{Cite news |date=18 May 2024 |title=ITV Britain's Got Talent's Dec Donnelly warns 'you've stitched them up' as he spots magic act detail |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/itv-britains-talents-dec-donnelly-32841351 |access-date=26 May 2024 |work=Daily Mirror}} Jay & Joss have appeared on Britain's Got Talent, BBC Three, Channel 4, Penn & Teller's Fool Us and Radio X's Chris Moyles Show. They have performed together for over 10 years and are regular entertainers at the Royal Variety Aftershow Party.{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=19 November 2020 |title=Official Royal Variety Aftershow Party Champagne Reception and Banquets |url=https://issuu.com/royalvarietycharity/docs/rvp_2018_programme_online |access-date=2 April 2023 |magazine=Royal Variety Performance 2018 - Show Brochure |publisher= |location= |page=96}} They are currently regular performers at the three Butlin's sites in the UK.
Characters
Jay is played by Jamie Docherty AIMC{{cite web |url=https://themagiccircle.co.uk/find-a-magician/profile/jamie-docherty/ |title=Jamie Docherty UK |date=2023 |website=TheMagicCircle.co.uk |publisher=The Magic Circle |access-date=28 March 2023}} (Associate of The Inner Magic Circle), a magician born in Northamptonshire in 1995.
Joss is played by Lewis Joss AIMC,{{cite web |url=https://themagiccircle.co.uk/find-a-magician/profile/lewis-joss/ |title=Lewis Joss UK |last= |first= |date=2023 |website=TheMagicCircle.co.uk |publisher=The Magic Circle |access-date=28 March 2023}} born and raised in Bedfordshire. Lewis started work as an actor{{cite web |url=https://www.equity.org.uk/looking-for-work/member-profiles/lewis-joss-actor |title=Lewis Joss |last= |first= |date= |website=Equity.org.uk |publisher=Equity |access-date=18 January 2023 |quote= }}{{Dead link|date=July 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} before turning his hand to performing magic full-time. Lewis has been promoted to the Associates of The Inner Magic Circle with a Silver Star.
Career
Jay & Joss have performed twice at the Bedford Fringe Festival, the UK's 4th largest fringe festival.{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=7 May 2013 |title=Bedfringe 2013 |url=https://issuu.com/bedfringe/docs/bedfringe_2013 |magazine=Bedford Fringe Festival |location= |publisher= |page=6|access-date=2 April 2023}}{{cite magazine |last= |first= |date=23 April 2016 |title=Bedfringe 2016 Brochure |url=https://issuu.com/bedfringe/docs/bedfringe2016brochure2 |magazine=Bedford Fringe Festival |location= |publisher= |page=31|access-date=2 April 2023}} In 2020 Jay & Joss co-starred in the BBC Three mini-series School of Hard Tricks, where with other magicians they taught six strangers, battling personal challenges, to master the art of magic for a performance in a sold out theatre.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08886jh |title=School Of Hard Tricks |date=2020 |website=Bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=4 April 2023}} They were featured in the 2020 Channel 4 documentary, A Day in the Life of Coronavirus Britain.{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/programmes/a-day-in-the-life-of-coronavirus-britain |title=A Day in the Life of Coronavirus Britain |date=6 April 2020 |website=Channel4.com |publisher=Channel Four Television Corporation |access-date=4 April 2023 }}
In November 2021 Jay & Joss appeared via a video link in the Rock Paper Magic! episode of Penn & Teller's Fool Us magic competition television series. Their trick was described as "...a really funny routine and perfectly done," but Penn and Teller were not fooled.{{cite web |url=https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/corby-double-acts-tv-illusion-in-bid-to-fool-penn-teller-with-hopes-of-magic-vegas-date-3495090 |title=Corby double act's TV illusion in bid to fool Penn & Teller with hopes of magic Vegas date |last=Bagley |first=Alison |date=16 December 2021 |website=NorthantsTelegraph.co.uk |publisher=Northamptonshire Telegraph |access-date=4 April 2023 |quote=}} During 2021 Jay & Joss adapted their shows for a coronavirus lock-downed virtual audience and described to the press the challenges this raised.{{cite web |url=https://www.businessfirstonline.co.uk/other-articles/magicians-under-no-illusion-of-lockdown/ |title=Magicians under no illusion of lockdown |date=11 May 2021 |website=BusinessFirstOnline.co.uk |publisher=Northern Ireland Business First |access-date=10 April 2023 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2021/05/08/hey-presto-zoom-trick-reveals-magic-happens/ |title=Hey presto! Zoom trick reveals how the magic happens |last=Carpani |first=Jessica |date=8 May 2021 |website=Telegraph.co.uk |publisher=Telegraph Media Group Limited |access-date=10 April 2023 }}
They performed at a fundraiser in April 2021 for the Huntington's Disease Association Youth Engagement Service.{{cite web |url=https://www.hda.org.uk/events/magic-show/ |title=Magic show with Jay and Joss |date=10 April 2021 |website=Hda.org.uk |publisher=Huntington's Disease Association |access-date=24 February 2023 |archive-date=24 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224184558/https://www.hda.org.uk/events/magic-show |url-status=dead }} In September 2022 Jay & Joss performed in London's longest-running theatre magic show on tour, West End Magic, in Norwich.{{cite web |url=https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/20828800.west-end-magic-show-heading-fine-city/ |title=West End magic show heading to the fine city |last=Skyring |first=Sophie |date=29 August 2022 |website=EveningNews24.co.uk |publisher=Newsquest Media Group Ltd |access-date=12 April 2023 }} Radio X's Chris Moyles Show featured Jay & Joss in February 2023 assisting a presenter to perform sawing a woman in half live.{{cite web |url=https://www.radiox.co.uk/radio/shows-presenters/chris-moyles/pippa-gets-sawn-in-half-in-doms-50-at-50/ |title=Pippa gets sawn in half in Dom's 50 at 50 |date=16 February 2023 |website=RadioX.co.uk |publisher=Global Media & Entertainment Ltd |access-date=12 April 2023 |quote=}} For the last 3 years Jay & Joss have performed in 250 shows a year across all of Butlin's holiday resorts.{{cite web |url=https://www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids/free-activities-offer-families-butlins-7363983 |title=The free activities on offer for families at Butlin's in Skegness |last=Fahy |first=Natalie |date=22 July 2022 |website=LincolnshireLive.co.uk |publisher=Local World |access-date=12 April 2023 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.butlins.com/discover-butlins/things-to-do/jay-and-joss |title=JAY & JOSS: IMAGINATION |date=2023 |website=Butlins.com |publisher=Butlin's |access-date=12 April 2023 }}
In May 2024 they appeared on Season 17 of Britain's Got Talent, with a wedding-themed routine that captivated both the judges and the audience. The couple, involved judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and Bruno Tonioli in their act.
Jay & Joss appeared on ITV News while promoting a PR stunt for Wicksteed Park in February 2025. In which they made Merlin, the train vanish. This was performed to a live audience of staff and park goers in a one-take video.{{Cite news |date=17 February 2025 |title=Married magicians Jay and Joss are performing in front of a home crowd in Northamptonshire |url=https://www.itv.com/watch/news/married-magicians-jay-and-joss-are-performing-in-front-of-a-home-crowd-in-northamptonshire/0kjw8cc |url-status=live |access-date=21 February 2025 |work=ITV News}}
Awards
In 2017 Lewis Joss won the Northamptonshire Close-Up Magician of the Year Award.{{cite web |date=9 May 2017 |title=Northamptonshire's Close-Up Magician of the Year award goes to vanishing wedding ring act |url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/northamptonshires-close-magician-year-award-goes-vanishing-wedding-ring-act-1126187 |access-date=13 April 2023 |website=NorthamptonChron.co.uk |publisher=National World Publishing Ltd}}
In 2021 Lewis Joss was promoted to the Associates of The Inner Magic Circle with a Silver Star.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Official website|https://www.jayandjoss.co.uk/}}