Stevie Starr, Professional Regurgitator

Status: Magic trick
image Stevie Starr calls himself a professional regurgitator. He's been doing his act for a long time, and is quite famous. (He's appeared on shows such as Jay Leno and Ripley's Believe it or Not.) But I just became aware of him through a video of one of his performances on Google Video, and I'm at a complete loss to explain how he does what he does.

His performance includes some of the following tricks: He swallows sugar, followed by a glass of water, and then regurgitates the sugar, completely dry. He swallows a live goldfish and regurgitates that a minute later, still living. (As he does this, he mentions the urban legend about goldfish having 5-second memories.) Reportedly he's also able to swallow a (miniature) rubik's cube and bring it back up — solved. (Though the Rubik's cube trick isn't shown in the google video.)

I can't find anyone on the web who has a decent explanation for how Starr is able to do all this. Obviously he has a genuine talent with his stomach. An article about him in the Amherst Student reports that:

he was born in a children’s home in Scotland, where he lived for the first 19 years of his life. When little Stevie was four years old, he discovered this unique talent by swallowing his lunch money and realizing he could bring it right back up. Thus, a freak of nature was born.

But this doesn't explain how he can swallow sugar, followed by water, and bring the sugar up dry. Or the trick with the rubik's cube. Does he have a second stomach, or something like that? To do the rubik's cube trick I assume he must have swallowed a solved rubik's cube before the show. But like I said, I'm pretty much baffled.

Incidentally, history is full of famous vomiters, so Stevie Starr evidently isn't the only one who has ever had this talent. In 1621 there was the case of the nail-vomiting Boy of Bilston (who had been trained by a priest to simulate the symptoms of being bewitched). This was followed in 1642 by Catharina Geisslerin, "the toad-vomiting woman of Germany," who, as you might guess, had a talent for vomiting up toads. In 1694 there was Theodorus Döderlein, who vomited up twenty-one newts and four frogs. (I'm getting this info from Clifford Pickover's The Girl Who Gave Birth to Rabbits.) Pickover also reports that there have been cases of compulsive swallowers who don't later regurgitate what they swallow, including one guy in 1985 who had "53 toothbrushes, 2 razors, 2 telescopic aerials, and 150 handles of disposable razors" removed from his stomach.

Body Manipulation Food Magic

Posted on Tue Feb 14, 2006



Comments

I was involved in booking his act 9 years ago and took him and his agent out to dinner afterwards. He told me his whole story about being an orphan and that when he was little he even swallowed live bumble bees. I am always a skeptic so I asked him to perform impromtu at the dinner table, He swallowed a whole pile of coins and brought them up one by one. Ate his food without chewing it .. like he would take a muffin and put it in his mouth and suck it down. We also had him play a joke on some table of old people next to us, he swallowed a bunch of coins and a set of keys and he went near their table and said "where are my keys" and then looked in his pockets, and he asked the table for some coins to make a call because he lost his keys, then all of a sudden he starts vometing up coins all over the floor and then pulls a set of keys out of his mouth.. It was so funny and totally impromptu. I interupted him a couple times and asked him to bring back up items he had swallowed and he was able to bring them up. this guy is just a biological freak, he is also a freaky person, not in the "david blane" sort of way, this guy is like a big baby, he even has his agent manage all of his personal money, kind of like a father. He is a really nice guy but you can see he just does not have the people skills or wits to be a magician, he is just doing stuff he can do. He has even done this under x-ray on Japanese TV with one of his tricks involving a key and a lock and a borrowed ring from the audiance within his stomach, and you can see his muslces using the key in the lock and putting the ring in the lock. I think it is possible that he swallows some things beforehand (like the rubix cube because I dont see how you can solve that blindfolded).. but the sugar is real no plastic bag (I tested him on that during our meal), also he kept a live fish partitioned of in his stomach throughout the whole show he did for us and then brought it up at the end.

I am so surprised he is still availiable after more than 10 years, his throat must be really tough.
Anyhow if you are from a college student government he is the best show we ever had (and we had some amazing ones), I cant reccomend him enough.. and be sure to take him out to dinner someplace with fun stuff to swallow.
Posted by Listen to me  on  Wed Aug 30, 2006  at  09:40 AM
I just heard about Stevie through a mutual friend. She's known him for 20 years and has no idea how he does what he does. But she stopped having him stay at her house because he is an overgrown kid and is constantly doing his regurgitation stuff (like with her food and any small objects in the house). She says it is absolutely real and he has been examined at length by doctors who have no idea how he does it. She did tell me an interesting story about him growing up in the orphanage. She has no idea how he does any of this but has seen him do it many, many times at her house while she was standing right there and watched him.
Posted by dansbooks  on  Mon Oct 16, 2006  at  08:41 PM
I just got back from his 2nd live show here at the University of South Alabama.. HE SWALLOWED MY RING along w/ about 10 others. It was so funny. Eveyone was hiding their stuff so that he wouldn't ask to swallow it! I have seen the show live twice, and it is so entertaining. The show was nearly exactly the same, but still just as fascinating and exciting as the first viewing. If you have the opportunity to see this man, DO!!! You will not be sorry. It is probably a con, especially since he says "you may be asking, is this a con? .... Of course it is.. But it's fun! (or funny. I cannot remember, due to the still-flowing adrenaline from the show)" but it is truly entertaining. At least you will get a good laugh out of it if nothing else!
Posted by Jade DAvis  on  Tue Oct 17, 2006  at  09:35 PM
i actually met steve in a bar while i was visiting family in scotland and we got to drinking he soon told me that he can make "pockets" in his stomach and that the sugar trick is done by putting the sugar into one of those pockets and then guiding the water past the sugar then end up coughing the sugar back up again...
Posted by P.Murphy  on  Mon Nov 06, 2006  at  09:22 AM
I've actually seen Stevie perform in Australia a few years back. I was standing 5 feet away from him for the entire show and from everything I saw he was swallowing the objects. I could see his throat move as a billiard ball went down or came back up, etc. I would agree that the rubix cube trick was probably done with two cubes. The one that isn't getting talked about too much is how he swallows an audience member's ring a locked lock and a key he then unlocks the lock puts the ring on the lock and locks it back up, bringing these items back up with him. For the show I watched he lifted his shirt up and you could see his stomach doing all this.

I have no idea how he does everything but I'd certainly recommend going to see him.
Posted by Andrew  on  Tue Nov 07, 2006  at  01:20 PM
At least for the light bulb in the beginning it's very obvious that her replace it behind the table before putting it in his mouth. With what, or for what reason I can't tell, but it's not the same object he knocks in the table that goes in his mouth.
Posted by Dennis  on  Wed Nov 08, 2006  at  12:39 AM
He he - I must say.. Stevie is gooood. Just watched him live today and was quite amazed - hoax or not.... damn good entertainment :o)
Posted by Henrik  on  Sat Nov 25, 2006  at  03:30 PM
Hello all ,
what you see in the video is totally for real. When i was studying in uk, he came to visit my university on a show. Because I couldn't believe it I went back stage and I met the guy. he did it in front of me, he was wearing no clothes from his trousers and upwards so there was no way he could have tricked me. I still have the coin I asked him to swallow and bring back up again. Believe it or not, the guy is for real. I know what I've seen.
Posted by Alexandros Papandreou  on  Tue Dec 19, 2006  at  11:07 AM
I saw him last night doing his show, I've seen him before and it was still great and I do recommend it to everyone to see.

After the show a few of us went and spoke to him and he did a few other things for us (he was bribed with a few card tricks), one thing he did was swallow one of my friends mobile (or cell) phone and we rang it and could feel it vibrate inside him.

All those people that think he is doing some sort of illusion have no idea! He is 100% real and he does swallow things and bring them back!

He told us about when he was in school. He would swallow bees before he went to school and then release them in class to show his friends (as well as scare the teachers).

If anyone knows where I can see a video of him swallowing things with an x-ray please post it, also post links for his adverts as I would love to see them!
Posted by Jason Billyack  on  Mon Jan 08, 2007  at  08:24 AM
Obviously Starr has a parasitic twin still living in his stomach, whom he has trained to juggle all the things he throws down there and then toss them back up.
Posted by Becketo Flannidad  on  Sat Jan 13, 2007  at  06:15 PM
About the small balloon he apparently poped inside his stomach, everyone knows he didn't swallow the balloon. Just watch closely right before it poped, his left cheek pops the baloon right in his mouth. People are just not concentrated on his mouth at that point... Great acting. About the fish... he DID swallow it! Even in slow motion, catching his tail was misleading to think otherwise.
Posted by Elie  on  Mon Jan 15, 2007  at  01:03 PM
Just seen all these posts - bad of me really, as Stevie's manager I should have been keeping a careful eye on things! First off, let me correct what appears to be a common misconception. Stevie swallows the Rubic's Cube made & brings it up mixed. It really would be stretching credulity to do it the other way! As for the other stuff, I love hearing the theories but let me put it to you this way. There are people everywhere who can bend spoons & make watches stop like the great Yuri Geller because that is a trick. NOBODY does Stevie's show because it isn't a trick. Have fun watching guys!
Posted by Mike  on  Mon Feb 12, 2007  at  10:27 AM
I think he also used to go by the
stage name "Harve the Inhaler" or
maybe "Harvey the Inhaler". I saw him
on The Late Show with David Letterman
in the late 80's or 90's.
Posted by Noah  on  Fri Apr 06, 2007  at  08:21 AM
I love the act, real or not I don't care but that is the worst Glasgow accent I ever heard, Robin Williams sounds more genuine.
Posted by Webbie  on  Sun Apr 15, 2007  at  10:15 AM
he dosnt solve a rubrics cube. he just turns it inside his belly.
Posted by patrik  on  Sat Jun 02, 2007  at  04:57 PM
I met him on a train years ago on my way to Carlsle and he did a show for us at the back of the carriage. He introduce himself by asking to borrow my zippo lighter then swallowed it, i had never heard of him before until then and you could say I was quite shocked

fatastic man, really friendly and down to earth
Posted by davy  on  Wed Jun 13, 2007  at  07:10 AM
I saw this guy live, and i swear he's legit. For one, he wore a sleeveless vest, and thats it (well, besides pants of course) He explained his talent as having pockets in his stomache. Some of his tricks included swallowing a stack of coins, and then having the audience yell out how many they wanted him to cough up (say four) and whether they wanted them all at once, or one at a time. Also, he swallowed a billiard ball (which there is no way he could have faked) then a key, and asked the audience which one to regurgitate first. The best trick by far was when he swallowed butane, waited about 5 minutes, then blew a bubble with the butane in it, which he proceded to light on fire. He was so awesome
Posted by Jimmy T  on  Mon Jul 09, 2007  at  01:20 PM
I got a video of him at Leno, and maybe there is a clue: Several times after a trick he takes something out of a pocket in his jacket and kind of rubs it under/in his nose.
Posted by default  on  Sat Aug 04, 2007  at  05:32 PM
I saw Stevie 2 weeks ago at my university. I was a bit sceptic at the beginning, but after I watched I think he is absolutely legit. The most amazing one was when he took a ring from someone in the audience, swallowed it together with a padlock and the key, and retuned the key binded to the lock.

The only things I noticed were:
- Everytime he swallows something, he energetically hits himself in his chest. Maybe it's suppose to mask some sounds?
- When he swallows coins, he puts the microphone near his mouth so you can hear a coin falling onto another coin. When that happens, I could hear him burping quitely every time
- Sometimes his voice sounded as if he had something in his mouth.

The only option is that he makes a couple of his tricks with his tongue. But still, he has to be able to swallow and regurgitate stuff - there's no way he could hide a billiard ball or a lightbulb under his tongue.

Think about it - if you had full control of your stomach, it wouldn't be too difficult to turn the Rubik's cube two or three times, would it?
Posted by Maciek  on  Mon Oct 15, 2007  at  01:46 PM
FACT: Stevie's Stuff is real. I was privileged enough to be back stage of one of his live performances. He swallows 3 Liters of water before every show (prevents stomach acid from killing fish amongst other things). The throws the water back up after every show.
Posted by HJO  on  Mon Oct 15, 2007  at  02:02 PM
He's an American.

The 'Scottish' accent is the result of learning to speak with an unrepaired cleft palate. He's fortunate not to have a cleft lip or gum.

The 'accent' is similar to that of other Americans with unrepaired palates. The 'Scottish orphanage' in his bio is pure fabrication.

Having said that, I leave the explanation up to the rest of you to figure out.
Posted by Jim  on  Fri Oct 26, 2007  at  07:03 PM
i dono i jst saw this guy last ngiht live he swallowed 10 dollar coins and bought up how much u wanted he swallowed butane gas and for the next 20 min throughout the show he would burp up and light the gas he swalloweed a lightbulb several times the rubrics cude he swallowed was done b4 he swallowed it and when he bought it up the sides were mixed up and the most amzing thing was that he swallowed a pool ball a legit sized pool ball i dono how but he did n it was gone and he bought it back up it was amazing
Posted by vinny  on  Sun Oct 28, 2007  at  01:10 PM
I saw steve live at the baxter theatre in cape town. I was on stage with him and stood less than a foot away. he swallowed butane, lit a lighter and burped flames thereby singing the hair off my arm. i am familiar with illusionism and perform a number of effects myself. I truly believe Steve is no hoax. I witnessed the sugar and water, the gold fish, the snooker ball all go down his gullet. The man is amazing and truly unique. Bravo. If you get the chance to see him live DO NOT MISS THE OPPORTUNITY.
Posted by patrick dickens  on  Sun Nov 11, 2007  at  09:44 AM
Hmm...I've just seen this guy do a live close up performance at my university and I have to say it can't be a trick...no sleight of hand, no hiding in his mouth...he came right up close, popped a pool ball in his mouth, showed it there and swallowed.opened his mouth and it had gone. same with all the other items...like his swallowing an entire cigarette worth of smoke and bringing it up 20 minutes later. Has to be real!
Posted by James Boucher  on  Thu Nov 15, 2007  at  05:21 PM
In reply to Jim from California (26th October):
he's not American. Stevie (his real name, although Starr is not) and I both attended Strathaven Academy in the 1970's. I remember him from them, but was totally unaware of his talent until I saw him on TV some years later. I don't care if it's not all for real, it's a great act.

Strathaven is about 20 miles south of Glasgow but our local accent is usually mistaken for Glaswegian by furrners.
Posted by David Kirkwood  on  Tue Nov 20, 2007  at  03:15 PM
For the billiard ball trick, if you notice a little flaw there... he doesnt talk during it... with the other objects he talks (even tho you can notice that he cant talk normally... you can notice somthing is in its mouth...) during the billiard ball... he just does the scream thingy and giggles a bit...
Posted by Heart  on  Tue Dec 11, 2007  at  06:48 PM
Most of you are assuming that just because it enters his mouth that he is swallowing it and it goes into his stomach. Some things to notice:

1) He never swallows 2 billiard balls at the same time. If they were actually going into his stomach he would be able to swallow 2, 3 or more at the same time.

2) He never talks when swallowing very large objects such as billiard balls. He always goes out of his way to explain what's going to happen beforehand.

3) He's inhaling not swallowing.

4) He has a maxillofacial defect of some kind.

His tricks involve a physical defect, training, sleight of hand and above all great showmanship.
Posted by Dean  on  Mon Jan 14, 2008  at  02:00 PM
The reason he's able to produce dry sugar is because it never goes to his stomach. He simply opens the lid on his esophagus (like you do when you swallow air when trying to burp) and the sugar's safe in the air pocket. The water goes to his stomach, never touching the sugar.

The coin trick is just that; a trick. He already has another set of labeled coins hidden in his mouth from 1 to 5 in order between his bottom teeth and gums. He inhales the other coins and just holds them in the air pocket which he brings back up after the show. Since the coins in his mouth are in order, he's easily able to find which one the audience wants to see with his tongue.

The fish trick is very simple too, as is the Rubik's Cube trick. I don't feel like typing any more, so if you want to know how they're done, or any other trick he does, email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Posted by Visara  on  Fri Jan 25, 2008  at  02:11 PM
I think you all who say its a trick are crazy no offence Stevie Starr is an amazing performer regardless of how he does it. you dont know if its a trick he could have a pyhsical mutation that enables him to do the act!
Posted by Derek Wahdan  on  Tue Feb 26, 2008  at  06:20 PM
How the hell would you guys know????
Posted by Steve  on  Sat Mar 01, 2008  at  05:04 PM
He does frequently reach in his pocket and then touch his face or put something in his mouth. Especially during the Jay Leno perfomance
Posted by Suzie Suzie  on  Tue Mar 04, 2008  at  11:48 AM
sugar is that i dont believe anyting else goes
Posted by myllydjk  on  Sun Mar 30, 2008  at  11:22 AM
you know, a simple x-ray would solve all these issues.
Posted by voice of reason  on  Tue Apr 01, 2008  at  12:52 AM
i just saw this guy perform at my school in canada...although this guy is a nut, his talent is quite impressive. The one trick that i saw him perform that amazed me the most was to swallow someones ring... followed by a locked lock and then the key for the lock. a minute later the ring was hooked onto the locked padlock. he had opened the lock with the key...slipped the ring on and locked it again...ALL in his stomach...
Posted by fsdaf  on  Wed Apr 02, 2008  at  01:52 AM
😠 gg steven jie b mc culloch



contact please

fallside missin you
Posted by jie bolt  on  Fri Apr 04, 2008  at  12:36 PM
steven jie b fallside saw a ghst eatin toast halfway up a
Posted by john bolton  on  Fri Apr 04, 2008  at  12:41 PM
Actually, he doesn't solve the rubik's cube. You got that wrong. He just moves the movable parts in the Rubik's cube.

He does this by swallowing a solved rubik's cube, moving the squares, and regurgitating the same cube but with moved squares.
Posted by Fatin  on  Thu Apr 10, 2008  at  02:13 PM
I knew Stevie personally. He is one of the greatest at what he does, but what he does is not regurgitating lol.
Posted by Mae  on  Wed May 07, 2008  at  11:15 AM
There is a video floating around of a guy in some 3rd world country drinking a 1 liter bottle of water and then completely regurgitating it back into the bottle, swallowing it again, and regurgitating it yet again.

Most of this stuff is for real, people who think most of this is fake are just jealous that they cannot do it themselves.

If it was fake, someone would have been able to expose him of this by now, seeing as he has been doing it for over 20 years.
Posted by No one  on  Mon May 12, 2008  at  10:49 AM
watch closely - he doesnt have many bottom teeth...he hides them back there like a hamster.
Posted by ss  on  Mon Jun 09, 2008  at  02:11 AM
I have seen Stevie Starr performe in front of me twice and frankly he is awsome. I don't know how he does it, although I think I once saw a picture showing him having two stomachs.
For the sceptics out there, another trick he does is swallow dishwashing liquid and inhale butane gas, then he blows bubbles filled with the butane and lights then with a flame. He gets an audience member to light the bubbles and if not carefull the hairs on their arms gets singed. The fish also get high off the butane which is funny to see.
Posted by Andrew  on  Sat Aug 02, 2008  at  04:50 AM
Well however he is doing it....he does posses a trick/trade/talent that I do not....and he is making money doing it...

either way....the man is very good at what he does
Posted by Aimee  on  Wed Aug 06, 2008  at  07:58 PM
Look carefully on the video close-up as he swallows the billiard ball.

You can see it go into his left cheek.

He then turns his head sideways in a 3/4 to the right angle so you can't see the lower part of the cheek clearly, but if you look closely you can see a slight bulge there.

So that's the answer, and it's definitive: he's storing the stuff in his left cheek.
Posted by Xavier  on  Mon Aug 11, 2008  at  02:09 AM
I saw him tonight and I don't believe it was a hoax. He swallowed a guy's ring then a locked lock and the key to the lock(all separately. After a bunch of show and moving around he coughed up the ring and the lock(the ring was now attached to the lock) and then he also coughed up the key. Meaning he unlocked the lock, then put the ring on the lock and then locked it...all while it was in his stomach. CRAZY!
Posted by Matt  on  Sat Oct 11, 2008  at  09:04 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZFIRhJrHJE&feature=related


Now watch this when he swallows the billiard ball. There is no faking that. Even as he bring it back up his yell is stifled from the ball closing his throat. Give it up people. He may be the ONLY real magician left.
Posted by Daniel  on  Sun Nov 23, 2008  at  11:55 AM
I first saw him on tv in the late 80s. He swallowed and coughed up a light bulb. You cannot hide a light bulb in your mouth. He also swallowed various coins during which the tv presenter put the microphone to his stomach and you could hear them dropping in there. Surely after 20 years or more he would have been exposed as a fake by now
Posted by Jason  on  Sun Jan 04, 2009  at  02:15 AM
Here's a clip from Swedish television (high quality). It's kind of close-up and you can see that he has all his teeth, and you see the tricks from the front (I'm from Seden myself so I'm not sure my english is correct). Watch the billiard ball goes right down his throat and not under his tongue. And how could he possibly hide the gas under his tongue for such a long time? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_rP2wVc2y4&fmt=18
Posted by Tore  on  Sat Jan 10, 2009  at  08:13 PM
I worked security in 1988 at Melbournes 21's century dance club for Stevie Starr.

I went back stage to check on him and he did the most amazing thing.

He put his mouth over the tap, turned it on full and filled his gut with litres of water.

He then turned to me and said " want to see the sprinkler?"

He turned in circles and sprayed water for almost 1 minute on all the walls in the room

ITs real and I watched him up close
Posted by DJFlex  on  Tue Feb 24, 2009  at  07:32 PM
The majority of these responses verify P.T. Barnum's most famous statement.
Posted by john  on  Tue Mar 10, 2009  at  02:46 PM
My brother is a VERY famous magician in Las Vegas. He told me EXACTLY how this is done. Nothing ever leaves this guys mouth, PERIOD! There is slight of hand to switch most items before they go in, like the billiard ball or Rubix Cube.The other items are taken into the back of the mouth and cheeks. It really isn't hard to hide smaller objects like ballons, nails or even fish. The "sugar" is really sand.

It's a great illusion, believe it or not!
Posted by jbj_elvis  on  Mon Mar 30, 2009  at  09:59 AM
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