NEWS COPY - WITH PICTURES - By Grant Bailey
Millions of Brits admit to having a secret 'must-see talent' - but most of us are often too shy to show off the amazing party trick.
The party tricks and skills of 2,000 adults has found the unusual talents Brits have at their disposal ahead of the 2017 party season.
Shuffling a deck of cards is the most common trick with 52 per cent of people claiming they could pull it off.
On the more challenging side, one in five reckon they could master ‘The Robot’ dance move while 17 per cent of history buffs could recount Britain’s kings and queens of old.
If called upon by a baying crowd to perform, 27 per cent of Brits could put on a convincing shadow puppet show, and one in five aspiring Delle Alli’s would turn to keepie-uppies to floor an audience.
Sadly, one in ten have never revealed their secret skill to anyone, while half only perform every now and then because of their shyness.
Jason Hargreaves, CEO of Matalan, which is encouraging shy Brits to share their hidden talents as part of the #GetSpotted campaign for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital Charity, said: “This is the fourth year of our partnership with Alder Hey and this year we are asking people to #GetSpotted by showing us their hidden talents.
“Some of our favourite celebs have already joined the campaign by showing us their secret skills, including Louisa Johnson, Oliver Proudlock and Daisy Lowe - who can very impressively do ‘the splits’ on cue!”
It also emerged one in seven supple respondents can touch their nose with their big toe, and 12 per cent would be happy to demonstrate their double-jointedness.
A shaky six per cent can make their eyeballs vibrate in their sockets, and 12 per cent have a bevy of birdcalls to call upon to wow at woodland gatherings.
But far from being shy, a third of talented Brits wish they had more opportunity to share their gift with the world but can’t find enough excuses to perform.
If the tables were turned and Brits had to choose which kind of party trick to witness, magic is most likely to leave a lasting impression.
Twenty three per cent of respondents, quizzed by market researchers OnePoll.com, would like to see a feat of magic performed in front of them, and one in seven like demonstrations of mental agility and intelligence.
Researchers also found more than one in four believe everyone has a hidden talent, and two in five wish they had more time to themselves to hone their own party trick skills.
Surprisingly, one in ten have entered into a talent show in the past, while 13 per cent have thought about taking part but bottled it at the last minute.
And an enterprising one in six has turned their talent to their advantage, performing their unusual skill for cash or to scoop the winnings in a wager.
The study also revealed that when it comes to gifted celebs, Brits were most surprised to learn of actor Christopher Walken’s skills as a lion tamer, followed by ‘Hairy Biker’ Dave Myers’ history as a make-up artist.
Angelina Jolie’s proficiency at piloting a plane also impressed, as did Pierce Brosnan’s abilities at fire-eating.
Louisa Johnson, who is a supporter of the #GetSpotted campaign, said: “It has been so much fun being involved with Alder Hey and seeing all the hidden talents out there.
"Watching Daisy Lowe do the splits was impressive, and Oliver Proudlock trying to reach his nose with his tongue was hilarious!”
Every gifted Brit who posts their talent at Matalan.co.uk/GetSpotted will be in with the chance of winning an exclusive intimate gig with Louisa Johnson, and meet the star in person.
THE UK’S TOP 40 MOST POPULAR PARTY TRICKS
1. Shuffle a deck of cards
2. Peel an orange in one piece
3. Roll your tongue
4. Say the alphabet backwards
5. Shadow puppetry
6. Complex mental arithmetic
7. Do a cartwheel
8. Wolf whistle
9. Do a handstand
10. Flip a stack of coasters
11. Fit a high number of Malteasers in your mouth
12. ‘The Robot’ dance move
13. Hit the bull’s eye on a dartboard
14. Keepie-uppies with a football
15. List historic kings and queens
16. Bounce a penny into a glass
17. Juggling
18. Balance a can on its tipping point
19. ‘The Moonwalk’ dance move
20. Draw a perfect circle
21. Solve a Rubik’s Cube
22. Touch the tip of your nose with your big toe
23. A snooker/pool table ‘trick shot’
24. Make a coin disappear
25. Touch the tip of your nose with your tongue
26. Demonstrate doubler-jointedness
27. Bird calls
28. ‘The Worm’ dance move
29. Open a champagne bottle with a knife
30. Wiggle your ears
31. Open a bottle with your teeth
32. Reliably score 180 on a dart board
33. Put your legs behind your head
34. Guess someone’s playing card
35. Make your muscles dance
36. Pull the tablecloth from a cluttered dinner table
37. Name all US states in alphabetical order
38. Guess the number someone is thinking of
39. Do the splits
40. Light a match with your thumb
THE UK’S FAVOURITE CELEBS WITH HIDDEN TALENTS
1. Christopher Walken - lion tamer
2. Dave Myers (Hairy Biker) - makeup artist
3. Angelina Jolie - pilot
4. Pierce Brosnan - fire-eater
5. Mike Tyson - pigeon racer
6. Margot Robbie - tattoo artist
7. Justin Bieber - Rubik's Cube skills
8. Jack White - upholsterer
9. Sandra Bullock - linguist
10. Bruce Willis - harmonica player
ENDS
