What's The Trick?

Most great ideas never happen. But what’s really stopping ideas from becoming reality? Is it fear of failure, self-doubt, or the belief that you need someone else’s permission to make something extraordinary? On What’s The Trick?, Ben Hanlin sits down with Nils Leonard, co-founder of Uncommon Creative Studio, to uncover the psychology of creativity, why brilliant ideas never become reality, and wh...

Why do humans crave fear, chase adrenaline and actively seek out experiences that terrify us? And what if the scariest part of a roller coaster isn't actually the drop? In this episode of What's The Trick? , Ben Hanlin is joined by Brendan Walker, a thrill engineer and expert in the psychology of thrill seeking , to uncover the surprising science behind fear, excitement and human behaviour...

How do you turn just £27 into a billion-dollar business? Grenade founder Alan Barratt joins Ben Hanlin to reveal the incredible story behind building one of the UK's most successful nutrition brands. From almost losing his house to creating the hugely successful Grenade Carb Killa protein bar, Alan shares how he disrupted the chocolate industry, challenged some of the world's biggest brand...

What makes someone impossible to ignore when they speak? Speechwriter and communication expert Simon Lancaster joins Ben Hanlin to break down the psychology, rhetoric and techniques behind some of the world’s most influential communicators - from Boris Johnson and Donald Trump to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Oprah Winfrey and some of history’s greatest speeches. Simon reveals how professional speechwrit...

Dragon’s Den told Rob Law his business was worthless. What happened next turned Trunki into a global success story. Ben Hanlin sits down with Trunki creator Rob Law to uncover how a university design idea became a product sold around the world, what really happened after his infamous Dragon’s Den rejection, and why the public response changed everything. Rob also breaks down how to take a product...

Simon Painter went from an unemployed classical violinist to creating and producing some of the biggest live entertainment shows in the world, including The Illusionists and Now You See Me Live. He joins Ben Hanlin to reveal how he built a global theatre career, sold 42,000 tickets at the Sydney Opera House in just eight days, why he creates the poster before the show, the disastrous opening night...

The Summer Social 5 brings together highlights from three incredible guests: America’s Got Talent winner Paul Zerdin, Mischief Theatre co-founder Henry Lewis and The Simpsons & The Office writer Brant Forrester. Discover the stories, creative processes and career lessons behind three of the biggest names in comedy and entertainment. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, conten...

Join Ben Hanlin for a special episode of What’s the Trick? as he looks back over the first 30 episodes and revisits three of his personal highlights. Featuring Andy Nyman on creativity and performance, Callie Hart on self-publishing and the power of BookTok, and Dominic McGregor on building Social Chain and understanding what makes content go viral. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, perfo...

Join Ben for his summer specials series of What’s the Trick? as he looks back on the first 30 conversations. We explore three more of his personal highlights and the unforgettable insights from some of the show’s most inspiring guests. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking to improve c...

Ben is back for the summer specials of What’s the Trick? as he looks back on the first 30 conversations. Revisit three more of his personal highlights and the unforgettable insights shared by some of the show’s most inspiring guests. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking to improve com...

Join Ben Hanlin for a special episode of What’s the Trick? as he looks back on the first 30 conversations. Revisit three of his personal highlights and the unforgettable insights shared by some of the show’s most inspiring guests. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking to improve commun...

How a dinner with Joan Rivers led to Cally quitting her big boardroom job and pursuing her passion as a standup comedian, as a single Mum in late forties. She reveals the mindset behind taking big risks, the lessons she learned from turning down South Park, and why being willing to fail is the key to building a more fulfilling creative life. We also cover how to write comedy - how to get a book de...

Brian Conley reveals how he went from performing in clubs and warming up television audiences to becoming one of Britain’s biggest Saturday night entertainers, regularly reaching 15 million viewers. He shares the lessons behind his longevity, including how to handle nerves, make every opportunity count, reinvent your career and truly connect with a live audience. If you want to being a long lastin...

Emmy Award-winning writer Brent Forrester reveals what really happened inside the writers’ rooms of The Simpsons and The Office, from the pressure of pitching jokes to the techniques used to generate unforgettable stories. He also explains how to create a genuinely collaborative environment, why great comedy begins with vulnerability and why aspiring artists should stop waiting for permission to m...

Henry Lewis reveals how a late-night production performed to tiny audiences grew into The Play That Goes Wrong , a West End phenomenon that has now reached more than 50 countries. He shares the persistence, testing, creative collaboration and business decisions behind Mischief’s success and explains why finishing an imperfect idea is often more valuable than waiting for perfection. This episode is...

Paul Zerdin shares the truth about winning America's Got Talent, revealing how 25 years of preparation, relentless refinement and calculated risks led to one of the biggest moments of his career. Sharing the reality of Las Vegas and burnout to building world-class performances that work anywhere, this is a conversation about success, creativity and what it really takes to stay at the top. This epi...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Derren Brown to explore how to create a psychological hypnosis show. If you want to develop your performing skills, this episode breaks down what actually works. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking to improve communica...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Warrick Brownlow-Pike to explore how to become a professional puppeteer working for Jim Henson and The Muppets. If you want to improve your character work, this episode breaks down what actually works. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presente...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Nadia Casey to explore how to become funny, without being a comedian. If you want to improve your timing, pace and humour thought process. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking to improve communication and idea generatio...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Dominic McGregor to explore how he and Steven Bartlett built Social Chain into a £200 million company. If you want to understand how creativity can be used to build a business, this episode breaks down what actually works. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs -...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Shoot From The Hip to explore how they turned an improv group in a full time career. If you want to discover how to make a success improv show, this episode breaks down what actually works. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Derren Litten to explore how he wrote Benidorm. If you want to learn how to write your own show and have it commissioned, this episode breaks down what actually works. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking to improve com...

In this episode of "What’s The Trick?", Ben Hanlin sits down with Matt Richardson to explore how to become a stand up comic. If you want to improve your knowledge on ways to truly make it as a comedian, this episode breaks down what actually works. This episode is for: - Creatives (writers, performers, content creators) - Business owners and entrepreneurs - Speakers and presenters - Anyone looking...

This episode is a little different, and that is exactly why it matters. Instead of focusing on one guest, one project, or one creative journey, Ben steps back and looks at what the first 10 episodes of What’s The Trick? have actually revealed. The result is a smart, generous roundup of the ideas, habits, decisions, and mindset shifts that keep showing up across very different creative worlds. Acro...

What does it take to make a character feel alive when that character is made of mechanics, code, cables, and performance? In this episode, Ben Hanlin sits down with animatronics expert and robot inventor Matt Denton to unpack the craft behind some of modern cinema’s most memorable practical creations, most notably BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but also work connected to Harry Potter, Pro...