Have you ever thought about what happens when a dangerous magic trick goes disastrously wrong?
Polish TV viewers found out firsthand when a shocking accident unfolded live on air.
The horrific accident took place on Pytanie na Śniadanie – which translates to Question For Breakfast – a popular morning show in Poland.
While the program is usually a mix of celebrity interviews and light entertainment, things took an unexpected turn in 2016 when magician Marcin Poloniewicz showcased one of his stunts.
Marcin, who was a semi-finalist on Poland’s Got Talent, introduced a trick involving four identical brown paper bags. One of them concealed a sharp nail.
The trick was to slam someone’s hand onto a bag without choosing the one with the nail.
Warning: This video contains scenes that some viewers may find distressing.
Host Marzena Rogalska, who asked to participate, trusted Marcin’s skills and placed her hand over a bag. The illusionist then confidently slammed Rogalska’s hand down on top of one of the bags with full force.
The stunt went wrong as Marzena’s hand was impaled on the hidden nail. The host screamed in pain, recoiling as blood dripped from her injured hand as she lifted it.
Marcin appeared oblivious to his mistake at first, but as he glanced down, he quickly realized what happened. In a fit of panic, he repeatedly muttered: “I pierced her. Really, I pierced her,” before yanking the nail out himself while holding the presenter’s injured hand in the air.
With his hands around her shoulders, Marzena was guided out of the studio and was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
The accident played out live on TV for millions to see. As the shocking footage went viral, viewers slammed the magician for the dangerous mishap, flooding social media with criticism.
One person wrote on YouTube: “Well that guys magic career just… disappeared,” while another said: “Inexcusable for a performer to put the host in danger.” A third user questioned: “Why would anyone part-take in such a stupid trick!?”
In response to the backlash, Marzena took to Facebook to share a video with the magician. She clarified that she was okay and revealed that the trick had originally gone smoothly during show rehearsals.
“The internet has a lot of hate for this man. He didn’t mean for this to happen,” she added.
