David Blaine may be a daredevil magician whose death-defying stunts shock the world. But in this extremely cringe worthy interview, he was a man of very few words. It instantly became one of the most awkward UK TV interviews of all time.

David Blaine Started His Career As A Street Magician

David Blaine was born in 1973 in Brooklyn, New York. When he was four years old he saw a magician performing on the subway. It was at that moment Blaine developed a lifelong interest in illusion. Blaine began performing his own tricks for his family and friends. He was then hired to perform at upscale restaurants and was given access to exclusive clientele who secured his talents for private gigs.

In 1997, Blaine landed his first TV special David Blaine: Street Magic. His effortlessly cool and laid back style would often shock unsuspecting participants as he wowed them with his magic skills. He soon became one of America's leading illusionists and endurance artists. At only 24 years old, David Blaine had reached international fame and even dated Madonna. However, he suffered personal tragedy when his mother, Patrice White died.

David Blaine Refused To Speak On 'Good Morning Television' In Britain

In 2001, David Blaine appeared on GMTV in England and was interviewed by veteran television presenter Eamonn Holmes. But viewers were left confused when Holmes was unable to get more than a few words out of him for the duration of the interview. Instead, Blaine answered questions monosyllabically and kept staring at Holmes with a dazed look on his face. As the bemused presenter kept asking questions to fill the dead air, the magician kept a creepy smile permanently tattooed on his lips. Holmes had no choice but to end the interview.

David Blaine Later Admitted The Interview Was A Prank

In 2019, David Blaine and Eamonn Holmes met for the first time since their infamous interview. Speaking on This Morning, Blaine admitted he refused to speak during that infamous 2001 interview to make it "awkward on purpose."

Blaine explained: "We were all talking in the green room before the show with all the guests friends and family. I noticed no one was watching their friends go on, so I thought 'I'm going to make sure everyone looks." The magician added: "I thought a card trick would be boring." At the last minute I came up with that idea and thought it was funny."

"I'm glad one of us found it funny," Holmes joked. "My hair turned gray right after that. Don't you think that was wicked and cruel? It was the longest 6 minutes of my life."

David Blaine Made Headlines In Britain When He Lived In A Box Above Tower Bridge For Six Weeks

In 2003, Blaine was in the UK and decided to spend his time in a Perspex box suspended from a crane near Tower Bridge. He spent 44 days in the box without food and only water fed to him through a tube. He suffered minor organ failure as a result of the task. When Holmes asked how he did it, Blaine claimed he had never been in the box at all.

"I don't even know who that guy was in there. I've got a top secret. I've got a Pakistani double. He was in there the whole time. He had longer hair and was really skinny," Blaine revealed.

Holmes claimed he saw the double walking near Tower Bridge when he paid the magician a visit, but Blaine said: "No, that was me."

Related: How Old Is David Blaine's Daughter? & 9 Other Things We Just Found Out About Him

Then he laughed off the comment, saying: "I would never do something like that, I couldn't do that."

He said: "I was sneaking in and out every four hours. When I saw you coming, I jumped off the crane right into the box. The top looked like glass, but it was a hologram glass made out of glucose."

But he then confused viewers by telling them he was "just joking."

Related: David Blaine Changes The Date And Location Of His Latest Balloon Stunt

David Blaine Once Encased Himself In A Block Of Ice

Blaine said he came close to quitting when Kiss FM breakfast DJ Bam Bam organized a "24-Hour Ding."

The DJ encouraged listeners to drive past Tower Bridge and beep their horns. "If he had done it for another half a day I would have quit instantly, I couldn't take it," the magician said.

It wasn't the first time Blaine challenged himself in a death defying stunt. In 2000, Blaine was encased in a block of ice in the middle of New York's Times Square for just short of 64 hours. He battled sleep deprivation and freezing temperatures as he fell short of his target of 72 hours.

Next: David Blaine Explains The One Trick He'd Never Do After Hallucinating During A Particular Stunt