Two illusionists, one act

A magic double act isn't one magician with a helper in sequins. With Jay & Joss, both are trained illusionists, both hold the same Magic Circle rank, and the show is written for two from the first minute. That changes what can happen on stage. One of them can be locked in danger while the other works against the clock, and the story always has two sides to it.

What a second performer makes possible

Most big stage illusions run on tension, and tension needs someone on the outside who can't just walk away. In their theatre show It's Not a Game, a water-filled box gets locked over one head while a clock counts down. The other one is the person the audience is watching for a way out. A solo act loses that half of the picture entirely.

Then there's the finale, “Jaws of Death”. Both of them hang upside down in straitjackets beneath a giant mechanical bear trap on a timer. Two people in trouble at once is a different kind of nervous for an audience, because nobody in the room is sure who to watch.

The lighter moments work better in a magic double act as well. Sparks and fire from their hands, levitation, a tower of glowing screens. One sets it up, the other lands it, and the pace never drops while somebody resets a prop at the side.

Not magician and assistant

The old format was a magician in a tailcoat plus an assistant who got sawn in half and smiled. Jay & Joss threw that out. Either of them can be the one in the box, the one floating or the one holding the key.

And both have the paperwork to back it up. Lewis was a full Magic Circle member at 18. In 2021 the pair were each given the AIMC, with Silver Stars, by The Inner Magic Circle. So when you book this magic double act, you're booking two magicians, not one plus a spare pair of hands.

How Jay met Joss

Their first meeting was at the biggest magic convention in the world, which is about as fitting as it gets. Early on, Jay sold Joss a magic prop. Not the most romantic opening, but it clearly worked.

Lewis came to it from acting. As a child he was handpicked by Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee to play “Young Jack”, and he worked as an actor before going full-time with magic. You can still see that in the act. The storytelling between the illusions isn't an afterthought, it's half the reason the illusions land.

Engagement came in 2019 and the wedding in 2023. Around all that they built the act piece by piece: the Imagination touring show, a few years doing around 250 shows annually at Butlin's for family crowds, then a UK theatre tour of their own in 2026. The longer story is on the biography page.

The showreel

Volunteers on stage, with two hosts

Bringing someone up from the audience is where a magic double act really earns its keep. With two of them out there, one can stay beside a nervous volunteer, chatting and keeping them comfortable, while the other gets the next part ready. Nobody is left standing alone in a spotlight wondering what happens next.

Their Britain's Got Talent routine is the clearest example. It had a wedding theme and dragged every judge on the panel into the act. That's four people who are hard to impress and very used to being in charge, handled by two performers at once without a wobble.

The magic double act on television

That BGT appearance, series 17 in May 2024, got four yeses. All four of them said yes, Simon Cowell included.

Before that came Penn & Teller: Fool Us in November 2021, the “Rock Paper Magic!” episode, performed over a video link. Penn & Teller weren't fooled, and we won't pretend they were, but they called it “a really funny routine and perfectly done”. More on that on the Fool Us page.

There's also BBC Three's School of Hard Tricks from 2020, where they joined other magicians to coach six strangers through to a show in a sold-out theatre. And a spot on Lorraine in 2024. You can see the clips on the media page.

The latest chapter is at sea. Got Talent had never put a show on a ship until 2026, and they're in the opening cast of it: America's Got Talent: Live on Stage, aboard Legend of the Seas for Royal Caribbean. It's a reminder that this pairing travels, and that dates go quickly.

Titles they hold as a pair

Magic has its own exams and honours, and these were earned together rather than by one name with a partner attached:

• AIMC with Silver Stars from The Inner Magic Circle (2021), awarded to both.
• Champions of Stage Illusion, the title The Magic Circle gave them in 2024.
• A booking every single year at the Royal Variety Aftershow Party.

What the chemistry looks like from the seats

They're married, and you can tell. The timing between them is the sort you only get from doing the same show hundreds of times side by side. There's plenty of back and forth between the illusions, and it never sounds read off a card.

BGT's own caption for them was “They are couple goals”. Derren Brown put it another way: “The whole room loved you, we were all so on side, and you pulled it off heroically.”

That warmth matters more than people expect. An audience that likes the pair on stage will go further with them, scream louder at the bear trap and volunteer more readily. A double act built on a real relationship gets there quicker than two hired performers ever could.

Where a magic double act fits in your evening

For the stage show you want people sitting down, facing a stage or an open patch of floor, at a point where the whole room watches together. Gala dinners, awards nights, big private parties and company celebrations are the natural home for it.

Because fire, lasers and larger kit are involved, tell us about the room early on. Stage or no stage, how big the space is, how many are coming. A couple of photos from your phone help more than a floor plan does.

Want magic earlier in the night too? Jamie and Lewis also do close-up on their own, so they can split up for the drinks reception and meet back on stage later.

Questions about booking a double act

Which one is Jay and which one is Joss?

Jay is Jamie Docherty and Joss is Lewis Joss. On stage you'll see both of them doing the illusions, the stunts and the talking, so it isn't a case of one star and a sidekick. If you're writing an intro for your host, “Jay & Joss” is all you need.

Are they really a couple?

Yes. The engagement was in 2019 and the wedding in 2023, and they've been a magic double act for more than ten years. Their wedding-themed routine on Britain's Got Talent in 2024 drew on that, which is partly why the judges got so caught up in it.

Can we book just one of them?

The stage illusion show needs both, as it's written for two. For close-up, Jamie and Lewis each work solo as well, and each has his own website. Tell us what you're after when you get in touch and we'll point you the right way.

Do they ever work outside the UK?

They do. Lewis has a long history of performing on cruise ships, and the pair are currently working at sea on Legend of the Seas. For a booking abroad, have a look at the international page, then send us your dates, the country and the venue so the team can check what's possible.

How much space does the double act need?

It depends on the venue and which illusions suit it, so we'd rather not guess. Send the stage size if there is one, a rough idea of the floor space, guest numbers and a few photos. The team will come back and say what works in that room.

If a magic double act sounds right for your event, [check a date](#enquiry) on the form here. Give us the date, the venue and town, a rough guest count and where the show would sit in your evening. Photos of the room are a bonus. The team will reply with availability and what the act can do in your space.