Darcy Oake

Darcy Oake (born September 27, 1987) is a Canadian illusionist and magician. He gained international prominence as a finalist on the eighth series of Britain's Got Talent in 2014, where he finished in fifth place. Oake is known for his sleight-of-hand tricks and grand illusions, including his signature dove magic act that wowed both judges and audiences on the show. In 2016, he was invited to perform during Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday celebrations at a private event in Windsor Castle.

Early life Darcy Oake was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is the younger of two sons of Scott Oake, a Gemini Award-winning Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster, and his wife Anne. Oake started practicing magic tricks and performed his first shows around the age of 10.

Oake attended St. Paul's High School in Winnipeg, where he continued to develop his magic skills. At 15, he was one of six young magicians selected from across North America to compete at a Las Vegas magic convention, where he won an award for "Most Promising Magician". The tour began in September 2015 and saw Oake performing in large venues such as Sheffield City Hall and concluding with a finale at the London Eventim Apollo.

Back home in Canada, Oake also continued to perform for large crowds and corporate events. Oake has done corporate shows for clients such as Cisco, HSBC, and TD Bank. Notably, in 2018 he was a featured headliner at the Calgary Stampede, one of Canada's biggest festivals. He performed ten shows at the Stampede's Grandstand that year, entertaining over 20,000 people per night, where he was mentioned as one of the best magicians in Canada. In that production, he shared the stage with other internationally known illusionists including America's Got Talent champion Shin Lim and mentalist Colin Cloud.

Recent work and notable performances In addition to live stage performances, Darcy Oake has frequently appeared on television, both as a contestant and as a guest entertainer. His notable TV appearances include:

Britain's Got Talent (2014, ITV) – Contestant on Series 8, where he reached the finals and finished in fifth place. America's Got Talent (2016, NBC) – Guest performer. Following his success on BGT, Oake was invited to perform as a special guest on America's Got Talent. In 2016 he appeared on the U.S. show and delivered an illusion that once again left the judges impressed. Hudson & Rex (2021, Citytv) – Guest actor. Expanding beyond reality and magic shows, Oake appeared in a scripted television series in 2021. He guest-starred in an episode of the Canadian crime drama Hudson & Rex (Season 3, episode "Seeing is Deceiving") playing a magician character named Talon Dwyer who becomes involved in a mystery.

Awards and recognition

Pacific Rim Professional Stage Challenge – First Place: At age 16, Oake also took first place in the Pacific Rim Professional Stage Challenge in Seattle. Las Vegas World Magic Seminar – Youth Award: When he was 15, Oake competed at an international magic convention in Las Vegas (often cited in media as a youth magic seminar or convention). There, he earned an award for "Most Promising Magician".