Paul McKenna signs £15m TV deal
Leigh Holmwood
The Guardian - 16th January 2008

Celebrity hypnotist Paul McKenna has signed a three-year golden handcuffs deal with the Discovery Channel in the US that could make him up to $30m (£15m).

It is thought the channel, which was formerly run by ex-BBC2 controller Jane Root, wants to market McKenna as an alternative to long-standing American self-help TV host Dr Phil.

In March, McKenna, a former Capital FM DJ, will appear in a new prime-time series, I Can Make You Thin, in which he will attempt to help the studio audience and viewers with weight issues.

A UK series of the same name recently aired on Sky One and a related book is currently No 1 in the Sunday Times bestseller charts.

McKenna also had success in the UK with another Sky One series, I Can Change Your Life.

The three-year Discovery deal, together with spin-off merchandise and downloads of his weight loss techniques which viewers can pay for, could make McKenna between $25m and $30m, according to a source.

The deal will see McKenna join the ranks of other British talent to have made it big in the US, including Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay, Ricky Gervais and Hugh Laurie.

McKenna will now divide his time between London and Los Angeles, where he has recently bought a house.