Young & Strange: British Comedy Magic Duo on AGT 2026 (Bio, Facts and Career)
Who are Young & Strange? The British comedy illusion duo behind Champions of Magic, from Fool Us to the AGT 2026 semifinals.
By The Online Magic Store
· 2 min read
In this story 8 sections
Young & Strange are Richard Young and Sam Strange, a British comedy magic and illusion double act from Oxford. Childhood friends who bonded over magic at age eight, they headline the touring show Champions of Magic, have appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and reached the semifinals of America's Got Talent Season 21 in 2026 with grand illusions and comedy.
Watch Young & Strange on AGT
Young & Strange's "world-first" grand illusion in the AGT 2026 Quarterfinals (official America's Got Talent video).
More official AGT videos: Audition · Semifinals
Quick facts
| Members | Richard Young and Sam Strange |
| Style | Comedy magic and grand illusion |
| From | Oxford, England |
| Known for | Headlining Champions of Magic |
| TV | Penn & Teller: Fool Us; ITV's The Next Great Magician; America's Got Talent Season 21 (2026): semifinalists |
| Other | Richard Young hosts The Magicians' Podcast |
From rivals to a double act
Richard Young and Sam Strange became friends at eight years old over a shared fascination with magic. As adults in Oxford, they ended up running almost identical magic businesses, competing for the same private and corporate events. Instead of staying rivals, they joined forces, staging their first show together in Oxfordshire in 2010 and then performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for four years.
Champions of Magic and the viral video
The duo headline Champions of Magic, a touring magic production that regularly visits theatres across North America, and have performed in London's West End. They reached international fame with a viral video, made in the style of a live Sky News broadcast, in which they appear to perform an illusion in the background behind the presenter. The video was a staged comedy piece, with the presenter in on the joke.
TV appearances
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us: performed for Penn & Teller on the show.
- America's Got Talent (2026): a dangerous close-up illusion at the judges' table in their audition, a Vegas-style "world-first" grand illusion in the quarterfinals that earned standing ovations from the judges, and a comedy illusion with two children from the audience in the semifinals, where they were eliminated in the September 16 results show.
- Other TV credits include ITV's The Next Great Magician and NBC's Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon.
They were one of four magic acts on AGT 2026, alongside Geno Ploeger, Hundred Fingers, and Kameron Marshall.
Style: why their magic works
Young & Strange combine two things that rarely share a stage: big illusions and genuine comedy. The laughs lower the audience's guard, so the illusions land harder. It's stage magic at its most entertaining.
Inspired by Young & Strange? Start here
- Stage magic for large audiences
- Close-up vs parlour vs stage magic
- More TV magicians: magicians on AGT, BGT and Fool Us
Frequently asked questions
Who are Young & Strange?
A British comedy magic duo, Richard Young and Sam Strange, from Oxford. They headline Champions of Magic and were semifinalists on AGT Season 21 in 2026.
Have Young & Strange been on Fool Us?
Yes. They have performed on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, among other TV shows.
How far did Young & Strange get on AGT?
They reached the semifinals of Season 21 and were eliminated on September 16, 2026.
This profile is part of our series on magicians who have appeared on TV. Last updated September 2026.
