THE thoughts of interviewing a medium made me feel a bit nervous.

Would he be reading my mind as I tried to question him?

Could he predict what was going to happen to me - or discover secrets about my past?

I needn't have worried. Minutes after meeting medium James Byrne, I felt relaxed and at ease, he was so down-to-earth.

I was expecting someone weird and spooky - instead he turned out to be a man with a great sense of humour.

James Byrne has appeared on countless TV and radio programmes and has even had a week-long show at the London Palladium.

He is coming to the Queens Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday, September 9 to present his Psychic Experience.

This week, he spoke about his special gift.

He only discovered he had psychic powers after a chance meeting with a woman at a bus stop!

"I was 15 and my dad had just died," recalled James, 44, who now lives in Widnes.

"He had been an alcoholic and was a very violent man. We didn't have a good relationship. In fact, I felt a bit relieved that he had gone.

"Anyway, this woman started to talk to me about him. There was no way she could have known who I was.

"She told me she was a medium and said I had the same gift. I was totally fascinated."

James was so intrigued, he decided to find out more about mediumship and psychic phenomena.

For almost 30 years, he has been giving private readings and staging shows on TV, radio and in theatres and spiritualist churches all over the world.

He is the only medium to host his own psychic phone-in radio show on Red Rose Gold.

He doesn't regard his job as anything unusual - simply something he loves to do.

"I feel really privileged. I think it is a gift. I thoroughly enjoy it and never get blase about it.

"I feel so lucky to be doing something I love."

He says he always tries to make his shows entertaining.

"I tell jokes and always try and make the audience laugh," said James. "After all, people have come for a night out to enjoy themselves."

Nothing goes flying round the room, he says, and no-one is ever given bad news.

He never divulges any indiscretions he discovers which might embarrass or offend.

"I am not in the business of hurting or upsetting anyone," said James. "I want people to enjoy what I do."

James picks people in the audience for a reading at random - and only continues if they give a cast-iron guarantee they have never met him before.

They are astonished when he reveals fascinating information about their own personal lives and their families.

"People are amazed by what I tell them," he said. "People's reactions always fascinate me.

"I enjoy chatting to people. I feel I can help people by reassuring them, giving them some comfort and offering them hope."

All seats for A Psychic Experience with James Byrne are £5.50 from the Queens Hall box office, telephone 0151-424 2339.

THE Worldhas teamed up with the Queens Hall to offer two lucky readers a free pair of tickets for A Psychic Experience with James Byrne.

All you have to do is write and tell us the name of the London theatre where he performed in for a week.

Send your entries, with your name, address and telephone number, to World James Byrne Competition, 162-164 Albert Road, Widnes, Cheshire WA8 6LJ. Closing date is Monday, September 7.

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