Uri Geller is a stage magician and illusionist who has entertained audiences worldwide since the 1970s. He has demonstrated a diverse range of remarkable skills, from reading minds to bending spoons and other metal objects with his fingertips. Geller has appeared on many popular television programmes in the past four decades, including the first series of ITV's hit reality series I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! in 2002.

Where Was Uri Geller Born?

Uri Geller was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 20 December 1946. He told Hello! that he "grew up in poverty," and lived with his mother "in a one-bedroom apartment". He stayed in Israel for the first decade of his life, until the Gellers relocated to Nicosia in Cyprus when he was 11 years old. Geller learned English while attending high school, and signed up with the Paratroopers Brigade of the Israeli Army at just 18 years of age.

In 1968, Geller started working as a photographic model and developed his skills as a nightclub entertainer. He established a strong reputation in Israel, and he performed in an increasingly diverse range of venues from public halls to military basis. He eventually moved to the United States in the early 1970s.

Uri Geller Becomes a Star in the U.S. and UK

Uri Geller made several appearances on successful U.S. television shows during the 1970s, including such hits as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Merv Griffin Show. He demonstrated diverse abilities during these interviews and performances, specifically psychokinesis, telepathy, and dowsing. However, one of Uri Geller's most well-known abilities is bending metal, most often spoons. This "Geller effect" helped make him a star.

Geller became particularly popular with British audiences during the 1980s and '90s. Viewers saw him on dozens of shows including Gamesmaster, Noel's House Party, Wogan, Fully Booked, Des O'Connor Tonight, This Is Your Life, and many others.

Uri Gellar On the Big and Small Screen

Uri Gellar was a major part of the lineup on the first series of ITV's long-running hit realities series I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! in 2002. He featured alongside Tony Blackburn, Darren Day, Nigel Benn, and other celebrities.

Uri Geller has also taken part in several other programmes throughout his long career. In 2005, Sky One broadcast Uri's Haunted Cities, followed by Israeli reality series The Successor (AKA The Next Uri Geller). The latter saw several contestants present their own supernatural abilities, such as performing mentalist acts. He joined magician Criss Angel in 2007 for Phenomenon, an American remake of The Successor, in which the pair conducted a search for a talented mentalist.

Geller also featured in 2001's Sanitarium, a horror movie revolving around the disastrous effects of an experimental drug. He also guest-starred in an episode of the hit ITV comedy Benidorm in 2017. Geller has produced films too, including Once Upon a Time in Dublin (2009).

The Amazing Stanford Research Institute Experiment

Over the years, Uri Geller has been studied in various contexts, including by fellow magician James Randi (who passed away in October 2020). Geller was covered in a television documentary titled Secrets of the Psychics, hosted by James Randi, in 1993.

However, one of the most impressive investigations into Uri Geller and his abilities took place at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International today). The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency commissioned the study as part of its Stargate Project in August 1973. This project explored how people with psychic abilities, like Geller, could be used for intelligence work.

This experiment went beyond investigating how Geller could bend spoons and perform amazing stage magic. He was isolated in a room and asked to replicate drawings created by others in a separate room. He produced multiple drawings, each of which corresponded to the originals with stunning similarity. A report on this experiment was published in the respected scientific journal Nature, and it was found that the skills Geller demonstrated demanded additional study.

The Kadabra Controversy: Uri Geller, Pokémon, and Nintendo

Pokémon fans may remember that Geller sued Nintendo, one of the biggest video game companies in the world, for £60 million in 2000. He accused Nintendo of using his signature image and name without permission when they created the Yungerer (known as "Kadabra" in English) species of Pokémon. The Kadabra creature possesses psychic abilities and holds a bent spoon, an item with which Geller has been associated for decades.

Another issue was that the katakana for the Kadabra name resembles Geller's own name when translated into Japanese. It was later confirmed that Kadabra would be absent from Pokemon card collections until the matter was resolved, though the case was dismissed in 2003. Since that time, Kadabra had still been absent from Pokémon card sets. That meant Pokémon fans had been unable to add Kadabra to their collections, and it became among some of the rarest cards.

However, in November 2020, two decades after the original incident, Uri Geller publicly apologised to Pokémon fans who had missed out on Kadabra cards due to the controversy. He said that he had continued to receive a "tremendous volume" of messages asking him to grant Nintendo permission to include Yungeller in its cards, and had given Nintendo "permission to relaunch the Uri Geller Kadabra/Yungeller worldwide."

The news was well-received by Pokémon fans, and Kadabra is sure to make many more Pokemon card appearances in the future. However, Pokémon fans who have Kadabras from before the 2000 case will still possess some of the franchise's rarest cards.

Is Uri Geller Married?

Uri Geller is married to Hanna Geller. The couple tied the knot in 1979, and have two children: Natalie and Daniel. The Gellers relocated to Jaffa, Israel, after living in Berkshire for more than 30 years. Uri Geller told Hello! that he has always felt a "spiritual magnetic urge to go back" since he left Israel in 1972. "After roaming the world for 40 years, it's time to go back where I started."

Uri Geller and his wife renewed their wedding vows in 2001, with pop legend Michael Jackson serving as best man. Geller also took part in an ITV interview following Jackson's death, titled My Friend Michael Jackson: Uri's Story in 2009.

Uri Geller's Successful Writing Career

Uri Geller's talents transcend stage magic and television entertainment. He has written more than a dozen books during his career, including fiction and non-fiction. Uri Geller authored My Story in 1975, followed by The Geller Effect (with parapsychology writer, Guy Lyon Playfair) in 1988. He has also helped to inspire a future amateur magician and psychic performers with books like Mind Medicine, Uri Geller's Little Book of Mind Power, and Uri Geller's Mind Power Kit.

Fiction books by Uri Geller include Ella, a sci-fi novel about a young girl with psychic abilities, and Pampini.

Where Does Uri Geller Live Today?

Uri Geller lives in Tel Aviv today, along with his wife Hanna. He told Hello! that he was flattered to have influenced performers like David Blaine and Dynamo, whom he described as "high-tech entertainers". He said that longevity is "very difficult to achieve," but he's living proof that magicians, psychic performers, and entertainers with similar skills can remain hugely successful for decades.… show more