Like I've already said a few times before, Derren does use a form of hypnosis. He just doesn't like to use that name, because he doesn't believe real hypnosis exists in the first place. He even says that in the article you posted:
"There's three sides to that. One, I'm not using formal hypnosis anyway. Two I don't want to be seen as a Hypnotist because there are hypnotists and we know what they are. I think it's important to be seen as yourself for what you do and not be too easily labelled. And three there are all sorts of problems if you're known as a hypnotist in terms of getting gigs and all sorts of legal issues. I use it covertly, but at that point it ceases to be hypnosis, it becomes… suggestion, or waking hypnosis, or something that isn't strictly speaking hypnosis per se."
Derren was a stage hypnotist back in the day, he knows exactly what it's all about. On the show he uses a form of hypnosis that can been seen on stage shows, the kind that you make people do something that he wouldn't normally do. Some like to call it hypnosis, some like to call it suggestion, some like to call it role playing. Whatever it is, it's an ILLUSION.. and Derren is an illusionist. At least he's being fair with us about what he does. As you can see he doesn't like those who do it for real and take it seriously. He's doing it for entertainment and honest about the meaning. Here's what he said about The Heist:
Is it posible to get someone to obey ANy order? Are they hypnotized?
"You have to realise that hypnosis doesn't exist: it just works on people's natural suggestibility, their expectations and capacity to unconsciously role play. You can't make someone do anything they don't want to do."
"Clearly if a hypnotist could make someone steal £100k just by telling them to, the world would be a different place, and I suspect that hypnotists wouldn't bother doing shows in pubs or dodgy Spanish holiday resorts. So the challenge of the show is to insiduously massage these people to the point that they will make the decision themselves to hold up an armoured security van and point a gun at the guard, but without ever telling them to do so."
This is what he did on The Heist, this is what he did on Trick or Treat and anywhere else.. Was the dude pretening to be asleep? Yes. Does it make the show a fraud? NO, because it's a ****** TV show and created to amuse the people at home. If you don't like this kind of magic, then DON'T WATCH IT.
Now read the parts above a few times, because I'm ony repeating myself every other post. It's not that complicated to understand.
The Jersey police were interviewed regarding the gun laws there. The results were widely reported. Derren didn't have permission for a real pistol. The issue certainly wasn't just the use of live rounds. The police definitely confirmed that there was no danger at all in what Derren did. That implies no live rounds and no blanks either. The gun laws for Jersey and the UK are very tight indeed and very different from the gun laws elsewhere in Europe.
The reason the police said there was no danger is probably that Derren told them it was only a trick and that nothing could get wrong. Russian Roullete is a very known mentalism effect and can be completely safe when using a real gun. Just like the police says nothing to Penn and Teller for using a real gun to do the Bullet Catch, they don't say anything to Derren or any other magician who does these kinds of illusions.
This is what the police said:
"We knew before this stunt took place that there was no risk of serious injury to anybody and we discussed this with Channel Four in some detail before it took place," Jersey's Deputy Chief of Police Lenny Harper told Reuters."
There's no mention of fake guns, and there's no reason to use one. There are other ways to make it completely safe.
Now read that part above a few times, so that I won't need to repeat it every other post.
