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Dan Meyer was a sword swallower from Season 3 of America's Got Talent. After making it from auditions in Nashville and Atlanta through to the top 50 in the Vegas round, Meyer was eliminated in the Vegas round, but was called back again as a Wild Card to the Quarterfinals in Hollywood. However, he was eliminated again when he did not receive enough votes to enter the Quarterfinals. He returned in Season 11, where he withdrew before the Judge Cuts.

Background[]

Dan Meyer swallows swords, eats fire and glass, and inspires audiences to do the impossible in their lives. A 40x World Record Sword Swallower with 7 Guinness World Records, Meyer has swallowed up to 29 swords at once, is featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not books and museums around the world, and is recognized by Ripley's Believe It or Not! as the world’s leading sword swallower performing around the world today.

In 1997 he met George the Giant, who first introduced him to sword swallowing.

As a global TEDx motivational speaker, Ig Nobel science speaker, medical lecturer, corporate entertainer, and comedy youth speaker, Meyer has performed on 9 TED talks, 15 Got Talents, at 15 Ripley’s Believe It or Not! odditoriums, been seen on over 100 TV programs and live in over 60 countries around the world.

Dan is known worldwide for performing extreme stunts such as swallowing a red hot sword on Stan Lee's Superhumans, for swallowing swords underwater in a tank of sharks and stingrays for Ripley's Myrtle Beach, and for pulling a car by swallowed sword for Ripley's Believe It or Not Baltimore and America's Got Talent, Season 11, Episode 5.

As President of the Sword Swallowers Association and winner of the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard for medical research on sword swallowing injuries to published in the British Medical Journal, Meyer is recognized internationally as the world's leading expert in the 4000 year old field of sword swallowing.

Dan enjoys inspiring audiences by sharing his story and unique talents at colleges, universities, science/medical centers, museums, conventions, corporate events, state and county fairs, festivals, youth events, churches, schools, TV programs, documentaries, and other events in over 60 countries around the world. [1]

Dan holds 40 world records for sword swallowing as recorded by many different organizations. He has seven Guinness World Records for the following feats: Most Sword Swallowers Swallowing Swords Simultaneously, Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously, Single Sword Swallowed by the Most Sword Swallowers, Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously by Sword Swallowers, Sword Swallowing Underwater (18-inch blade), Sword Swallowing Underwater (24-inch blade), and Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously Underwater. [2]

Season 3 Audition[]

Dan Meyer's audition in Episode 303 consisted of swallowing a medium sword, a long sword, a heavy sword, and then seven swords at once , each of which required nudging his heart aside. David Hasselhoff buzzed the act. Although David voted "No”, claiming the act was too scary and hard to watch, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne both voted "Yes”, sending Dan to the Vegas Round.

Season 3 Vegas Round[]

Dan Meyer was one of the Variety Acts in the Vegas Round. He was sorted into the "Extreme Performers" category where he was called the “Most Dangerous Act”. His performance in Episode 308 consisted of swallowing a flaming sword and a curved sword. He also juggled six clubs while a sword was whipped from his mouth by a whip from 10 feet away, but this was not televised. His audition was strong enough for the judges to include him in the Top 60 shortlist, but he was not sent to the Top 40 Quarterfinals, eliminating him from the competition in Episode 309.

Season 3 Finals Wild Card[]

Dan Meyer was one of eight acts eligible for the Wild Card spot in the Quarterfinals left by the Russian Bar Trio, who was forced to withdraw due to a serious injury. Dan did not receive enough votes from America to be sent to the Quarterfinals, eliminating him from the competition again in Episode 310.

After Season 3[]

Meyer was featured in the 2009 Ripley’s Believe It or Not book published August 5, 2008. To promote the book, Meyer and other Ripley's performers were featured on CityTV "Breakfast TV" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

On July 22, 2009, Meyer appeared with Cirque Éloize in Montreal, Canada in the French-language series "La Vie Est Un Cirque". The program was broadcast on August 16, 2009 on TV5 to over 6.6 million cable and satellite subscribers in Quebec, and to more than 180 million homes in French-speaking countries around the world.

On July 30, 2009, Meyer addressed the IAEWP World Peace Conference as a featured speaker at A&M University presenting a keynote speech entitled "Sword of War, Sword of Peace". At the end of his presentation, Meyer requested World Peace delegates from three different cultures, continents and religions to come together in harmony to remove a 40 inch "Sword of War" from his throat as a metaphor for creating peace through cooperation. Meyer then presented the sword as a gift as a "Sword of Peace" to IAEWP World Peace Conference president Dr. Charles Mercieca.

On March 24, 2010, Meyer was awarded a Guinness World Record in Rome, Italy for swallowing a 24 inch long sword with 18 inch blade while submerged underwater. Meyer immediately broke that record by swallowing a longer 30 inch sword with 24 inch long blade underwater, and then broke both records by swallowing both swords together at once underwater. However, during filming of the stunts Meyer sustained a serious injury when he punctured his esophagus and was rushed by ambulance to a Rome hospital where he was hospitalized for 10 days on IV drip.

On September 23, 2010, Meyer was featured on The History Channel Stan Lee's Superhumans where he swallowed a 37.5 inch long sword heated to over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, and 7 swords at once under fluoroscope at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, TN. [3]

On February 23, 2013, Meyer pulled a 3700 lb. car by swallowed sword out of the Ripley's Believe It or Not in Baltimore, MD for World Sword Swallower's Day.

Season 11 Audition[]

In 2016, Dan Meyer returned in AGT Season 11. His audition in Episode 1105 consisted of swallowing a sword, a car axle, and then pulling a car which was attached to a sword that was down Dan's throat. Howie Mandel, Mel B, Heidi Klum, and Simon Cowell all voted "Yes”, sending Dan to the Judge Cuts.

Season 11 Judge Cuts[]

Dan Meyer did not perform in the Judge Cuts round, as he withdrew before this stage of the competition due to scheduling conflicts.

After Season 11[]

In October 2016, Meyer appeared on the third season of the Italian talent show Tu Si Que Vales, where he pulled Argentine supermodel Belen Rodriguez in a Triumph Spitfire convertible across stage by swallowed sword. The episode aired on 22 October, 2016 on Canale 5 to 5.2 million viewers in Italy. [4]

In 2017, Meyer appeared on the twelfth season of France's Got Talent (La France a un incroyable talent), where he pulled host and football star David Ginola across stage by swallowed sword in a Mini Cooper. Meyer received four yes votes, but was eliminated prior to the Live Shows.

In October 2018, Meyer appeared on the seventeenth episode of the second season of Israel's Got Talent, where he had judge Uri Geller pull a sword from his throat before pulling two hosts across stage in a 1954 BMW Isetta. Episode 2.17 aired on 31 January, 2019 on Reshet 13 TV to 8.7 million viewers in Israel.

In June 2022, Meyer auditioned on the tenth season of Australia’s Got Talent. In this episode, he swallowed a sword, a handsaw, a car axle, and pulled judges Shane Jacobsen and Kate Ritchie across the stage in a 1964 Triumph Spitfire. During this stunt, Meyer pulled the judges a distance of 22’ 5.5” by swallowed sword, breaking the standing Guinness World Record. He received a standing ovation and three "Yes" votes.

In October 2022, Meyer competed on the thirteenth season of Sweden’s Got Talent Talang in Stockholm, Sweden where he received four Yes votes and a Golden Buzzer from judge David Batra before going on to the live Finals.

In March 2023, Meyer competed in the live Finals of Sweden’s Talang. He started by swallowing the blade of an antique Swedish sparkstötting kick sleigh that was lowered down from the ceiling. Meyer continued by swallowing a serpentine sword, a curved sword and a large hand saw for the judges. For his finale, Meyer had judge David Batra whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Talang’s live Finals Episode 13.10 was broadcast live on 17 March 2023 to an audience of 8 million viewers on Sweden’s TV4.

In September 2023, Meyer competed on the tenth season of Croatia’s SuperTalent in Zagreb Croatia. In his audition, Meyer swallowed a long sword, a serpentine sword, a curved sword, and a large handsaw that Croatian popstar judge Maja Šuput pulled from his throat for a standing ovation. For his finale, Meyer had judge Fabijan Pavao Medvešek whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Meyer received four Yes votes and an invitation to return to the SemiFinals. Croatia's Supertalent episode 10.1 aired on 24 September 2023 on Nova TV to an audience of 1.5 million viewers.

In October 2023, Meyer competed on the ninth season of Got Talent Espana (Spain’s Got Talent). During his act, he received two standing ovations and three Yes votes, and an invitation to return to the SemiFinals.

In December 2023, Meyer auditioned on Season 16 episode 3 of Germany's Das Supertalent in Cologne Germany where he swallowed a microphone stand, a sword, a hedge clippers, a hand saw, and had Boris Becker’s daughter judge Anna Ermakova pull a heavy car axle from his stomach. Meyer then pulled Russian dancer Ekaterina Leonova in a 1978 Triumph Spitfire Cabriolet convertible across the stage. The act received two "Yes" votes from the female judges and two "No" votes from the male judges Dieter Bohlen and Bruce Darnell. The episode was broadcast on 10 February 2024 on Das Supertalent Season 16 episode 3 on German RTL Television to an audience of 38 million TV viewers in Germany.[1]

Meyer also auditioned on the fourth season of Canada’s Got Talent which will air beginning in March 2024.

Trivia[]

  • Dan Meyer was the first sword swallower to audition on America's Got Talent, Got Talent Israel, Croatia’s SuperTalent and Canada’s Got Talent.

External Links[]


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