Psychic medium Stuart Michael returns 'home' at Stamford Corn Exchange
Stuart Michael first showed signs of psychic abilities as a toddler.
As his speech became increasingly fluent, he spoke of living among trees and woodland - his actual home was on a Stamford housing estate - and even told his mother and father they weren’t his real parents.
“As soon as I could speak I was talking about a previous life in Germany and using words that sounded German,” said Stuart.
“My mum researched a place name I had talked about and found out that it was a village in the Black Forest.”
At the time, Stuart’s mother Elaine Smith had a friend who lived nearby in Stamford.
“When she met me she told my mother I needed to learn how to ‘tune in’ and ‘tune out’ so that I could manage what was happening in my head and stay sane,” said Stuart.
“If that had not happened, I would probably have gone out of my mind.”
The friend taught Stuart how to focus on or ignore the visions and premonitions he was capable of receiving. She also showed him how to use personal items, such as jewellery, to focus in on an individual.
“When I was a child, friends knew I had a strange gift and that things I said were going to happen would come true.”
An early example was a premonition Stuart had about her.
“She had said to me to hold the ring from her finger, and I told her things about her life - things she knew, but I couldn’t have.
“I then predicted she would be ‘moving east’. I didn’t know where ‘east’ was, but mum asked if the place I meant was a country far away.
“I told her ‘no, it was in this country’, and she asked if it was Norfolk - I said it was.
“They dismissed it at the time because the friend had no plans to move to Norfolk, but a few weeks later her husband was offered a new job and they moved to Attleborough.”
While not all of Stuart’s family believed in his ability, his nan encouraged it, inviting friends around for ‘readings’ with her grandson, and giving him his first set of tarot cards.
“She wasn’t a religious woman and she saw it as a bit of fun,” said Stuart. “There was nothing dark about it.”
Stuart attended the Welland School of Dance when it was run by Anne Desbruslais, and he secured a dance scholarship at 16.
He worked as a singer and dancer in theatres, and later on cruise ships and in America as a choreographer.
As a pastime during his 20s he would carry out psychic readings for people he met, including the Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal, who was married to author Roald Dahl, and English actress Susannah York.
Covid put on hold cruise ship work, and Stuart came home and took to Facebook to share live videos, highlighting that he could provide one-to-one and small group readings.
“I was was working full time doing readings and people were becoming more aware of them - it grew and grew,” said Stuart.
“Venues were booking me and selling out - one sold out in 20 minutes. Since then I have started to work with larger venues, including the Key Theatre in Peterborough, where I sold out a show last summer.
“Now I have dates booked at the Stamford Corn Exchange on January 20 and at the Guildhall in Grantham on March 10.”
Stuart emphasises that his stage show is fun and entertaining, not serious or upsetting, and that people find comfort through the visions he shares.
“I differ from a lot of mediums in that I don’t ‘fish’ for names or details from the whole audience.
“I approach individuals and I try to give people direct messages.
“Some people are really open, but I do get people who can be hostile to begin with and don’t want to give anything away. But that’s fun.”
Stuart said his own partner - whose job preparing contracts for a recruitment company is a far cry from being a psychic medium - did not initially like the idea of psychic readings.
But then he came along to one of the shows.
“He was intrigued at first, then he believed in me,” said Stuart.
“I totally understand why people wouldn’t believe - after all, there are psychics proven not to have been truthful. But I would say don’t judge me until you have seen me.
“I want to change people’s opinions and demonstrate it’s nothing to be scared of. Some people are scared of what they cannot explain and so they shun it.
“I’m just a down-to-earth guy who likes to have a laugh and a joke.”
Stuart describes his visions and premonitions as coming to him not just in his mind’s eye, but to his other senses as well.
“I gave a reading early in 2022 and I could smell smoke. I said that smoke was significant to the man’s passing. I was told, ‘That’s my dad and he passed away at Grenfell Tower’.”
In another reading, given at a mansion, Stuart had a premonition about a chandelier above their heads - which then started to sway noticeably.
He is also asked regularly to pick up on ailments, and while he won’t ‘diagnose’, having not had medical training, he has pointed out complaints that are quite personal to the sufferer.
“One chap was challenging me to tell him something about himself that no-one knew,” he recalled.
“I told him he had been having trouble with his testicles, and one had been twisted while he was playing sport.
“He was quite surprised that I could know this.”
Stuart says he would never take his gift for granted.
“I believe I have the most daunting job,” he explained.
“Not only have I got to give people an entertaining experience, but also I also need to be specific and accurate about what I am telling individuals.
“If you’re a comedian and tell a duff joke, you can move on.
“If you’re a dancer and misstep, or a singer who misses a note, it doesn’t ruin the show.
“I’m 100 per cent exposed if I get things wrong. I’m very honest and if I’m not picking up anything for an individual, I will tell them that I have nothing coming through.
“I have to be authentic and true. I would not make anything up.”
Stuart says he is able, as Pauline taught him, to tune in and out of his psychic ability, and so turns down requests for ‘a quick reading’ while shopping in Sainsbury’s.
He also does not give readings to people he knows - or those who tell him too much.
Those intrigued to know more can see Stuart on stage at Stamford Corn Exchange on Friday, January 20, from 7.30pm.
Tickets cost £19 and can be booked at stamfordcornexchange.co.uk/stuart-michael-psychic
He will also be at the Guildhall in Grantham on March 10 as part of a tour which will take him all around the country.
