Dean Metcalfe, 46 and his wife Susan, 38 have auditioned for Britain's Got Talent before the infamous Simon Cowell.

Details of whether they got through to the next stage cannot be released before the show goes to air, but Mr Metcalfe said viewers would be impressed with his tricks.

The couple, whose stage name is the Deans of Magic, have worked all over the world performing illusions and once ran a cafe in St Giles Terrace called All the Trimmings, but they are hoping to achieve mainstream fame through the ITV show.

Mr Metcalfe, who lives in Market Square, Daventry, said: "I wasn't sure whether to do it but my friends said we had nothing to lose. We were invited to audition; there's a team of researchers who ring everyone in the business and when we got a call we decided to go for it.

"We had to perform for some producers who didn't give much away but they did say we had very good chemistry."

He said the second call, inviting them to take part in the filmed audition show, didn't come for several months, but then the couple were invited to perform at Hackney Empire in London.

He said: "It's quite clever how it works, really. You are brought from one place to the next and you don't really see what's going on on stage. I don't think anybody was badly treated. I think for many people they know what to expect."

For the couple's act, he said they chose a traditional illusionist trick but added he could not give too many details before the show went on air.

He said: "We wanted to make a big impression as we didn't have much time, but I can't say much now."