Richard Jones has been accused of stealing his winning trick from another magician.
The 29-year-old ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ winner wowed the watching world with a trick that saw him paint a picture of 97-year-old war veteran Fergus Anckorn with playing cards before brining him onto the stage.
However, it has been claimed the trick was used by 2014 ‘America’s Got Talent’ winner Mat Franco.
A source told The Sun newspaper: "Richard might have put his own military spin on the trick but once again the it was a blatant rip off from ‘America’s Got Talent’.
"It is the third time he has copied a trick from a contestant on the show. That can hardly be a coincidence.
"There is no doubt he is a brilliant magician but to win the £250,000 with an act that has been seen very recently on the same show in the US is embarrassing.
"It shows a huge lack of originality and is just pure laziness."
Richard has also been accused of stealing tricks from Oz Pearlman, the runner-up of last year’s series of ‘America’s Got Talent’, as well as British magician Paul Daniels, who passed away earlier this year.
Meanwhile, a source close to another popular British magician, Dynamo, has sounded a note of caution for the ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ winner.
The source said: "Top magicians need to buy the rights the tricks in order to perform. Richard and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ have not done that."