It could be a load of old balls, but illusionist Derren Brown reckons hell predict the Lottery numbers live on TV just minutes before the draw.

In a 10-minute Channel 4 special on Wednesday, broadcast at the same time as BBC1s National Lottery Live draw, Brown will try to pick the six numbers correctly.

The mind-bending performer promises to reveal his technique to viewers in an hour-long follow-up programme on Friday.

Brown, 38, admits: If this one goes wrong, it could be a career-breaker.

Wednesday nights jackpot stands at s2.4million, but C4 bosses have banned Brown from buying a ticket.

Last night he told the Mirror: I realise there are a lot of questions this brings up and I hope they will be answered on the Friday night follow-up show. For now, Im really excited and really nervous.

If Brown succeeds in revealing the correct numbers in advance of the draw, it has huge implications for the future of the Lottery.

But yesterday Camelot said it was relaxed about the stunt.

A statement said: Seventy per cent of the adult population will be trying to predict the six lucky numbers for Wednesday nights Lotto draw. It is impossible to affect the outcome of the draw and Derren Brown is not suggesting he is doing this.

He is an illusionist creating an illusion that he can predict the numbers. We wish Derren the best of luck.