More than a dozen viewers have complained about Derren Brown apparently tricking people into pushing a man off a building as part of the illusionist’s latest TV special for Channel 4.

The programme, Derren Brown: Pushed to the Edge, aimed to show the power of compliance by convincing a member of the public into following orders and pushing a person from the top of a building.

While no one was actually harmed in the illusion, the broadcasting regulator has received 14 complaints about the show, which aired on Tuesday night drawing an average overnight audience of 1.1 million and a peak of 1.3 million. Viewers were concerned at what some called Brown’s unethical behaviour and the mental cruelty participants were exposed to.

“We will assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not,” said a spokesman for Ofcom.

Earlier this week, Ofcom launched a formal investigation into another Brown show, which aired on UKTV’s Watch before the 9pm watershed, that featured the illusionist suffocating himself with a plastic bag.