Dan Meyer (entertainer)

Dan Meyer (born April 7, 1957) is an American sword swallower, multiple Guinness World record holder in sword swallowing, global TEDx speaker, finalist on America's Got Talent, Golden Buzzer finalist on Sweden's Talang, and recipient of the 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard University.

Meyer is president of the Sword Swallowers Association International (SSAI) and founder of World Sword Swallower’s Day. He has performed in more than sixty countries on six continents, on sixteen Got Talents, at fifteen Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, at several Las Vegas casinos including The Mirage and Paris Las Vegas, and on numerous films and television programs including Stan Lee's Superhumans.

Early Life
In his shows and TED talks, Meyer has cited extreme fear and being bullied as a child as defining moments of his childhood, and a near-death experience with malaria fever as a missionary in India as a major turning point in his life.

Got Talent Auditions
Meyer was one of the Top 50 finalists on America's Got Talent Season 3 (2008) and returned to compete on America's Got Talent Season 11 (2016). Meyer also auditioned on the Italian talent competition Tú sí que vales Season 3 (2016), on France's Got Talent Season 12 (2017), Israel's Got Talent International All Stars Edition Season 2 (2018–19), Australia's Got Talent Season 10 (2021 and 2022), and was a Golden Buzzer recipient and finalist on Sweden's Talang Season 13 (2022–23). Meyer went on to compete on Croatia's Supertalent Season 10 episode 10.1 (2023), Got Talent España Season 9 episode 6 (2023), Germany's Das Supertalent Season 16 episode 3 (February 2024), and Canada's Got Talent Season 4 (March 2024).

In 2008, Meyer was the first sword swallower to audition on the third season of the NBC reality show America's Got Talent where judge Sharon Osbourne called him the "Most Dangerous Act". In episode 303, Meyer swallowed a series of progressively longer swords which he removed by flinging them into the air. As he was swallowing seven swords at once, judge David Hasselhoff buzzed Meyer, causing him to jump, nearly puncturing his stomach. Although Hasselhoff voted "No," claiming the act was too scary and hard to watch, Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne both voted "Yes," sending Meyer on to the Las Vegas round.

In his Vegas audition episode 309, Meyer swallowed a curved sword, a flaming sword, and had a sword whipped from his throat while juggling 6 juggling clubs. Meyer was eliminated before being brought back as a Top 40 Wildcard in the Finals in Hollywood, where he was eventually eliminated again in episode 310.

In 2016, Meyer returned to audition for the eleventh season of America's Got Talent, where in episode 1105 he swallowed a car axle and pulled host Nick Cannon across the stage in a 1974 Triumph Spitfire car by swallowed sword. He received two standing ovations and four "Yes" votes.

In October 2016, Meyer auditioned for Season 3 of the Italian talent show Tú sí que vales in Rome Italy, where he swallowed a variety of implements and pulled Argentinian model Belén Rodríguez across the stage in a Triumph Spitfire by swallowed sword. Meyer received four "Yes" votes from the judges and a "Yes" vote of 82% from the studio audience.

In August 2017, Meyer auditioned on Season 12 of France's Got Talent, where he had judge Hélène Ségara remove a sword from his throat, before pulling host David Ginola across the stage in a car by swallowed sword. He received 4 Yes votes.

In October 2018, Meyer auditioned on Israel's Got Talent International All Stars Edition Season 2, episode 17. As part of his act, he had judge Uri Geller remove a sword from his throat, and for his finale, he pulled hosts Ofer Shechter and Asi Israelof across the stage in a 1954 BMW Isetta by swallowed sword. He received a standing ovation and four "Yes" votes.

In June 2022, Meyer auditioned on Australia's Got Talent Season 10 where he received a standing ovation for pulling judges Shane Jacobsen and Kate Ritchie across the stage in a 1964 Triumph Spitfire. He received a standing ovation and three "Yes" votes.

In October 2022, Meyer auditioned on the thirteenth season of the Swedish talent competition Talang. During his audition in episode 13.2, Meyer swallowed part of the microphone stand, a long sword, and a car axle that was verified by a metal detector wanded by Helena Bergström, and removed by judge Johanna Nordström.

At the end of his audition, Meyer pulled judge David Batra across the stage in a 2022 Mini Cooper weighing 3,144 lbs. He received four "Yes" votes and a standing ovation. In the judges’ deliberation, Meyer was awarded the Golden Buzzer by David Batra advancing Meyer directly to the Finals. Meyer’s audition was broadcast on Season 13 episode 2 on 20 January 2023 on TV4.

On March 17, 2023 during the live finals of Talang, Meyer swallowed the blade of an antique Swedish Sparkstötting kick sleigh which was lowered from the ceiling and down his throat. He then swallowed a serpentine sword, a curved sword, and a large saw before the judges. Meyer finished his act by inviting David Batra onstage to whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Meyer made it as one of the top 5 Finalists of season 13. Episode 13.10 was broadcast live on TV4 on 17 March 2023.

In June 2023, Meyer competed on Season 10 of Croatia's Supertalent at Nova TV in Zagreb, Croatia. In his audition, Meyer swallowed a long sword, a serpentine sword, a curved sword, and a large handsaw that Croatian popstar judge Maja Šuput pulled from his throat for a standing ovation. For the finale, Meyer had judge Fabijan Pavao Medvešek whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Meyer received another standing ovation, four "Yes" votes, and was invited on to the semifinals. Croatia's Supertalent episode 10.1 aired on 24 September 2023 on Nova TV to an audience of 1.5 million viewers.

In June 2023, Meyer competed on Got Talent España Season 2023 at Teatro Nuevo Apolo in Madrid Spain. During his audition, Meyer swallowed a long sword, a curved sword, a serpentine sword, and a large handsaw that was removed by Spanish popstar Edurne. For his finale, Meyer had judge Risto Mejide whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Meyer received three "Yes" votes and two standing ovations for his audition, which aired on 14 October 2023 on Spanish TV Telecinco as Season 2023 episode 6.

On October 27, 2023, Meyer auditioned on Season 4 of Canada's Got Talent at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls Ontario where before judges Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh, Kardinal Offishall, and Trish Stratus, he swallowed a microphone stand, a sword, a hedge clippers, a hand saw, a car axle, and had judge Howie Mandel whip a sword from his throat with a whip. Meyer received three "Yes" votes for his audition.

In December 2023, Meyer auditioned on Season 16 episode 3 of Germany's Das Supertalent in Cologne Germany where he swallowed a microphone stand, a sword, a hedge clippers, a hand saw, and had Boris Becker’s daughter judge Anna Ermakova pull a heavy car axle from his stomach. Meyer then pulled Russian dancer Ekaterina Leonova in a 1978 Triumph Spitfire Cabriolet convertible across the stage. The act received two "Yes" votes from the female judges and two "No" votes from the male judges Dieter Bohlen and Bruce Darnell. The episode was broadcast on 10 February 2024 on Das Supertalent Season 16 episode 3 on German RTL Television to an audience of 38 million TV viewers in Germany.

Awards and honors

 * Guinness World Record Most Sword Swallowers Swallowing Swords Simultaneously (August 30, 2002)
 * Guinness World Record Single Sword Swallowed by the Most Sword Swallowers
 * Guinness World Record Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously by Multiple Sword Swallowers
 * Published in British Medical Journal (December 23, 2006)
 * Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon Sword swallowing underwater in tank of sharks Myrtle Beach, SC (May 18, 2007)
 * Winner 2007 Ig Nobel Prize in Medicine at Harvard University (October 4, 2007)
 * Stan Lee's Superhumans (January 2010) Swallowed sword heated red hot to 1500 F
 * Guinness World Record Sword Swallowing Underwater 21 inch sword with 18 inch long blade, Rome Italy (March 2010)
 * Guinness World Record Sword Swallowing Underwater 30 inch sword with 24 inch long blade, Rome Italy (March 2010)
 * Guinness World Record Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously Underwater 2 swords, Rome Italy (March 2010)
 * Ripley's Believe It or Not! cartoon Sword Swallower swallows 100-year-old handsaw Bruce Museum, CT (November 14, 2010)
 * Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum Most Swords Swallowed Simultaneously 29 Swords Swallowed Simultaneously, Ripley's Museum St. Augustine, FL (March 28, 2015)
 * Record Holder Republic Longest Distance Car Pulled by Sword Swallower, Sydney Australia (December 7, 2023)