If Paul McKenna tells you he's missing England, don't believe a word. For the world's most successful hypnotist has fallen under the spell of Manhattan as effortlessly as he sends people into trances.

Liz Hurley, Hugh Grant and Alice Cooper are just some of the stars to be knocked out by the McKenna magic during his successful Broadway run.

Leonardo Di Caprio was so determined to understand Paul's secrets that he turned up at his dressing room door with the usual 20 girls in tow.

"I certainly appreciated him bringing so many beautiful girls to the show," laughed Paul, who ended up witnessing Di Caprio's own hypnotic skills at first hand.

"We all ended up going clubbing at the trendiest night spot in New York. Let's just say I made a lot of friends that night."

At his shows, some may end up milking imaginary cows, others will be totally convinced that they have become Madonna at her wildest.

Persuading grown men that a mop is the most beautiful woman in the world in a packed theatre is fairly routine in the crazy world of McKenna.

And if you happen to be one of those planning to join him on stage, be sure to wear your best underwear - Paul has promised to introduce a brand new Full Monty section for male participants.

A 30-date tour is the 35-year-old star's first in the UK for three years, for now New York is his home. "Manhattan is just so cool," said Paul.

"There are some things I miss about England. I miss my friends and a really good cup of tea. But New York is the most exciting city, with a fantastic pace of life.

"Audiences over there were a bit sceptical at first. Now I have a real cult following in America. I'm not mainstream at all."

There's none of the traditional reserve of English audiences. "When someone comes on stage and does Elvis, they just go crazy. It's just like the Jerry Springer Show."

Yet there can be little doubt that his love affair with the Big Apple stemmed from the sour taste left by a bitter High Court battle in London.

Six years ago the hypnotist found himself accused of turning a man who took part in one of his live shows into "an aggressive schizophrenic".

High Court judge Mr Justice Toulson ruled that Christopher Gates, who had claimed £200,000 damages from the hypnotist, had failed to prove he was affected by the experience.

Soon afterwards there were reports of Paul being banned from appearing in parts of Australia and then a TV series at home was dramatically scrapped.

"That case cost me millions of pounds but also cost me a lot emotionally," he said.

Some of Paul's legal costs were covered by insurance, but with MPs getting on the anti-hypnotism bandwagon, he was more than ready for a change when ABC Television invited him to Los Angeles for a TV special.

"It meant I had to live and work in LA for a few months. Carlton had wanted me to do more shows like the last ones. I guess I became fed up doing the same sort of things."

He now has his own prime-time American programme called The World's Funniest Hypnotist.

But he has put his powers to more use than entertainment - he has sold 500,000 hypnotherapy tapes including Stop Smoking For Good, Slim Now, Sleep Like A Log and his private clients include Jerry Hall, the Duchess of York, Rolling Stone Ron Wood and tennis star Greg Rusedski.

Not a bad record for a former Radio One DJ, who became hooked on hypnotism after interviewing a hypnotist for the BBC.

Enjoy him while he's here.

In love with the United States - Paul McKenna, in Southend on Sunday

Paul McKenna is at the Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Southend on Sunday

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.