David Blaine's much-hyped "twatdangle"* over New York's Wollmann ice rink has ended in controversy amid accusations that the whole thing was sham, the BBC reports.

Blaine had stated he would remain suspended upside-down for 60 hours, sustained by nothing more than sipping drinks through a straw while urinating through a catheter. However, he was seen "taking regular breaks on his feet to drink liquids, urinate and undergo medical checks".

The stunt ended with Blaine making a 44-foot "dive of death" off a platform, to the applause of "several hundred fans".

Some onlookers, though, "claimed they had been duped" into thinking the Brooklyn media strumpet would actually do an uninterrupted Benito Mussolini for the full 60 hours. One huffed: "I am totally unimpressed. If his name hadn't been David Blaine I would never have come."

Blaine defended himself to the press by explaining he was "not going to pee all over myself". ®

Bootnote

* Well done to the Reg commenter (or was it Marcus Brigstocke?) who came up with this splendid description. Award yourself beer, and plenty of it.

Related stories

• Tw*tdangler defends Benito Mussolini stunt (26 September 2008)
• Right: Which one of you lot invented 'tw*tdangle', eh? (26 September 2008)
• David Blaine does a Benito Mussolini (23 September 2008)