Ethan Cornock's life was mapped out even before he was born. The first child of Sue and Neil Cornock, Ethan was going to have it all. The best schools, an Oxbridge education, a high-powered law career and eventually a family of his own. Ethan's parents didn't want an independent child, they wanted someone they could guide and mould into what the thought the perfect child should be. It didn't matter that Ethan had no interest in music, he still took weekly piano lessons because his mother thought that would make him more accomplished. It was irrelevant that he disliked sport, his father still pushed him into playing football. All he really wanted to do was play with his toys in his bedroom or explore in the garden, but there were too many activities and events. His life was so strictly timetabled there was never any time left for Ethan to just be himself.

All of that changed when Ethan was seven years old and his younger sister Lauren was born. Although she was a happy baby she was slow to reach developmental milestones and at 12 months old she was diagnosed with a delay. As Ethan's parents put more and more time into helping Lauren catch up to her peers, Ethan was increasingly left to his own devices. The lack of attention was refreshing and he soon developed an interest in sleight of hand and magic, practising card tricks and basic illusions for hours. As the years went on it became obvious that Lauren's developmental delay was significant, leaving her with a moderate intellectual disability making it unlikely she'd ever be able to live independently. Ethan's parents continued to pour both time and money into every therapy they could find, hoping for a miracle cure to Lauren's disability, unable to accept that their child might not be perfect. To avoid the pressures of his parents and their unrealistic demands on his sister Ethan threw himself into magic more and more. He was drawn to illusions and manipulation, and the idea of being able to control the world around him without anyone realising exactly what he was doing.

When Ethan was twelve years old the Cornock family was hit with further tragedy after Neil was hit by a drunk driver and was killed instantly. Sue, who had long since given up working to take care of Lauren struggled to find employment and suddenly the comfortable middle-class life Ethan had known was no more. Expensive public schools and music lessons were traded in for state schools and a one bedroom flat. Suddenly the focus was less on achievement and more on just surviving. Despite the difficulties they faced and the pain he felt at losing his father, Ethan's home life became one of loving and supporting one another and he grew closer to his mother as a result. At sixteen he left school against his mother's wishes, determined to do his part to support his mother and sister. He took odd jobs wherever he could find them and for the first time began using magic not just as a hobby, but as a way to earn some extra money.

Ethan never thought of making magic a career, but it proved to be a reasonably lucrative hobby. Choosing to focus his talents on illusion and mentalism he began dressing in suits to present a particular kind of image, aware that illusion was all about how you presented things to the world. Then, in 2000 he landed a role with Channel 4 putting together a mind reading show on the recommendation of a friend. Ethan expected that nothing more would come of it, but the show was successful and led to further television work. From there, Ethan began doing stage shows and TV specials as well as continuing to make short series'. Although he loved his work and enjoyed the challenge of constantly coming up with new ideas it was the fact that he could financially support his mother and sister that meant the most to him. Despite not becoming the Oxbridge graduate lawyer his parents had always hoped for, Ethan has nevertheless been successful in a field of his choosing and will do anything in his power to make sure that continues, no matter what the cost.