I don't know a lot about making TV shows or hypnotism, but if you want to know anything about flight simulators, feel free to ask.
I stand corrected on the first point (I was losing the will to live as the train moved ever slower).
On the escape, getting out of a straitjacket requires much more than simply being told how. You have to be able to easily move your arms over your head from back to front while they are tied. That requires a lot of shoulder flexibility. Suspect unrehearsed and unpracticed people would struggle with that, even with DB pushing and shoving to help.
I think C4 helped boost viewers a tiny bit by sandwiching it between two Ultimate Big Brother eviction shows.
He only gets away with it because they are occasional shows (because they take so long to film according to him). Fans keep tuining in to see if he's going to improve. He can't keep on doing this forever, because the audience will realise they are being lied to throughout.
Why do people still believe everything Derren says in his books. Of course he uses stooges when necessary. Compared to the production costs, the fees for a few stooges are chicken feed. Some people would gladly do it for nothing just to get on TV.
You said it. What is the point indeed?