Derren Brown dons a beggar disguise

(Channel 4)

TV illusionist Derren Brown will tonight be seen transforming himself into a beggar to see if he can influence how much people will donate.

The star - who last week appeared to choose the correct National Lottery numbers - placed subliminal messages around a shopping centre to see if it would affect the generosity of passers-by.

Brown adopted a tatty beard and woolly hat disguise for the show, to be screened on Channel 4 tonight, in which he will focus on hidden messages to control people.

As part of tonight's stunt - How To Control The Nation at 9pm - he will also try to influence viewers by trying to make them immobile.

He plans to make people "stick" to their seats while they are watching the show.

Brown said: "It's safe. It won't work on everybody, but it's applying what I do one on one with people on stage and turning it into a piece of technology that can then be broadcast - and it has never been done before."

Viewers will be able to see how effective his efforts to raise extra money with the subliminal messages he posted in shop windows were during tonight's show. All the money Brown collected was donated to homeless charity Shelter.

Next month, as a finale to his series, Brown is hoping to make a viewer win a fortune at a casino by gambling on a roulette wheel.