Magic Mike Live, the stage show based on the 2012 blockbuster starring Channing Tatum, has just opened in London’s West End and has been a sell-out successMatt Roper Senior Features Writer and Bekka Barnard TV & Showbiz Reporter11:00, 29 Jun 2025Magic Mike is inspired by Channing Tatum’s previous career as a stripper.Tatum drew from his own experiences as a struggling male stripper in Florida during the 1990s for the film franchise, which has earned him millions.Channing only worked as a stripper for eight months before transitioning to modelling and acting, but he had enough seedy encounters and wild escapades to fuel two films that grossed over £220million worldwide.The Hollywood star has previously admitted that despite the films’ sexy storyline, if fans knew what his real-life stripping days were truly like they would find it “just gross,” reports the Mirror.Channing played the lead character in the Magic Mike franchiseAs the real-life Magic Mike, he actually despised disrobing and began drinking heavily and using drugs. Channing also admitted that he felt like “a nobody” when he was on stage.Article continues belowWhile touring Florida venues with a troupe of male dancers, Tatum wouldn’t pocket more than $150 dollars (£115) a night for stripping and performing lap dances.Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed: “On a good night, 150 bucks… not as much as you think. On a bad night, 70 bucks – even 50 at times.”The Magic Mike franchise sparked three films and a stage show(Image: More