Damon Scott
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18 October 1979
- Singer
- comedian
- puppeteer
Damon Scott | |
|---|---|
 Scott on Britain's Got Talent in June 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | The Monkey Man |
| Born | Damon Charles Scott 18 October 1979 Salisbury, Wiltshire, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Website | www |
Damon Scott (born 18 October 1979) is a British entertainer known for his appearance in the first series of the ITV variety talent show Britain's Got Talent.[1][2] Scott is best known for his performances with monkey puppets, earning him the nickname The Monkey Man which became the title of a BBC documentary[3] about him.[4]
He was in a relationship with TV judge Craig Revel Horwood, known for his role on Strictly Come Dancing; they split in early 2016. He has been in a relationship with Matt Eden since April 13, 2016.[5] [6]
En-Masse
Before becoming better known for his monkey routines Scott was part of a 40-strong group of singers from Southampton and Salisbury who come together to put on concerts twice a year under the name "En-Masse".[7] The pop and soul collective covers a wide variety of music ranging from disco to Motown and rock to soul. As well as performing at the 900-capacity Salisbury City Hall twice a year, En-Masse toured many locations and released three albums and one single.
British Resorts Association Search for a Star
In 1999, Scott entered the nationwide British Resorts Association Search for a Star Contest, which was sponsored by the Southern Daily Echo.[8] is open to any kind of act from singers to dancers and musicians. When Scott appeared in the semi-final at the Bournemouth Pavilion he received best speciality award, the Stan Sowden Memorial Trophy, £500 cash, the judges' and the audience vote.[9][10] The national final saw Scott take first prize, and collect a trophy, a cheque for £2,750, a voucher for a £400 costume, and entries in two stage publications, again winning the audience vote and best speciality act award.[11]
Following Scott's success he was spotted when the head cameraman from the BBC attended the Southern Daily Echo Star Trail semi-final and he suggested to fellow programme makers that Scott would be a perfect subject for a BBC2 real life series which profiles the lives and careers of people aged 18–25.
When they started filming Scott they decided to make a special one-hour programme for BBC1 just about him and his puppets. In addition, they made a 20-minute pilot sitcom involving Damon playing a character called George, and his monkey puppet Bubbles. This was filmed over five days.
For the documentary Scott was filmed around his home town of Salisbury with Bubbles.[12]
Gene Pitney & Damon
Scott later landed a major UK tour with Gene Pitney. Scott was spotted by music promoter Derek Nicol after he won Southern Daily Echo Star Trail and went on to represent Bournemouth at the British Resorts Association national final in Leamington Spa. Nicol was one of the judges who awarded Scott not only first place but also the award for best speciality act. On the basis of an eight-minute performance, Nicol asked Scott to do the entire first half of each show on the 22-date tour. The tour started off at Southend's Cliffs Pavilion on 25 April 2000 and ended at the Bristol Hippodrome on 21 May 2000. A total audience of around 60,000 people saw him and many of the venues sold out. This was the third major British tour for the American singer in less than two years, and came as a result of the demand for the tickets on the two previous outings.[13][14]
