Damon is set for show of his own.
The 1999 Echo Star Trail talent show winner, Damon Scott, is the subject of a BBC fly-on-the-wall documentary and could be lined up for his own situation comedy too.
Since carrying off three trophies at the Pavilion Theatre in September the comedy puppeteer and vocalist hasn’t looked back.
And this Saturday when he represents Bournemouth at the British Resorts Association National Search for a Star in Leamington Spar the BBC will be filming his every move. Damon was “spotted” when the head cameraman from the BBC attended the Echo Star Trail semi-final earlier this year and he suggested to fellow programme makers that Damon would be a perfect subject for the BBC2 real life series which profiles the lives and careers of people aged 18-25.
Since they started filming Damon they have since decided to make a special one-hour programme for BBC1 just about him and his puppets.
In addition, they are making a 20-minute pilot sit-com involving Damon play7ing a character called George, and his monkey puppet Bubbles.
This will be filmed at the end of November over five days.
For the documentary Damon has been filmed around his home town of Salisbury with Bubbles doing everyday “human” things like withdrawing money from a cash dispenser and buying clothes in Top Man! He has also been filmed doing local shows and at home – the family-owned Park House Motel at Cholderton.
But the climax of the documentary is the BRA talent show final in which 16 national resorts are taking part, each presenting one act, and where £4,500 in prize money is on offer.
Damon has also been approached and filmed by ITV which will feature him on its talent showcase, Young Gifted and Broke, next January. The late night Tuesday programme presents unknown acts and provides a contact number and voice mail at the end for anyone wishing to book an act they liked.
Offers of cruise ship and holiday park work have also been flooding in since he won Star Trail although Damon has always been keen to carve out a TV career. With no puppet shows like ‘The Muppets’ or ‘Spitting Image’ on TV now there would appear to be a market. He is continuing to manage himself despite many offers from showbiz managers but this week admitted to feeling anxious after three difficult weeks. “In the last three weeks I’ve had flu, a sinus infection and neuralgia which left me speaking out of just one side of my face.“Then on Saturday doing a puppet show in Wales I fell down a 12ft ramp at the theatre’s stage door which left me with a torn muscle in my shoulder and arm and bleeding through a ripped shirt! That’s just typical of me – it’s all that nervous energy!”
The Echo will be travelling to Leamington Spa’s Royal Spa Centre on Saturday to follow Damon’s bid for the national title.