CALUM SCOTT, born on this date,  is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence in April 2015 after competing on the ITV talent contest Britain’s Got Talent. Just before his audition, his sister Jade also auditioned, but was stopped early on both of her songs by Simon Cowell. Jade received three “No” votes from Amanda, David, and Simon (Aleisha’s vote was unannounced as it was not needed).

Despite obvious nerves at seeing his sister get rejected, Calum performed a cover of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own”, which he had heard Kings of Leon performing on BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge in 2013. Following a standing ovation from the judging panel, Simon Cowell pressed the Golden Buzzer giving Scott an automatic place in the live shows. Explaining his decision to send Scott straight to the semi-finals, Cowell said: “I’ve never ever in all the years I’ve done this show heard a guy with the talent you’ve got. Seriously. And the version was sensational, and that shows to me that you’re more than a singer, you’re an artist and that’s why you got that (the buzzer).”

After placing sixth in the contest, Scott released his own version of the song as a single the following year, which peaked at number two on the UK singles chart and became Britain’s best-selling single of summer 2016.

He later signed with Capitol and in 2017, released the single “You Are the Reason”, which amassed more than one billion views on YouTube. His debut album, Only Human, followed in 2018 and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart. Scott achieved his second UK top five single with “Where Are You Now”, a 2021 collaboration with Lost Frequencies.

Scott is gay. He has talked about having struggled with his sexuality when growing up, but has gained confidence since becoming an adult. He is an active proponent of mental health awareness and suicide prevention. In 2020, he performed live in support of Mind for Mental Health Awareness, donating all proceeds to Mind a mental health charity in England and Wales.