Darren’s career on stage and screen began in 1988 when he won BBC1’s Bob Says Opportunity Knocks, hosted by the legendary Bob Monkhouse, who was later quoted as saying he was proud to be the first to introduce Darren Day on TV.
Darren’s big break came in 1993 when he landed the lead role of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat at the London Palladium and he then went on to play the role many more times in the West End and on UK and World Tours.
From the Palladium he went on to play Jesus on the official London cast recording of Godspell conducted by Stephen Schwartz at the iconic Abbey Road Studios. Later that year, he was a guest on the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of HRH The Queen and Prince Philip, and a year later was asked to host the show itself.
Other theatre credits include the lead role of Pip in a musical adaptation of Great Expectations at Theatre Clwyd — a role he would return to several times to rave reviews; Tony Parker in Copacabana (West End), Don in Summer Holiday – West End and UK Tour (which broke the all-time box office record, grossing 3.8 million pounds and for which he received the Performance of the Year’ award), Danny Zuko (West End), Frank n Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (25th Anniversary Tour), Billy Bigelow in Carousel (UK Tour), Bob in Rita, Sue and Bob Too (Theatre Royal, St Helens) Bumblescratch in Bumblescratch (West End), Vice Principal Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee (UK Tour), Lead Vocalist in Brother Love’s Travelling Salvation Show (UK Tour directed by Craig Revell-Horwood), Defending the Caveman (UK Tour), Raul in Extremities (The Old Red Lion, Islington), Alfie (Watford Palace Theatre), Kashoggi in We Will Rock You (UK Tour), Valjean in Les Misérables (West End), Gideon in The Last Session (for which he received the award for Best Actor’), The Beast in Beauty and the Beast (UK Tour), Bob Wallace in White Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Dessert (UK Tour), Teen Angel in Grease (UK Tour), Cornelius in Hello, Dolly! (UK Tour), Beau in Mame (Salisbury Playhouse).
Between 1994 and 2020, Darren was a leading role in no fewer than 22 pantomimes, playing parts which ranged from Buttons to Captain Hook — for which he was also nominated in the category of Best Male Villain at the Great British Pantomime Awards.
In 1994 Darren achieved his first top 20 hit after signing with Simon Cowell at Arista Records and RCA Records. At that year’s Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, Darren was awarded the gong for Best Male Singer. He continued to work with Simon for several years, releasing singles and albums that reached the top 10, and frequently appeared on Top of the Pops.
He turned his hand to being a TV presenter hosting the Saturday night prime-time show You Bet, pulling in the biggest viewing figures for the previous five years.
His second series of You Bet was screened in the summer, once again to a record-breaking TV audience, and he then went on to host ITV’s brand new flagship show Don’t Try This at Home with Davina McCall.
In 2002, Darren secured a six-month contract on BBC1’s daytime drama Doctors, playing the fiancé of US actress Stefanie Powers.
Darren was one of the first celebrities to take part in the first ever — now infamous — ITV prime-time show I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
This year saw him being asked by French and Saunders to play the Jude Law role of Inman in one of their famous movie spoofs of the hit film Cold Mountain retitled Cold Turkey.
Darren went on to be cast in the lead role of Arthur in Eastenders spoof Extreem Soap by Harry Hill, who wrote and directed this TV pilot. He was also cast in Carla Lane’s new sitcom.
Other television work includes being a contestant on Celebrity Scissorhands in aid of Children in Need, Danny Houston in Hollyoaks on E4 (eight months including a feature-length late-night special), Finalist in Celebrity Big Brother (Channel 5), Will Morgan in Stella (BBC), Holby City Christmas Special (BBC), Stormin Norman in Make It Plumb (ITV), Graham Watts in Crime Stories (ITV), Jeff Slade in The Bill (ITV), and Jonathan in Mile High (Sky One).
2013 saw Darren shooting a film called Rudy, written and directed by Cannes Film Festival award-winning director Shona Auerbach.
Other film credits include White Island, Rough Cut, The Krays, Demon Eye, Hellbreeder and Dangerous Game.
During the lockdown of 2020, Darren reprised his roles of both Joseph and Jesus in online concerts of Joseph and Godspell for the charity Acting for Others. He also narrated an online TV comedy pilot The Fosse Forest Ballet, directed by Racky Plews.
This year will see him in the role of Billy Flynn in the UK tour of CHICAGO — a role he’s had his heart set on for many years. He will then go on to play the Reverend in the UK Tour of Footloose.
