Denise Scott

Denise Margaret Scott (born 24 April 1955) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, television and radio presenter.

Career Scott has appeared frequently on Australian television since her regular slot on ABC TV's The Big Gig in 1990, and a weekly segment on Tonight Live with Steve Vizard. Scott was one of the most frequent guests on musical quiz show Spicks and Specks, and appeared several times on The Glass House and Good News Week.

In 1993 she performed the live show, Women Stand Up! with Sue Ingleton and Lynda Gibson. She also co-starred with Judith Lucy and Lynda Gibson in stage spectaculars Comedy Is Not Pretty (1999) and Comedy Is Still Not Pretty (2003).

She was a member of the Vega 91.5 FM breakfast radio show; Dave and Denise with Shaun Micallef (formerly called Shaun, Beverley and Denise), until she finished up with Vega on 23 November 2007.

Scott has made appearances on Network 10 shows Can of Worms, The Circle, The Project, All Star Family Feud, Would I Lie to You?, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Hughesy, We Have a Problem, The Cheap Seats, Talkin' 'Bout Your Gen and Sam Pang Tonight. Scott starred as Trish Gross in the Australian drama series Winners & Losers on the Seven Network. She appeared as a guest on the talk show Can of Worms on Network Ten on Monday 29 August. Scott also appeared on Channel 31's To Hell in a Handbasket, with Dolly Diamond on Tuesday 17 December 2013.

Scott stars as Gwen in the Australian ABC comedy series It's a Date.

In 2017, Scott started narrating the Australian travel series Travel Guides on the Nine Network, and again teamed up with Judith Lucy for a new live show, Disappointments which commenced touring and was performed in Melbourne in April 2017 as part of the International Comedy Festival.

In April 2018, Network Ten announced Scott would join Studio 10 as a panelist.

In 2019, Scott competed in the sixteenth season of Dancing with the Stars, where she was paired up with Jeremy Garner. She was second to be eliminated from the competition.

In July 2019, Scott announced her resignation as a panelist on Studio 10.

In 2023, she starred in the reboot of the popular sitcom Mother and Son, written by Geoffrey Atherden. Scott portrayed the ageing and frail Maggie, alongside Matt Okine who played her son Arthur. The series re-imagining also introduced a multicultural aspect, with the current Arthur being from a migrant background

On 4 July 2025, Scott voiced Tortoise in Andy Lee's animated series based on his book of the same name Do Not Watch This Show.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1985 Malcolm Willy's Wife Feature film 1988 An Ordinary Woman Short film 1992 Vaudeville Natural Normans TV movie1995 Gorgeous Additional characters (voices) Short film Maidenhead Hat Shop Woman Short film 2007 The Sounds of Aus Self TV movie 2013 Mother's Boy Mother Short film 2014 Timothy Melinda Garrett TV movie

Television Year Title Role Type 1989–1990 Tuesday Night Live: The Big Gig Carmen / Babs Blewitt / Jude / Escort Agent / Doris / Wife / Magazine Reader 9 episodes 1992 Six Pack Katherine 1 episode Let the Blood Run Free Mrs Rottweiler 1 episode 1993–1995 Full Frontal Various characters 26 episodes 1996 Neighbours Coral Reeves 2 episodes 1997 Good Guys, Bad Guys Waitress 1 episode Get a Life Daphne Stork 1998 Halifax f.p. Shiri 1 episode The Genie from Down Under 2 Denise 1 episode 1999 Blue Heelers Pam Kelly 1 episode SeaChange Wilhelmina Seagull 1 episode 2000 Introducing Gary Perry Woman at Zoo 1 episode One Size Fits All Various characters 13 episodes 2001 Shock Jock Miss Wanda 1 episode 2002 Short Cuts Mrs Coxon 4 episodes 2009 The Librarians Nurse 1 episode2010 Bed of Roses Patti Rankin 1 episode Sleuth 101 Enid 1 episode 2011 Judith Lucy's Spiritual Journey Sister Aileen (flashback) 1 episode 2011–2016 Winners & Losers Trish Gross Seasons 1–5, 75 episodes 2013 To Hell in a Handbasket, with Dolly Diamond TV series Being Brendo Brenda Abbott 2 episodes 2013–2014 It's a Date Gwen 2 episodes 2014 Bleak: The Web Series Noni Web series, 3 episodes 2015 Please Like Me Doctor 1 episode 2015–2017 House Husbands Nurse Toni Season 4–5, 14 episodes 2016 Jack Irish Sybill McLeod 2 episodes 2017 Travel Guides Narrator 2018 True Story with Hamish & Andy Bernadette 1 episode 2019 Get Krackin Margaret 1 episode 2021–2022 Fisk Leslie 2 episodes 2023–present Mother and Son Maggie 8 episodes 2025 Do Not Watch This Show Tortoise (voice) 12 episodes

Television (as self) Year Title Role Type 1990 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Regular guest TV series 1996 In Melbourne Tonight Self TV series, 1 episode 1998 Smallest Room in the House Self TV series, 1 episode 2000 The Big Schmooze Self TV series, 1 episode 2001–04 Rove Live Guest TV series, 3 episodes 2004 Stand Up! Self TV series, 1 episode 2004 Australian Idol Self TV series, 1 episode 2005 Good Morning Australia Self TV series, 1 episode 2006 Bert's Family Feud Team Captain TV series, 3 episodes 2007 The Sideshow Self TV series, 1 episode 2005–22 Spicks and Specks Regular panellist TV series, 47 episodes 2009–10 Good News Week Guest TV series, 2 episodes 2009–10 Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation Self TV series, 3 episodes 2009–11 The Project Guest TV series, 46 episodes 2010 The Breast Darn Show in Town Self TV special 2011 Warehouse Comedy Festival Self TV series 2011–12 Can of Worms Guest TV series, 2 episodes 2012 The Circle Self TV series, 1 episode 2012 Total Agony Self TV series, 6 episodes 2012 Pictures of You Self TV series 2013 Adam Hills Tonight Self TV series, 1 episode 2013 This Week Live Self TV series 2013 Tractor Monkeys Self TV series, 3 episodes 2015 Judith Lucy Is All Woman Self TV series, 6 episodes 2015–17 Stop Laughing...This Is Serious Self TV series, 3 episodes 2016 Julia Zemiro's Home Delivery Self TV series, 1 episode 2016 The Big Music Quiz Contestant TV series, 2 episodes The Glass House Guest TV series 2017 All Star Family Feud Contestant TV series 2017 The Justine Clark Show Self TV series 2017–18 The Weekly with Charlie Pickering Self TV series, 2 episodes 2017–19 Travel Guides Narrator TV series, 16 episodes 2018 Midsumma VAC Hypothetical 2018 Panellist TV special 2018 Studio 10 Co-host TV series, 3 episodes 2018 Tomorrow Tonight Panellist TV series, 1 episode 2018–22 Have You Been Paying Attention? Panellist TV series, 19 episodes 2018–21 Hughesy, We Have a Problem Guest TV series, 8 episodes 2019 Dancing with the Stars Contestant TV series, season 16, 5 episodes – second to be eliminated 2019 Behave Yourself Self TV series, 1 episode 2020 Lady O'Loughlin Self TV series 2020 Who Do You Think You Are? Self TV series, 1 episode 2020 Play School Self TV series, 1 episode 2022 Would I Lie to You? Guest TV series, 1 episode 2022 The Cheap Seats Self TV series 2022 The Dog House Australia Self TV series, 1 episode 2022 The Hundred with Andy Lee Panellist TV series, 1 episode 2025 Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee (Australia) Self Season 2, episode 4

Radio

Stage

Writer Year Title Role Type 2009 All That Happened At Number 26 Author Autobiographical novel 2012 The Tour Author Autobiographical novel The Australian Women's Weekly Columnist Monthly column

She lives with her partner John, whom she met whilst in a clowning ensemble in Albury-Wodonga. She has two children, musician Jordie Lane and multidisciplinary artist Bonnie Lane.

Scott was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer (HER2-positive) just before embarking on the Mother and Son reboot, and underwent chemotherapy while shooting.