Darren "Whackhead" Simpson
{{Short description|South African comedian (born 1977)}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Darren "Whackhead" Simpson
| image =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1977|04|19}}{{cite episode|series=The Rude Awakening|credits=Presenters: Jeremy Mansfield|display-authors=etal|station=947|location=Johannesburg, South Africa|airdate=2008-04-18|minutes=70}}
| birth_name = Darren Simpson
| birth_place = Durban, South Africa
| nationality = South African
| other_names = Whackhead
| education =
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Radio presenter
- Comedian
- Phone prankster
}}
| employer = Primedia Broadcasting
{{small|(94.7 Highveld Stereo & K-FM)}}
| known_for = {{flatlist|
- Radio show presenting
- Radio phone pranking
- Stand-up comedy
}}
| height =
| title =
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| predecessor =
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| children =
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| signature =
| footnotes =
| spouse = Samantha Teixeira (m. 2010)
}}
Darren "Whackhead" Simpson (born 19 April 1977) is a South African comedian and radio presenter working for Primedia,{{cite web
|url=http://www.primedia.co.za/
|title=Primedia Website
|publisher=Primedia
|access-date=3 February 2008}} a broadcasting company that owns the radio stations 947 and 94.5 Kfm (among others) in South Africa. He presented the morning show, Breakfast Xpress, on 947 in Johannesburg between April 2003 and March 2017, before moving to the Cape Town based sister station of 94.5 Kfm, to present a morning show, Kfm mornings.
Radio career
As of Monday 2 August 2010, Simpson had been hosting 94.7's morning show Breakfast Xpress.{{cite web|url=http://www.news24.com/Entertainment/SouthAfrica/Whackhead-has-own-breakfast-menu-20100729|title=Whackhead has own breakfast menu|publisher=|access-date=13 December 2017}} The show was previously hosted by Jeremy Mansfield under the name The Rude Awakening. The Breakfast Xpress Team changed time slots with Anele Mdoda and the 947 Drive Team on 3 April 2017 and now runs under the name 947 Xpress Drive.{{cite web|url=http://www.sabreakingnews.co.za/2017/02/10/darren-whackhead-simpson-shifts-to-the-afternoon-drive/|title=Darren "Whackhead" Simpson shifts to the afternoon drive|publisher=|access-date=13 December 2017}} In April 2017, Simpson started to host the 94.5 KFM Breakfast Show, hosting both shows for the remainder of 2017. In January 2018, Simpson left 947 in order to exclusively focus on the "KFM Breakfast Show".
Simpson's prank call slot titled Whackhead's Window on the World used to be broadcast on 947 in Johannesburg, during his tenure there, and continued on Kfm Breakfast in Cape Town after his transfer there in 2017.
|url = http://www.jamally.co.za/darrensimpson.htm
|title = Darren Whackhead Simpson
|publisher = Jam Ally Entertainment
|access-date = 6 January 2008
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080115042228/http://www.jamally.co.za/darrensimpson.htm
|archive-date = 15 January 2008
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
}} His pranks are available for podcast on a daily basis by the radio stations.{{cite web
|url = http://www.highveld.co.za/podcast/podcast_whackheadswindow.asp
|title = 94.7 Highveld Stereo – Podcast page
|publisher = 94.7 Highveld Stereo
|access-date = 6 January 2008
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080105191030/http://www.highveld.co.za/podcast/podcast_whackheadswindow.asp
|archive-date = 5 January 2008
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
|url=http://www.kfm.co.za/podcast/listenondemand.asp
|title=94.5 KFM – Podcast page
|publisher=94.5 KFM
|access-date=3 February 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205104424/http://www.kfm.co.za/podcast/listenondemand.asp
|archive-date=5 February 2008
|df=dmy-all
}}
Simpson has also co-starred with Mansfield on the M-Net hidden camera show, Laugh Out Loud.{{cite web
|url=http://www.tvsa.co.za/actorprofile.asp?actorid=5107
|title=Darren Simpson
|publisher=TVSA
|access-date=6 January 2008}}
=Tom Cruise scam=
On 27 January 2009, Simpson scammed Australia's radio breakfast duo, Kyle and Jackie O, making them believe that they were going to interview Tom Cruise about the film Valkyrie.{{cite web
|url = http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/733461/kyle-and-jackie-o-pranked-live-on-air
|title = MSN news article
|publisher = MSN
|access-date = 27 January 2009
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090130204850/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/733461/kyle-and-jackie-o-pranked-live-on-air
|archive-date = 30 January 2009
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
}} The Australian show had ridiculed one of Simpson's pranks in the past, and he had been working on the prank for about two months. Once on air, Simpson announced that they had been scammed and congratulated the Proteas cricket team on their victory over the Australian side on the day before. The Australian station, 2Day FM, had spent approximately AUD$150 000 on advertising the interview in the preceding days. Simpson commented that the entire prank cost him about R 60 for the phone call.
=Discography=
Between 2004 and 2016, Simpson has compiled a yearly CD compilation of his pranks, as heard on 947. Following is a list of all his releases, {{As of|2011|lc=on}}:
- The Best of Whack Head's Prank Calls
: Released: 2004{{cite AV media notes
|title=Best of WHACK HEAD's Prank Calls, The
|year=2004
|others=Simpson, Darren "Whackhead"
|type=Compact Disc
|publisher=All Tracks C Control
}}
: Number of discs: 1
- Oh My Greatness Hits!
: Released: 2005{{cite AV media notes
|title=Oh My Greatness Hits!
|year=2005
|others=Simpson, Darren "Whackhead"
|type=Compact Disc
}}
: Number of discs: 2
- Serial Prankster
: Released: 2007-11-05{{cite AV media notes
|title=Serial Prankster
|year=2007
|others=Simpson, Darren "Whackhead"
|type=Compact Disc}}
: Number of discs: 2
: This is the first album to offer bonus tracks from its official website.{{cite web
|url = http://www.highveld.co.za/thelounge/events/WhackheadCD20071105/main.asp
|title = 94.7 Highveld Stereo – Serial Prankster (Official Site)
|publisher = 94.7 Highveld Stereo
|access-date = 6 January 2008
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080114213513/http://www.highveld.co.za/thelounge/events/WhackheadCD20071105/main.asp
|archive-date = 14 January 2008
|url-status = dead
|df = dmy-all
}}
- Off the Hook
: Released: 2008
: Number of discs: 2
- Thrown in the Deep End
: Released: 2009
: Number of discs: 2
- Phowned
: Released: 2010
: Number of discs: 2
- Epic Fail
: Released: 2011
: Number of discs: 2
Biography
Simpson was born on 19 April 1977, in Durban, South Africa.
On 2 February 2010, he announced his engagement to Samantha Teixeira. The wedding took place on 25 September 2010.{{cite episode|series=The Rude Awakening|station=94.7 Highveld Stereo|location=Johannesburg, South Africa|airdate=2010-02-08|credits=Presenters: Jeremy Mansfield|display-authors=etal|minutes=75}}
References
External links
- [http://www.darren-simpson.co.za Darren Simpson, official site]
- [http://www.mnet.co.za/lol/ Laugh Out Loud, official site]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111006084659/http://www.pod947.co.za/podcast/whackhead/Whackheadswindow20090127.mp3 Podcast mp3 file of the Tom Cruise prank]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Darren Whackhead}}
Category:South African male comedians