Background
Scotti was born Virginio Scotti on August 7, 1956 in Miradolo Terme, Pavia.
Scotti was born Virginio Scotti on August 7, 1956 in Miradolo Terme, Pavia.
After giving up studying law, Scotti began his broadcasting career as a disc jockey at Radio Milano International. In 1982, he moved to Radio DeeJay and a year later became the host of DeeJay Television, the first Italian program for music videos, broadcast by Italia 1. Scotti also hosted other music programs such as Festivalbar.
Since the 1990s, Scotti has been a television presenter, almost exclusively for Mediaset Canale 5.
He is known as a host of quiz shows, having moderated Chi vuol essere milionario?, the Italian edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Passaparola and The Money Drop. He was the co-host of the satirical show Striscia la Notizia, and acted in several films and situation comedies.
In 2008, he returned as radio host on R101 (the former Radio Milano International), and became deputy-president of Monradio (the radio division of Arnoldo Mondadori Editore). He is the host of Avanti un Altro! along with Paolo Bonolis.
Scotti was a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Socialist Party from 1987 to 1992.