Colin Cloud

Colin Cloud is a Scottish stage mentalist born on January 9, 1987, in Harthill, Scotland. Known professionally as Colin Cloud, he performs under the self-described title of The Real Life Sherlock Holmes, a persona rooted in his admiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's fictional detective and Holmes's methods of reading people. Before pursuing a career in entertainment, Cloud earned a Bachelor of Science with Honours in forensic investigation, specializing in criminal profiling, from Glasgow Caledonian University, where he studied from 2003 to 2007.

Following his graduation, Cloud joined Tree of Knowledge as a speaker in 2007, remaining with the organization until 2013, when he departed to focus on building a television and stage career. His early public appearances included a performance at the 2012 Edinburgh International Magic Festival and a stint on Britain's Got Talent that same year, where he competed under his given name, Colin McLeod, and received positive responses from all four judges, though he did not advance to the live semi-finals. He also appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us under that name, where he was unsuccessful in fooling the judges.

Cloud's Broadway career spans 2014 to 2018, during which he appeared in two productions: The Illusionists - Magic of the Holidays and The Illusionists - Witness the Impossible. His association with The Illusionists began in June 2015, when he joined the touring production as "The Deductionist." He also brought solo work to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe across 2014, 2015, and 2016, with productions including Colin Cloud Forensic Mind Reader, Colin Cloud Kills, and Colin Cloud: Exposé.

In 2014, Cloud and collaborator Don Jack established the partnership Prestige. Through that work and his broader career, he has appeared on television programs including Michael McIntyre's Big Show, Loose Women, and The One Show, among other international broadcasts. He also collaborated with the BBC's Sherlock team, working with series creator Mark Gatiss to develop support material for the Sherlock Christmas Special.

In 2017, Cloud reached the semi-finals of season 12 of America's Got Talent and subsequently appeared on the Royal Variety Performance. He returned to America's Got Talent: The Champions in 2019, where he was eliminated in the preliminary round, and appeared as a guest performer alongside season 13 winner Shin Lim in the season two finale on February 17, 2020. In 2024, Cloud competed in series 17 of Britain's Got Talent as part of the group act Magicians Assemble, alongside Elizabeth Best, Ben Hart, and Aidan McCann, and also staged a solo production titled Colin Cloud: Mastermind.