He is known for portraying the role of Darren Osborne in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, as well as being a member of the pop group allSTARS*.

Byrne Blood Productions (Steps, A1), the management company at that time, was surprised to find that the actor could also dance and sing.

Dawson appeared along with Darren Day in a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, UK.

In September 2013, Dawson was announced as a contestant on the eleventh series of Strictly Come Dancing partnered with Ola Jordan.

In 2014, Dawson released "Playboy Bunny" on Applique Music, produced by Artful and Lempo, reached #1 on JunoDownload and #54 on ITunes, supported on Capital FM and BBC Radio One.

In January 2021, Dawson and John Junior, filmed a video with BBC Radio 5, about a suicide storyline in Hollyoaks.