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The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Standup Susie McCabe looks back: ‘I knew very early on that I was different from other girls. Everyone else did, too''
Born in Glasgow in 1980, Susie McCabe began her career in standup comedy in the early 2010s, quickly gaining recognition on the Scottish comedy circuit. The 2024 winner of the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award, McCabe has supported Kevin Bridges and John Bishop on tour and, along with Frankie Boyle and Christopher Macarthur-Boyd, hosts the podcast Here Comes the Guillotine. Her show, Femme Fatality, is on iPlayer now. She performs her new show Best Behaviour at Edinburgh fringe from 30 July to 24 August. I'm three years old and in my late nana's ground-floor tenement Glasgow flat. She would have knitted that tank top, and the toy in my hand was a little monkey that my mum bought me as a present. Apparently I used to be obsessed with putting its feet in its mouth – I'm sure a therapist could have a field day with that. As for the expression, I look utterly miserable. My parents had tried to make me look like a sweet wee girl, putting me next to a little doll, when really I was a tomboy. That face is very much: 'Nah, not having it.' My nan's flat was my happy place. She and I were best friends, for ever. She was an unassuming person who would show her love with food rather than words. An independent, non-judgmental woman with the heart of a lion, and, without doubt, the biggest influence in my life. I knew very early on that I was different from the other girls. Everyone else did, too. Dad would ask: 'Why won't you just wear a dress? Why can't you just stay clean? Why do you always have a football under your arm?' At school I was popular and had plenty of friends, but there were a couple of kids who tried to bully me a wee bit. All I'll say is, I soon sorted that out. When I was at primary school, my hair used to go all the way down my back. It was thick and Mum used to plait it every morning. The pain! I had a massive Tonka truck that I took into school one day, and while I was running it through my hair, strands got tangled in the wheels. We had no other choice but to cut huge clumps out of it, but I was so relieved – as well as the tomboy thing, long hair is difficult when you're running about trying to play football with the boys, who are also trying to pull your plaits. There was so much about my adolescence that was great – I loved to play football and rugby, and I had good teachers and friends. But I was also trying to deal with my sexuality. I was brought up Roman Catholic in the west of Scotland, during section 28. It was not a particularly easy time to come out. My mum and dad were not overtly homophobic, but there was not much information about the reality of being gay out there. The Brookside kiss was pretty monumental, but before that there were so many negative connotations about being gay in the media, just scandals about gay priests. To deal with my sexuality, I smoked a lot of cannabis. Sport gave me a healthy outlet, thankfully. I also had good friends who supported me when I came out. When I told my parents, however, they put me out of the house, so I moved in with my nana. I stayed with her for two years and I worked in a jeans shop and then a gay bar. In many ways, those were some of the happiest days in my life: being gay was still a backstreet thing in the 90s – there was no holding hands in public. In gay clubs, however, people would coalesce around you. Suddenly, I had a whole community of people who would look out for me. After about two years, my parents accepted that my sexuality wasn't a phase. It wasn't always easy, especially for my dad, but he got there in the end. Growing up, I wanted to be a sports scientist and a physiotherapist. I told my parents this, and in true working-class Scottish style, they replied: 'University is not for you.' Even though I had the intelligence to have gone, I don't think I had the bandwidth to work hard as I was so caught up in having to come out. Instead, Dad made three other career suggestions. The first was: 'Why don't you be a police officer?' To which I replied: 'Because snitches get stitches.' The next was: 'Why don't you join the air force like your brother?' My reply was: 'Yeah, because I'm so good with authority.' Plus, this was 1998 – a time when homosexuals couldn't even join the military. His third was: 'Why don't you be an air stewardess?' Wasn't keen on that one, either. I am not a morning person. I've barely made myself a cup of tea by 6am, never mind making one for a plane full of people. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Comedy was a dare that became a career. In the summer of 2010, when a friend was diagnosed with cancer, it was a stark reminder that time is short and I should challenge myself. A friend suggested I try comedy. Well, the exact phrase was, 'Shitebag if you don't.' When someone says that to you at school in Scotland, you absolutely have to do it, and, even in adulthood, I feel the same necessity. So, I signed up for an eight-week course and did my first gig. Right away I knew, this is the thing I am meant to do. I was gigging for eight and half years, selling out solo shows and headlining clubs, when I eventually realised I was on the precipice and had to jump. Within a month of giving up my day job, I got signed to a comedy management company. I remember a year or so after, driving down the motorway and thinking: 'I wonder what day it is?' I checked and it was Friday. I thought: 'I'm living the dream.' When you work for a living you always know when it's Friday and when it's Monday. As a self-employed comedian, I was working seven days a week, with no days off, but it didn't matter. This industry is a marathon – very few people break into it overnight. Even if you find fame on TikTok, you still have to put in the work: the gigs, the grind, learning your stagecraft. I grew up playing football with men and spent years working in building sites alongside them. That experience, always being the only woman in the room, built my resilience and determination. Those early gigs could have been tough – miners' clubs, bowling clubs, golf clubs – mostly rooms full of white, bald heads. At first, I knew they might see me as 'other': a wee gay woman with a mic. I also knew that, deep down, we weren't all that different. Once I started talking, I could get them onside. The first two minutes might be rough, but if you speak your truth, the walls come down. There's nothing really separating us. While I am still that funny wee girl in the photo, there have been quite a lot of major life events recently that have made me feel like an adult. I had a heart attack on the way to the fringe last year, my wife and I separated, and my dad died in June. In life you get served curveballs, but I am very fortunate to be surrounded by decent people and living in a decent part of the world. Plus, it means my next show is going to be great.
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
LGBT-inclusive education 'would have changed my life'
Winner of the second annual Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award in March 2024, McCabe has also appeared on programmes such as Scot Squad, Have I Got News For You, and Frankie Boyle's New World Order. Her stand-up show Femme Fatality was recorded for the BBC, and she is planning a four-week run at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She was announced as the patron of TIE in January this year, saying at the time: 'In a society that feels more polarised, and I can see some of the same old rhetoric from the past, LGBT inclusive education is too important to ignore. I will bring humour, passion, and fight to this role to make sure that not one young person feels the way that I felt because of their sexuality.' READ MORE Speaking to The Herald, McCabe discussed being made homeless after coming out to her parents, middle-class homophobia, and the need to continue fighting for progress for the LGBT+ community. Susie McCabe spoke exclusively to education specialist James McEnaney (Image: Gordon Terris / The Herald) 'I think you get to a stage where you realise you're living your life but the decisions you make are really going to impact the people coming behind you. I'm still of a generation of gay people who had a generation above them that taught them things. That generation went to more funerals than I'll ever go to in my life. That generation worked really hard for me to be accepted and get my equality. They kicked in the doors. 'As I was starting to see us lurch to the right. I was seeing things and hearing things that I would have seen and heard in the 1980s. 'I started to see people in public office use language that jarred me. She says that the work being done by TIE, and the message of acceptance it sends to all young people, is something she wants to support and protect: 'That would have changed my life.'
The National
01-07-2025
- Business
- The National
Edinburgh university 'most financially entangled' in UK to Israel
The UN special rapporteur on Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Francese Albanese, has published her latest report exploring corporate complicity with the genocide in Gaza The University of Edinburgh investments are analysed in the report and according to the special rapporteur, they are in violation of international law, human rights and the 1948 Genocide Convention. READ MORE: Palestine Action block entry to weapons manufacturer ahead of proscription challenge The report explains that "many universities have upheld ties with Israel despite the post-October 2023 escalation" and goes on to detail that among the "many British examples," the University of Edinburgh is "among the most financially entangled". It states: "One of many British examples, the University of Edinburgh holds nearly £25.5 million (2.5 per cent of its endowment) in four tech giants – Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and IBM314 – central to the Israeli surveillance apparatus and the ongoing Gaza destruction. "With both direct and indexed investments, the University ranks among the most financially entangled institutions in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. "The university also partners with firms aiding Israeli military operations, including Leonardo S.p.A. and Ben-Gurion University, through the AI and Data Science Lab at Ben Gurion University, sharing research that directly links it with assaults on Palestinians." Action taken by Palestine Action at Leonardo's Edinburgh factory (Image: Supplied) Another point adds: "The analysis in the present report only scratches the surface of the information received by the Special Rapporteur, who acknowledges the vital work of students and staff in holding universities to account. "It casts a new light on global crackdowns on campus protesters: shielding Israel and protecting institutional financial interests appears a more probable motivation than fighting alleged antisemitism." READ MORE: Frankie Boyle and Tilda Swinton call for Labour not to ban Palestine Action In conclusion, the report states: "While life in Gaza is being obliterated and the West Bank is under escalating assault, this report shows why Israel's genocide continues: because it is lucrative for many. By shedding light on the political economy of an occupation turned genocidal, the report reveals how the forever-occupation has become the ideal testing ground for arms manufacturers and Big Tech – providing boundless supply and demand, little oversight, and zero accountability – while investors and private and public institutions profit freely. "Too many influential corporate entities remain inextricably financially bound to Israel's apartheid and militarism. "Post-October 2023, when the Israeli defence budget doubled, and at a time of falling demand, production and consumer confidence, an international network of corporations has propped up the Israeli economy. Blackrock and Vanguard rank among the largest investors in arms companies pivotal to Israel's genocidal arsenal. "Major global banks have underwritten Israeli treasury bonds, which have bankrolled the devastation, and the largest sovereign wealth and pension funds invested public and private savings in the genocidal economy, all the while claiming to respect ethical guidelines." 'What kind of institution do we want to be?' A senior lecturer has anonymously spoken to The National about the report, calling out leadership for ignoring staff and students who have highlighted the same concerns as the UN through votes, letters, and encampments on campus. "It's not just the 'bad' students and staff asking the questions," they said, "for almost two years, the EUSA [Edinburgh University Student Association] team and the academic senate, have been in both in favour of total divestment from the companies mentioned in the report. "And the main anti-racist networks on campus have asked for divestment based on evidence — part of which was used in the UN special rapporteur's report." READ MORE: 'Not my King!': Protesters gather as royal family visits Edinburgh In May last year, 549 staff at the university signed a letter demanding that the university sever ties with Israel, expressing solidarity with the pro-Palestine student encampment set up on campus grounds. A number of encampments at the university: multiracial, multi-religious – Palestinians, Jews, and others – have been asking for action, while the university has continuously said it is "reviewing our approach to responsible investments". The university has already frozen additional purchases of stocks in Amazon and Alphabet—just two of the several companies mentioned in the UN report, but staff say this is not enough. "That's a de facto acknowledgment that we are putting money into companies which may be complicit in human rights violations and breaches of international law, including the 1948 Genocide Convention," the lecturer said. They questioned: "But after that acknowledgment, how can you continue? "How can you keep money in existing stocks in companies that are directly complicit with war crimes, human rights violations, and violations of the Genocide Convention? "It doesn't make any sense. If you freeze, you freeze everything. You don't just freeze additional purchases while continuing to profit from existing investments. "That's not how business and human rights work." READ MORE: Scots back independence as Keir Starmer's popularity at record low, new poll finds The lecturer said they wanted to "make clear" that the majority of their colleagues "have expressed support for divestment" because of the evidence in the UN report already. "When we said it, we were dismissed as partisan," they said. "Now, the UN is saying the same thing. "So the university has to ask: what kind of institution do we want to be?" They added: "The university has to decide where it stands. I don't think our legal services can rubber-stamp dismissals of evidence from key international institutions. At the very least, suspend investments. Say: 'The money smells — we stop until things are clear'. "Denial of action is denial of genocide. Senior leadership are watching the same Palestinians being killed — it's on the BBC, it's everywhere. You don't need to scavenge through social media to know what's happening. "So, the choice is clear: Denial and lack of accountability or standing up for international law. "UN special rapporteurs are the 'gold standard' — to use Kofi Annan's phrase. They are the key independent experts, part of the UN system, working with and for the UN." The University of Edinburgh has been approached for comment.
The National
01-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Palestine Action block entry to weapons manufacturer ahead of proscription
In an Instagram post on Tuesday morning, the group said members had 'locked on to each other to prevent access' to Elbit Systems in Bristol, blocking the only entrance to the building. The group covered the building in red paint to 'symbolise Palestinian bloodshed'. In Suffolk, activists also occupied the rooftop of UK subcontractor Guardtech Group, posting an Instagram video stating that the firm is 'a subsidiary factory to Elbit Systems, the largest supplier of weapons to Israel'. READ MORE: Frankie Boyle and Tilda Swinton call for Labour not to ban Palestine Action It comes as a draft order was laid before Parliament to amend the Terrorism Act 2000 to include Palestine Action as a proscribed organisation. If approved, it would become a criminal offence to support or be part of the group, carrying a possible jail sentence of up to 14 years. MPs and peers are expected to debate the legislation on Wednesday and Thursday, and the ban could come into action as soon as Friday if approved. A Palestine Action spokesperson said: 'While the Government is rushing through Parliament absurd legislation to proscribe Palestine Action, the real terrorism is being committed in Gaza. 'Palestine Action affirms that direct action is necessary in the face of Israel's ongoing crimes against humanity of genocide, apartheid, and occupation, and to end British facilitation of those crimes.' A spokeswoman for Avon and Somerset Police confirmed to PA News Agency that officers were called to Elbit Systems in Bristol at around 6.30am on Tuesday. 'Officers are responding to a protest involving two people at a premises at the Aztec West Business Park, in Almondsbury,' the spokeswoman said. 'We're committed to facilitating people's right to peaceful protest, but will not tolerate any criminal behaviour.' READ MORE: LIVE UPDATES: Keir Starmer faces Labour rebellion in crunch welfare cuts vote Palestine Action is seeking a legal challenge against the Government's plans to proscribe it, with a hearing expected on Friday to decide if the ban can be temporarily blocked, pending further proceedings to determine whether or not a legal challenge can be brought. A number of celebrities have now signed an open letter urging the Government not to proscribe Palestine Action, which states: 'Palestine Action is intervening to stop a genocide. It is acting to save life.'
North Wales Chronicle
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
BBC will not broadcast Gaza documentary over ‘perception of partiality' risk
The corporation commissioned Gaza: Doctors Under Attack more than a year ago from an independent production company called Basement Films. The documentary includes witness accounts from frontline Palestinian health workers in Gaza and documents attacks on hospitals and clinics. It was delayed by the BBC until an ongoing review into a different programme in the region was completed. The BBC pulled the documentary How To Survive A Warzone in February after it emerged that its 13-year-old narrator was the son of a Hamas official. The corporation has now confirmed that Gaza: Doctors Under Attack will not air on the BBC at all. In a statement, the BBC said they had paused production of this film in April, having made a decision that they could not broadcast the film while a review into a separate Gaza documentary was ongoing. The BBC said that with both films coming from independent production companies, and both about Gaza, it was right to wait for any relevant findings – and put them into action – before broadcasting the film. 'However, we wanted the doctors' voices to be heard. Our aim was to find a way to air some of the material in our news programmes, in line with our impartiality standards, before the review was published. 'For some weeks, the BBC has been working with Basement Films to find a way to tell the stories of these doctors on our platforms. 'Yesterday, it became apparent that we have reached the end of the road with these discussions. 'We have come to the conclusion that broadcasting this material risked creating a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC. 'Impartiality is a core principle of BBC News. It is one of the reasons that we are the world's most trusted broadcaster. 'Therefore, we are transferring ownership of the film material to Basement Films. 'Contrary to some reports, since we paused production of Gaza: Doctors Under Attack in April, it has not undergone the BBC's final pre-broadcast sign-off processes. 'Any film broadcast will not be a BBC film,' the BBC said. The corporation added: 'We want to thank the doctors and contributors and we are sorry we could not tell their stories. The BBC will continue to cover events in Gaza impartially.' Last month, Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon and comedian Frankie Boyle were among hundreds of signatories calling on the BBC to air the documentary. The letter, signed by figures from across the film, TV, journalism and cultural sectors, was sent on behalf of the UK Screen Industry, made up of a 'group of concerned film and TV professionals'. Earlier this month, the BBC defended its coverage of the war in Gaza, after the White House criticised its reporting of an apparent incident in the territory, which reportedly left a number of people dead. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed the corporation, after updating an article's headline with new information, had to 'correct and take down' its story about fatalities and injuries following a reported incident near an aid distribution centre in Rafah. The BBC said it had not removed its story and explained that its headlines about the incident were 'updated throughout the day with the latest fatality figures as they came in from various sources', which is 'totally normal practice'.
