Latest news with #SusieMcCabe
The Guardian
20-07-2025
- 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.
Scotsman
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Forth Awards open nominations for local heroes
The Forth Awards has opened nominations for its local hero awards, aiming to celebrate the very best of Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk. The star-studded ceremony will return to the Capital's Usher Hall on 13th November 2025, with awards and performances from huge names in the entertainment world. Forth 1 and Greatest Hits Radio listeners are being encouraged to recognise individuals and organisations in their community that go the extra mile - from the best teachers, restaurants and workplaces as well as the Forth Cash for Kids award. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Submit nominations via - submissions open until 20th August 2025 The nominees will join celebrities being honoured at the ceremony later this year, with previous winners including the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Susie McCabe, Nathan Evans and more. Local hero winners in the past have included selfless teachers who have gone above and beyond for their classes, local kids fundraising for charities or committing small acts of kindness, and family-run businesses and restaurants. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Communities across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk are encouraged to submit friends, families and colleagues for the six local hero awards with trophies up for grabs for including best restaurant, best teacher, workplace, visitor attraction, local hero and the traditional Cash for Kids Award. Listeners are also in with a chance of winning tickets to the Forth Awards ceremony itself if they submit a nomination. Susie McCabe at Forth Awards 2025 Richie Jeffrey, Commercial Events Manager, Hits Radio said, 'Every year The Forth Awards celebrate the local heroes that do so much for their communities across Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and Falkirk. From young kids fundraising for local charities, to workplaces who go over and above to support their staff, and teachers who make a real difference to the lives of the children in their class, there's countless stories of local people worth recognising. We're looking forward to celebrating these local heroes alongside some of the biggest stars from the entertainment world at the Usher Hall in November, alongside our sponsors Livingston Designer Outlet.' The Forth Awards 2025 include: The Forth Best Artist Award with Victor Paris The Forth Best Restaurant Award with Saltire Callum Beattie at Forth Awards 2025 The Forth Contribution to Music Award with The Liquid Room The Forth Icon Award with The Edinburgh Playhouse The Forth Fringe Award with Watermans The Forth Cash for Kids Award with Newtown Décor Jack 'O' Bryan, Best Restaurant The Forth Best Teacher Award with Omni Shopping The Forth Best Workplace Award with Fuse The Forth Visitor Attraction Award The Forth Local Hero Award
Daily Record
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Party at the Palace festival audience will be rocking and rolling as comedy line-up is announced
Revellers at this year's Party at the Palace will be splitting their sides with laughter thanks to a host of fantastic comedians. Host Des McLean will bring together the best of Scottish talent and his picks from the Fringe for this year's comedy stage line-up. While the family fun weekend will see Boney M, Squeeze, The Hoosiers and Tom Meighan rock the music stage, Party At The Palace has also built a reputation as hosting the most unique open air comedy club in Scotland. Funny man Des McLean will host an expertly curated comedy line-up over the weekend of August 2 and 3 in Linlithgow, which will include international TV stars like Glenn Wool, Susie McCabe, Tiff Stevenson, Liam Farrelly, Kim Blythe, Ray Bradshaw, Josie Long, Rosco McLelland, Chris Forbes and Tei Boyd. With the iconic Fringe going on in August too, Des picks out his favourites from the programme there, alongside the turns he feels have to perform whether they're doing Edinburgh or not. If this was a gig this is a 40-quid ticket for this line-up, they're all headline acts. 'I know it's a cliché but there is genuinely something for everyone, for every taste – international comics, current and previous award winners, big box office hits and then really offbeat stuff too. 'I'm compering and hosting bits in between as usual because I know the audience and we have regulars who come every year – we must be only comedy tent at a festival where we have our own regulars. 'Punters come an hour early to get their bales of hay to sit on, it's a real part of why they're at the festival not just a passing interest to tune in and out of – usually comedy can be a background thing at an event like this but this is a comedy club in the fresh air. 'It reminds me of the beer garden tour Susie McCabe and I did after lockdown. 'People can sit back relax and enjoy it – it's a real cracking event and experience with a certain demographic, family vibes, it's such a nice not up itself event. I love it. 'Often with music festivals, there's a tent in a corner and it's an afterthought but this has a following and a purpose, people come for it as an attraction in its own right.' Des is thrilled at the line-up he has managed to put together this year and he's confident it rivals anything at any major comedy event. Sunday is headlined by Susie McCabe who just sold out three Kings Theatre shows and won the Sir Billy Connolly award last year. Ray Bradshaw from Off The Ball headlines Saturday. Canadian comic Glenn Wool, who has six comedy albums, will also feature, as will Tiff Stevenson who starred alongside Ricky Gervais in The Office, and stars of social media such as TikTok star Kim Blythe. Party at the Palace Festival Director John Richardson said: 'This isn't a case of festival bookers throwing together a comedy line-up or trying to pull in some names we think might work. 'Comedy is more than that, there's real science and art to programming both the right line-up and how that flows through the two days. 'We have known and respected Des for a long time and he was always a lynchpin of our comedy stuff, so it made absolute sense to hand the whole thing over to him – he's in charge, it's his thing. 'It's been a huge success and we're thrilled to have him on board – it's essentially his picks of the best in comedy both at the Fringe and just in general. 'We really believe in bringing the very best to the festival whether that's music, comedy, food, drinks, all of it – and we are really happy with the line-up across the board this year.' For more info and tickets visit: Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here .
