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Janey Godley

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Janey Godley
Godley in 2013
Born
Jane Godley Currie

(1961-01-20) 20 January 1961 (age 63)
Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Other namesJaney Currie
Janey Storrie
Occupation(s)Comedian, actress, writer
Years active1994–2024
Spouse
Sean Storrie
​
(m. 1980)​
[1]
ChildrenAshley Storrie
Websitewww.janeygodley.com

Dr Janey Godley (born Jane Godley Currie; 20 January 1961) is a Scottish stand-up comedian, actress, writer and political activist from Glasgow.[2][3]

Early life

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Jane Godley Currie was born on 20 January 1961.[4][5][6] The youngest of four children born to Annie and Jim Currie, she was raised on Kenmore Street in Shettleston, a district in the East End of Glasgow, and attended Eastbank Academy. Living in poverty, which was rife in the East End during that time, Godley left school at 16 with no qualifications.[7] Her parents were alcoholics and her mother was also addicted to tranquilisers.[8][9]

Godley and her sister, Ann Crawford, were sexually abused by their maternal uncle, David Percy. Percy, who was 12 years older than Godley, molested her and her sister for a number of years during their childhoods. Percy was charged for the crimes in 1993 after the sisters decided to come forward, and was later found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison in 1996.[10]

Godley married Sean Storrie in 1980 at the age of 19. Storrie, who has Asperger syndrome,[11] was born into a Glasgow gangster family.[12] Their daughter, Ashley Storrie (born 1986), who also has autism spectrum disorder, is a stand-up comedian and BBC Radio Scotland presenter.[13][14] Godley ran a public house in Calton, Glasgow with her husband and his family for 14 years during the 1980s and 1990s.[15]

In 1982, when Godley was 21, her mother died after drowning in the River Clyde. Godley believes that her mother was murdered by her violent boyfriend. He was never charged by police for Annie Currie's death despite calls from her family for an investigation.[7]

On 31 December 2010, her brother Mij Currie died from a drug-related illness.[16][17]

Career

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Godley began her stand-up career in 1994.[18] Godley adopted a stage name, saying to her husband: "I don't want to be Janey Storrie anymore, because your family let me down, and I don't want to be Janey Currie because my family let me down. I'm going to use my middle name and legally become Janey Godley. The only family who haven't let me down are the Godleys because I don't know them."[19] She legally changed her name from Janey Godley Storrie to Janey Godley in 1995.[20]

She won an award for the "Best Show Concept" at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in 2002, and the "Spirit of the Festival" in 2006.[21] In 2005 her autobiography Handstands in the Dark was published.[22] In 2006, she was a finalist for the Edinburgh Evening Times' "Scotswoman of the Year" award.[23] In 2002, 2006, 2008 and 2009, she was nominated as "Best International Guest" by the New Zealand Comedy Guild.[24]

Her TV appearances include River City, Sam Delaney's News Thing, The Alex Salmond Show, Have I Got News for You and Traces. She appears in the film Wild Rose.[25]

Godley often makes spoof voice-overs of videos.[26][27] In 2020, Godley wrote and starred in a series of short films titled Alone, about a recently widowed housewife whose abusive husband has died of COVID-19, as part of the National Theatre of Scotland's Scenes for Survival webseries.[28] In December 2020, the Royal Society of Edinburgh commended Godley's voice-overs of First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's COVID-19 briefings for helping engage the public with the warnings.[15]

In 2020, she won the Scots Language Award's Speaker of the Year Award.[29][30]

In September 2021, tweets Godley had sent in 2011 were publicised by The Daily Beast, leading MSP Douglas Lumsden to question the decision to cast her in a pantomime performance of Beauty and the Beast. Some of these tweets included insults based on the Chernobyl disaster and disabilities, and racial insults towards African American musicians Kelly Rowland, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg in 2011.[31][32] Godley apologised for the tweets.[33] Additionally, she was dropped from a Public Health Scotland campaign.[31]

Health

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In November 2021, Godley announced via Twitter the cancellation of the last weekend of her tour, explaining that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and was being treated in hospital.[34][35] She had a full hysterectomy in January 2022 and announced in June that she was cancer-free. On 13 December 2022, she announced that her cancer had returned and that she would need further chemotherapy.[36]

In September 2024, Godley announced that she was receiving palliative care and would be moving into a hospice.[37] Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to her.[38]

Political activism

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Godley is a supporter of Scottish independence.[39] She describes herself as "anti-Tory".[9] She formerly supported the Conservatives in her youth and once met Margaret Thatcher at a Scottish Conservative Party Conference in Perth.[40]

In February 2016, Godley joined a group of comedians on a tour of the UK in support of Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn, although she is a supporter of the Scottish National Party.[39]

In 2016, Godley was pictured standing outside Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf resort holding a sign stating "Trump is a Cunt", which went viral. She was prevented from approaching her subject by Police Scotland.[41] Following a protest in Glasgow which she organised in November 2016 just prior to the election of Trump as president, she received rape threats through Twitter.[42]

Books

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  • Godley, Janey (2005). Handstands In The Dark. Great Britain: Ebury Press. ISBN 9780091908775. OCLC 61175808.

References

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  1. ^ "'I'm rebelling against my upbringing': Ashley Storrie on being the daughter of a comedy legend". HeraldScotland. 30 July 2017.
  2. ^ "Petrol bomb pensioner shows old gang hatreds die hard". The Scotsman. 6 January 2008. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  3. ^ "Comedian Janey Godley given honorary doctorate in hospice bed". 31 October 2024. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Janey Godley dropped from government Covid ads over tweets". BBC News. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  5. ^ Comedy CV: Janey Godley
  6. ^ CompaniesHouse: Janey GODLEY
  7. ^ a b Brooks, Libby (19 August 2019). "'I joked about my life – Ma's murder, child abuse, gangsters': how Janey Godley became the queen of comedy". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Next to Godley". www.scotsman.com. 15 July 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b Wilson, Louise (4 May 2021). "Black comedy: Interview with Janey Godley". Holyrood Website. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Prison term for uncle marks an end to the ordeal women had kept to themselves; Abused sisters' 30-year secret". The Herald. 5 November 1996. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Living with a Man who has Autism". 5 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Mum was murdered and my in-laws are gangsters".
  13. ^ Donaldson, Brian (8 June 2016). "Interview: Ashley Storrie – 'I have been known to go a bit Tonto'". The List. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  14. ^ Hinds, Alice (30 May 2021). "Comedian Ashley Storrie on why playing an autistic young woman in her first dramatic role has helped her open up about her own diagnosis". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  15. ^ a b Williams, Martin (11 December 2020). "Royal Society of Edinburgh acclaims Janey Godley's medicine for helping curb Covid-19 spread". The Herald. Herald and Times Group. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  16. ^ English, Paul (27 December 2020). "Janey Godley is an artist at the peak of her vocal powers". The TImes. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  17. ^ Godley, Janey (31 December 2016). "My brother's death announced on FACEBOOK". Medium. Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Janey Godley, comedian : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  19. ^ Glover, Gillian. "Working in a rough Glasgow pub gave Janey Godley the front to make a success of stand-up comedy - and put dark memories of a troubled childhood behind her, says Gillian Glover". www.janeygodley.com. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  20. ^ "MY DAD SAID "Was I a good dad?"". 6 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Janey Godley, comedian : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". www.chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  22. ^ "Handstands in the Dark listing at Random House". Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  23. ^ Robertson, Linda (18 October 2006). "Last chance to vote for Scotswoman of the Year". Evening Times. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  24. ^ "Janey Godley". Scottish Comedy Agency. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  25. ^ "Janey Godley". IMDb.
  26. ^ Aiken, Gregor (16 November 2018). "Brexit breakdown as Prime Minister dwells on Snapchat group with Arlene Foster and Nicola Sturgeon".
  27. ^ "Janey Godley – Loud and Live, The Soup Pot Sessions". Glasgow Life.
  28. ^ "SCENES FOR SURVIVAL - ALONE PART II". nationaltheatrescotland.com. 30 July 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  29. ^ Ferguson, Brian (24 October 2020). "Comedy star Janey Godley named 'Scots Speaker of the Year'". The Scotsman. JPI Media. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  30. ^ Hannan, Martin (26 October 2020). "Janey Godley and Stuart Paterson muckle winners o' Scots awards". The National. NewsQuest. NewsQuest Media Group Ltd. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  31. ^ a b Brooks, Libby (9 September 2021). "Janey Godley dropped from Scottish Covid ads after 'unacceptable' tweets". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
  32. ^ Webster, Lauren (8 September 2021). "Tory MSP writes to theatre with 'concerns' over Janey Godley's panto role". The National. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  33. ^ Cochrane, Angus (8 September 2021). "Janey Godley apologises for 'horridly offensive' historic tweets". The National. Newsquest Media Group. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  34. ^ "Comedian Janey Godley reveals she has ovarian cancer". BBC News. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  35. ^ "Janey Godley: Scottish comedian reveals she has ovarian cancer and cancels final tour dates". Sky News. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Janey Godley tells fans that her cancer has returned". The Independent. 14 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  37. ^ Janey Godley receiving 'end-of-life' care after cancer spreads, by Beth Franklin, at STV News; published 25 September 2024; retrieved 25 September 2024
  38. ^ "Comedian Janey Godley receiving end-of-life care". BBC News. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  39. ^ a b "Comedian on Jeremy Corbyn's #JC4PM tour has said she would never vote for him". The Independent. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  40. ^ Godley, Janey (2005). Handstands in the dark : a true story of growing up and survival. London: Ebury Publishing. ISBN 9781448117543.
  41. ^ "Comedian Janey Godley plans Glasgow Against Trump rally in George Square". The National. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
  42. ^ Gilbert, Julie (6 November 2016). "Glaswegian Janey Godley threatened with rape after George Square Trump protest". glasgowlive. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
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