Scottish Comedian Janey Godley Dies at 63

Scottish comedian Janey Godley has passed away at the age of 63. She had been receiving palliative care after living for a number of years with ovarian cancer, which led to the cancellation of her ‘Why Is She Still Here?’ tour in September. Godley was widely recognized for her viral dubbed videos of Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid briefings during the pandemic and her protest against Donald Trump’s 2016 visit to Scotland. Her daughter, Ashley Storrie, extended thanks to Godley’s “found family” for their support “throughout these last horrible days”. In a video shared on social media, Storrie stated: “I wanted to tell you face to face because it felt very much what she would have wanted. “She went peacefully and I want to say a big thank you to all the staff at the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.” Mentioning a number of loved ones, she said: “Thank you so much for being there and for making a very, very scary moment peaceful and a nice transition.” She then addressed Godley’s followers, thanking them for their kindness and support. “I believe in my heart of hearts that she felt every bit of love you sent to her,” she said. “I think it kept her going, genuinely we got her longer because of all the support and the love in the world.” She concluded her video with “Bye Ma”, adding: “Frank, get the door” – a reference to a character in Godley’s famed voice overs of Nicola Sturgeon. Godley’s manager, Chris David, commented that she would be “hugely missed by her family, friends and her many fans”. He said: “She will be remembered for her legendary voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon during the pandemic, her hilarious and outspoken comedy, but most of all for just being ‘Janey’.” Godley disclosed her ovarian cancer diagnosis in November 2021. She was given the all-clear in 2022, but a subsequent scan detected signs of the disease again. Born in the east end of Glasgow in 1961, Godley worked as a pub landlady before establishing herself on the comedy circuit. Storrie, who followed her mother into comedy, is the star of the BBC Three comedy Dinosaur and was recently nominated for a Bafta Scotland award for the show. Godley gained viral attention in 2016 after being photographed holding a placard with an offensive word at a protest against Donald Trump during his visit to Scotland. Her profile was further elevated when she provided voiceovers for videos of Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish Covid briefings. She later became friends with the former first minister. Godley also served as a regular co-presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, as well as fronting the BBC Radio 4 series The C Bomb. In 2023, she was honored at the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. She received an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow from her hospice bed earlier this week. Posting on Instagram, Nicola Sturgeon described Godley as a “true force of nature, and one of the funniest people I have ever known”. She said: “I was able to visit her in the hospice a couple of weeks ago and though she was fragile, she still had me in stitches.” “Janey was also incredibly kind. And she made the world a better place.” Adding, “In the toughest of times, she made people laugh – and that was precious.” First Minister John Swinney also paid tribute on X, writing: “Very sorry to hear of the death of Janey Godley.” He added, “She brought joy and laughter on many occasions when we needed it most.” A number of celebrities paid tribute to Godley, including Nigella Lawson, who forged a friendship with the comedian initially on social media. The author and TV chef said: “So hard to think of that great force and bright energy no longer in the world.” Former Communards member and author the Reverend Richard Coles said he loved Godley, adding “she made me laugh every day”. Comedian Dom Joly said she was “one-of-a-kind and a lovely, funny person.” Julia McKenzie, Radio 4 comedy commissioning editor, said Godley was a “brilliant storyteller who embodied the stoic nature of Glasgow”. She said: “Her stories were raw and truthful, both devastating and uplifting, very often in the same sentence; and all shot through with her sharp wit and ability to bring characters to life.” Louise Thornton, head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, added that Godley was a “much-loved contributor” to BBC programmes. She added: “Janey fought a brave health battle over the last few years and shared this emotional journey with her trademark honesty and humour.”