Leo Kearse Explained

Leo Kearse (born Hamilton-Kearse, 17 July 1976) is a comedian and broadcaster from Scotland. His stand-up comedy routines have earned him the Scottish Comedian of the Year award and UK Pun Champion. A self-professed right-wing comedian, Kearse regularly appears on GB News.

Background

Kearse grew up in Penpont in Dumfriesshire and attended Wallace Hall school.[1] After graduating from the University of Stirling, Kearse worked as a criminal intelligence analyst then as a consultant in national security and government.[2]

Comedy

Kearse is known for being a right-wing comedian.[3] He covers anti-woke issues, such as cancel culture and perceived left-wing bias at the BBC.[4] [5]

He was a New Comedian Of 2011 finalist at the Leicester Square Theatre [6] and a finalist of the Laughing Horse New Act Of The Year Final 2012.[7] He then won the Chelmsford Comedian of the Year in 2012.[8]

Kearse was crowned the UK Pun Champion in 2015 after he beat off competition from fellow comedians Rob Thomas and reigning champion Darren Walsh.[9] Leo won the contest with such jokes as "I was in hospital last week. I asked the nurse if I could do my own stitches. She said 'suture self' and "Growing up on a farm, my dad was always telling me to use the indoor toilet. But I preferred to go against the grain".[10] [11]

After being awarded runner-up in 2016, he won the Scottish Comedian of the Year award in 2017.[12] [13] [14]

His breakthrough show Right Wing Comedian was cancelled by the Court Hotel venue at the Perth Fringe World in Australia in 2019 after his material was accused of being transphobic.[15] [16]

Selected comedy shows

!Title!Year!Notes
Leo And Stephen Go Down On You2012With Stephen Bailey
Am I Right?2013
The Mangina Funalogs2014
I Can Make You Tory2017
Right-Wing Comedian2018
Transgressive2019
Cancel Culture2021

Politics

Kearse has criticised the Scottish National Party, Scottish independence and the Scottish Hate Crime Act.[17] [18] [19]

The latter issue led him to become a Reclaim Party candidate in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Kearse stated that "With wokeness and extreme nationalism seemingly the only acceptable discourses allowed in Scotland these days, I feel now is the right time to stand up and be counted." He stood in Glasgow Pollok held by Humza Yousaf where he received 114 votes (0.3%). He also stood on the Glasgow regional list where he received 174 votes (0.1%)[20] [21]

Media

Kearse is a GB News presenter appearing on the Headliners programme and presents his own show Saturday Night Showdown.[22] He also appeared as a guest on Good Morning Britain where he defended the principle of free speech.[23]

He is a co-host of the 3 Speech podcast with fellow comedians Darius Davies and Nico Yearwood.[24]

Kearse has written opinion pieces for The New Zealand Herald, The Independent and The Sun newspapers.[25] [26]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: From right-on to right-wing: why comedy is turning conservative. 12 September 2023. HeraldScotland. en.
  2. Web site: 2017-07-31. 10 comedians on the careers they gave up for stand-up. 12 September 2023. inews.co.uk. en.
  3. Web site: 2019-08-26. From Titania McGrath to a Brexit party standup: is rightwing comedy on the rise?. 12 September 2023. the Guardian. en.
  4. Web site: 2019-08-06. Is stand-up comedy too woke and ruining the fun for audiences?. 12 September 2023. inews.co.uk. en.
  5. Web site: Anderson. Claire. 2021-01-11. 'BBC won't exist in five years!' Broadcaster sent dire warning as public move online. 12 September 2023. Express.co.uk. en.
  6. Web site: New Comedian of 2011 final . Chortle . 12 September 2023.
  7. Web site: Laughing Horse New Act of the Year final 2012 . Chortle . 12 September 2023.
  8. News: Chelmsford searches for its comedian of the year . Dunmow Broadcast . 13 May 2014.
  9. Web site: Leo Kearse . Leo Kearse . 1 June 2015.
  10. Web site: 2015 Pun Champs . Independent . 24 October 2018.
  11. Web site: 2015-02-13. You won't be disappunted (sorry) by the joke that won this year's UK Pun Championship. 12 September 2023. The Independent. en.
  12. Web site: Leo Kearse wins Scottish Comedian of the Year 2017 - The Skinny. 12 September 2023. www.theskinny.co.uk. en.
  13. Web site: Scottish Comedian Of The Year 2017 final. Chortle . 12 September 2023.
  14. Web site: Scottish Comedian of the Year 2016. 2023-09-04. Beyondthejoke. en.
  15. Web site: 2018-11-16. The Court accidentally books comedian who makes jokes about trans people. 12 September 2023. OUTInPerth LGBTQIA+ News and Culture.
  16. Web site: Bennett. Steve. 'I don't understand how it could be interpreted as transphobic' : News 2018 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide. 12 September 2023. www.chortle.co.uk. en.
  17. Web site: Pritchard-Jones. Exclusive by Oliver. 2021-03-01. SNP creating 'small-minded' young Scots with 'evil Tories' and anti-English 'propaganda'. 12 September 2023. Express.co.uk. en.
  18. Web site: 2020-07-31. Scotland's Hate Crime Bill and its threat to comedy - BCG Pro. 12 September 2023. British Comedy Guide. en.
  19. Web site: Pritchard-Jones. Oliver. 2021-03-13. Scotland’s controversial Hate Crime Bill WILL backfire and silence 'woke' advocates. 12 September 2023. Express.co.uk. en.
  20. News: Constituencies A-Z: Glasgow Pollok. BBC News. 12 September 2023. 7 May 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210507101920/https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000119. live.
  21. News: McLaughlin . Martyn . Right wing comedian to stand for Laurence Fox's party at Holyrood election . 13 September 2023 . Scotsman . 28 March 2021.
  22. https://www.tvguide.co.uk/schedule/94eac305-78c9-5c6b-8607-2c4cf73c3959/saturday-night-showdown-replay
  23. News: McLoughlin . Bill . Kate Garraway forced to shut down GMB debate after comedian says women in burkas ‘do look like letterboxes’ . 12 September 2023 . Evening Standard . 28 January 2022.
  24. Web site: 3 Speech Podcast . Apple Podcasts . 13 September 2023.
  25. Web site: 2017-05-30. Nine reasons I'm voting Tory even though I'm Scottish. 2021-03-12. inews.co.uk. en.
  26. News: Kearse . Leo . Lounge Check: The Virgin lounge at Perth airport . 13 September 2023 . New Zealand Herald . 11 March 2019.

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