Susan Calman: Gay Scottish Comedian
by Siobhan Donegan
Susan Grace Calman is a Scottish all-round celebrity. She is a Television presenter, comedian, and writer. Many of us will be familiar with Calman from her recent amusing and quirky performances in the Bank of Scotland adverts. She’s also been a panellist on the comedy quiz shows ‘QI’ and ‘Mock the Week’, amongst others. Susan Calman is gay and has talked about how after coming out as a lesbian at the age of just 19 in 1993 how difficult it was growing up with a different orientation in Glasgow commenting that at the time there was one lesbian bar- “But there was no internet, there was no way of finding out about other people”.
Susan Calman’s father is Sir Kenneth Calman who was the former Chief Medical Officer of Scotland. Her mother, Lady Anne became Chair of NHS county Durham. Calman was born to these distinguished parents on the 6th November 1974 in Glasgow. Calman started her education in an ‘independent school’, the High School of Glasgow. She won the Judge Brennen scholarship after studying law at the University of Glasgow. With this scholarship came the chance to work with criminals on Death Row in North Carolina for 3 months.
Calman had a difficult time growing up in Glasgow. She was extremely unhappy as a teenager, self-harmed and through desperation, attempted suicide. In retrospect she opened up about these difficult experiences of depression, discussing this not only in her books, but also in interviews. Calman commented to ‘Digital Spy’ whilst looking back at her radical stand campaigning for LGBT rights how she encountered ‘horrific bigotry’ over a number of years. She revealed: “I have protested. I have picketed. I have been spat on. I have been punched.”
It was in 2006 that Calman, at the age of 30 and having worked as a lawyer for 7 years, decided to change from what was obviously a brilliant career in law to the potentially more risky one of being a comedian. Anyone who would be willing to give up a legal career to start out in comedy, something she knew nothing about at the time, must be either very brave or an eternal optimist. Yet, it turns out that the opposite is true as she is ‘always waiting for bad things to happen’. It is in fact Calman’s wife Lee who is responsible for helping her to perceive things/life from a positive perspective. At a very early stage in her work life Calman had worked at an electrical superstore being in charge of vacuum cleaners and microwaves. From such humble beginnings-during Calman’s eventual career as a corporate lawyer had, as already mentioned above, worked on Death Row in America and at one point had even worked at the United Nations in Geneva.
After deciding to switch to a career in comedy, Calman made it to the semi-finals of the ‘BBC New Comedy Awards’. Calman was also a finalist in the 2006 ‘Funny Women’ competition-both achievements have obviously boosted her confidence as she hasn’t looked back since. In 2007 Calman was cast in a sketch show at the Edinburgh Festival called ‘Ugly Kid’ which was a sell out and as such won ‘critical acclaim’. The show was renamed as ‘Blow Out’ after being commissioned for a pilot for Channel 4.
Calman has also become known as a contender on the highly popular show ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Interestingly enough Calman found herself within the firing line of criticism due to not insisting on a same sex partner on the show. Calman saw the comments as unfair stating: “No one is holding me hostage in this room, making me wear a dress and dance with a man. I want to learn to dance.”
Calman further stated in response to this specific criticism, ‘It’s making this about my sexuality, instead of a woman wanting to learn how to dance.”
Calman met her partner Lee in 2002. After dating for 10 years they made it official by having a Civil Partnership ceremony in 2012 and in 2016 they got married choosing the Fruitmarket in Glasgow as the venue for this important occasion in their lives. Lee also used to be a lawyer by profession. Calman stated that she doesn’t really like it when people question the validity of marriage-claiming it’s just a bit of paper-adding, ‘And anyway, it’s something gay people fought for over many years’.
Calman and her wife Lee have is a mutual love of cats as they have 5 rescue cats-whose names are so wonderfully creative and quirky that I thought it was worthwhile listing them: Thus we have Pickle, Daisy Fay Harper, Olivia Pope, Dr Abigail Bartlet and DCI Jane Tennison.
One of the most interesting TV shows that Calman has hosted, in my personal opinion, is ‘Secret Scotland’. In this she travels around her native homeland on a ‘light hearted jaunt’-which is nevertheless a voyage of discovery. Here Calman visits what have been described as ‘iconic destinations’ such as Loch Ness, the mysterious Roslyn Chapel and not forgetting of course our very own Edinburgh Castle.
Susan Calman has been described as a ‘feisty’ Glaswegian comedian whose skill-set includes legal expertise, quick fire caustic wit and ‘infectious bubbly manner’ which have proved to be an intoxicating recipe that has insured her success. This combination of talent has given her a flare for writing after dinner speeches for some of ‘the most prestigious organisations’. As such she continues to be in demand with ‘high profile’ clients. She has worked most recently with such clients as ‘Famous Grouse, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Women in Industry and Law Society Scotland’.
Amongst Calman’s other media credits is the fact that she is also known as a regular guest on Radio 4 appearing on shows such as ‘The News Quiz’, ‘Now Show’ and also ‘So Wrong It’s Right’. In fact Calman’s work in Radio includes having hosted her own Radio Series ‘Susan Calman is convicted’ which won an award. Calman has also presented her own TV Shows, apart from the already mentioned ‘Secret Scotland’, her most recent programme has been on Channel 5 ‘Susan Calman’s Grand Week by the Sea, hurtling along the coastline in her campervan called ‘Helen Mirren’.
