Janey Godley begins ‘final tour’ before funeral
Hundreds pay respects to Janey Godley in Edinburgh
The hearse carrying Janey Godley has made its way through Edinburgh as the Scottish comedian’s “final tour” takes place.
The Glaswegian died on 2 November aged 63 after living for several years with ovarian cancer.
Thousands of fans of the comedian – arguably best known for viral dubbed videos of Nicola Sturgeon – gathered on the Royal Mile to throw roses at the vehicle, while her daughter Ashley Storrie walked behind the car.
The hearse will now travel to Glasgow, ahead of the funeral service at St Mary’s Cathedral in the city on Saturday.
Godley revealed she had ovarian cancer in November 2021.
She was given the all-clear in 2022 but a later scan discovered signs of the disease in her abdomen.
In September she announced that she was receiving end-of-life care after the disease had spread.
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The comedian’s daughter, Ashley Storrie, dedicated her recent BAFTA Scotland award to her mum
Mourners told BBC Scotland News they wanted to attend to pay their respects to an “amazing woman“.
Dawn Armitage, 52, from Edinburgh, said: “I came because she was an amazing woman and it’s just so sad.
“She was a great comedian and what she did through the Covid lockdown was amazing and kept our spirits up.
“Her voiceovers on TikTok were incredible. She was just brilliant. I came to pay my respects and I feel very sad.
“She was so brave and her end of life interview was heart-breaking but she was up front about it.”
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Some of the mourners brought signs with the comedian’s sayings and phrases
At one point the hearse – which had her catchphrase “Frank get the door” written on it – stopped outside St Giles’ Cathedral for 10 minutes while a choir sang, with the crowd applauding after each song.
Sarah Paterson, 56, from Edinburgh, said she felt “quite emotional” seeing the turnout.
She added: “To hear all the clapping reverberate around the Royal Mile must have been a comfort for her family. She was very loved here in Scotland.”
Kate Crichton, 70, from Edinburgh, said: “I came because I think Janey Godley was a fabulous comedian.
“I think the posts she did about Nicola Sturgeon helped encourage people to listen to the Covid briefings.
“I thought they were excellent and very funny. My mum died from ovarian cancer so it felt personal and I wanted to come here to pay my respects.”
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The hearse went through Cockburn Street as mourners watched
Born in the east end of Glasgow in 1961, Godley was a pub landlady before establishing herself on the comedy circuit.
She became known to a wider audience across the world for her protest against Donald Trump’s 2016 visit to Scotland, where she held up a sign with an offensive word describing the then president.
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic her spoof voice-overs of the then first minister went viral on social media.
She also won the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
Her daughter Ashley followed her mother into comedy and starred in BBC Three comedy Dinosaur.
After winning a BAFTA Scotland award earlier in November, she dedicated the triumph to her mother.
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