{{Short description|Scottish comedian (born 1976)}} {{Infobox person | name = Leo Kearse | birth_name = Leo Hamilton-Kearse | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|07|17|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Penpont]], [[Dumfriesshire]], Scotland | education = [[Wallace Hall (Thornhill)|Wallace Hall]] | alma_mater = [[University of Stirling]] }}
'''Leo Kearse''' (born '''Leo 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 was born on 17 July 1976 and grew up in [[Penpont]] in [[Dumfriesshire]]. He attended [[Wallace Hall (Thornhill)|Wallace Hall school]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=From right-on to right-wing: why comedy is turning conservative|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17813698.right-on-right-wing-comedy-turning-conservative/|access-date=12 September 2023|website=HeraldScotland|language=en}}</ref> After graduating from the [[University of Stirling]], Kearse worked as a [[criminal intelligence]] analyst then as a consultant in [[national security]] and government.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-07-31|title=10 comedians on the careers they gave up for stand-up|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/arts/comedians-careers-gave-up-stand-up-81464|access-date=12 September 2023|website=inews.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
==Comedy== Kearse is known for being a right-wing comedian.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-26|title=From Titania McGrath to a Brexit party standup: is rightwing comedy on the rise?|url=http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/aug/26/edinburgh-rightwing-comedians-titania-mcgrath-brexit-party-edinburgh-fringe|access-date=12 September 2023|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> He covers [[Woke|anti-woke]] issues, such as [[cancel culture]] and left-wing bias at the [[BBC]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-08-06|title=Is stand-up comedy too woke and ruining the fun for audiences?|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/arts/edinburgh-fringe-2019-comedy-alt-right-free-speech-322744|access-date=12 September 2023|website=inews.co.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Anderson|first=Claire|date=2021-01-11|title='BBC won't exist in five years!' Broadcaster sent dire warning as public move online|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1382574/bbc-news-tv-licence-fee-defund-the-bbc-warning-latest-VN|access-date=12 September 2023|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
He was a ''New Comedian Of 2011'' finalist at the [[Leicester Square Theatre]]<ref>{{cite web |title=New Comedian of 2011 final |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2011/12/12/28597/leicester_square_theatre_new_comedian_of_2011_final |website=Chortle |access-date=12 September 2023}}</ref> and a finalist of the [[Laughing Horse]] ''New Act Of The Year Final 2012''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Laughing Horse New Act of the Year final 2012 |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/review/2012/06/05/28768/laughing_horse_new_act_of_the_year_final_2012 |website=Chortle |access-date=12 September 2023}}</ref> He then won the ''Chelmsford Comedian of the Year'' in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chelmsford searches for its comedian of the year |url=https://www.dunmowbroadcast.co.uk/things-to-do/21705117.chelmsford-searches-comedian-year |publisher=Dunmow Broadcast |date=13 May 2014}}</ref>
Kearse was crowned the ''UK Pun Champion'' in 2015 after he beat off competition from fellow comedians Rob Thomas and reigning champion Darren Walsh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leokearse.co.uk/ |title=Leo Kearse |publisher=Leo Kearse |date= |accessdate=1 June 2015}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/news/is-it-punny-leo-kearse-wins-uk-pun-championship-2015-with-joke-about-stitches-10044804.html |title=2015 Pun Champs |publisher=Independent |date= |accessdate=24 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-02-13|title=You won't be disappunted (sorry) by the joke that won this year's UK Pun Championship|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/news/it-punny-leo-kearse-wins-uk-pun-championship-2015-joke-about-stitches-10044804.html|access-date=12 September 2023|website=The Independent|language=en}}</ref>
After being awarded runner-up in 2016, he won the ''Scottish Comedian of the Year'' award in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Leo Kearse wins Scottish Comedian of the Year 2017 - The Skinny|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/comedy/guide/leo-kearse-wins-scottish-comedian-of-the-year-2017|access-date=12 September 2023|website=www.theskinny.co.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Scottish Comedian Of The Year 2017 final|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/l/33867/leo_kearse/review |website=Chortle |access-date=12 September 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Scottish Comedian of the Year 2016|url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/3390/news-scottish-comedian-year-2016-results|access-date=2023-09-04|website=Beyondthejoke|language=en}}</ref>
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]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-11-16|title=The Court accidentally books comedian who makes jokes about trans people|url=https://www.outinperth.com/court-accidentally-books-comedian-makes-jokes-trans-people/|access-date=12 September 2023|website=OUTInPerth {{!}} LGBTQIA+ News and Culture}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Bennett|first=Steve|title='I don't understand how it could be interpreted as transphobic' : News 2018 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2018/11/19/41730/i_dont_understand_how_it_could_be_interpreted_as_transphobic|access-date=12 September 2023|website=www.chortle.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
===Selected comedy shows=== {| class="wikitable" |+ !Title !Year !Notes |- |''Leo And Stephen Go Down On You'' |2012 |With Stephen Bailey |- |''Am I Right?'' |2013 | |- |''The Mangina Funalogs'' |2014 | |- |''I Can Make You Tory'' |2017 | |- |''Right-Wing Comedian'' |2018 | |- |''Transgressive'' |2019 | |- |''Cancel Culture'' |2021 | |}
==Politics== Kearse has criticised the [[Scottish National Party]], [[Scottish independence]] and the [[Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021|Scottish Hate Crime Act]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pritchard-Jones|first=Exclusive by Oliver|date=2021-03-01|title=SNP creating 'small-minded' young Scots with 'evil Tories' and anti-English 'propaganda'|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1404265/snp-news-propaganda-nicola-sturgeon-free-tuition-anti-english-tories|access-date=12 September 2023|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-31|title=Scotland's Hate Crime Bill and its threat to comedy - BCG Pro|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/pro/inside_track/scotlands-hate-crime-bill/|access-date=12 September 2023|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Pritchard-Jones|first=Oliver|date=2021-03-13|title=Scotland’s controversial Hate Crime Bill WILL backfire and silence 'woke' advocates|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1409448/Scotland-news-hate-crime-bill-SNP-Nicola-Sturgeon-comedian-woke-latest|access-date=12 September 2023|website=Express.co.uk|language=en}}</ref>
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 (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Pollok]] held by [[Humza Yousaf]] where he received 114 votes (0.3%). He also stood on the [[Glasgow (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Glasgow regional list]] where he received 174 votes (0.1%)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000119|title=Constituencies A-Z: Glasgow Pollok|work=BBC News|access-date=12 September 2023|archive-date=7 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507101920/https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2021/scotland/constituencies/S16000119|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McLaughlin |first1=Martyn |title=Right wing comedian to stand for Laurence Fox's party at Holyrood election |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/right-wing-comedian-to-stand-for-laurence-foxs-party-at-holyrood-election-3181340 |access-date=13 September 2023 |publisher=Scotsman |date=28 March 2021}}</ref>
==Media== Kearse is a [[GB News]] presenter appearing on the ''Headliners'' programme and presents his own show ''Saturday Night Showdown''.<ref>https://www.tvguide.co.uk/schedule/94eac305-78c9-5c6b-8607-2c4cf73c3959/saturday-night-showdown-replay</ref> He also appeared as a guest on ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]'' where he defended the principle of free speech.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McLoughlin |first1=Bill |title=Kate Garraway forced to shut down GMB debate after comedian says women in burkas ‘do look like letterboxes’ |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/kate-garraway-gmb-debate-comedian-burkas-b979360.html |access-date=12 September 2023 |publisher=Evening Standard |date=28 January 2022}}</ref>
He is a co-host of the ''3 Speech'' podcast with fellow comedians Darius Davies and Nico Yearwood.<ref>{{cite web |title=3 Speech Podcast |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/3-speech-podcast/id1559534597 |website=Apple Podcasts |access-date=13 September 2023}}</ref>
Kearse has written opinion pieces for ''[[The New Zealand Herald]]'', ''[[The Independent]]'' and ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' newspapers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-05-30|title=Nine reasons I'm voting Tory even though I'm Scottish|url=https://inews.co.uk/opinion/nine-reasons-im-voting-tory-even-though-im-scottish-i-can-make-tory-68625|access-date=2021-03-12|website=inews.co.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kearse |first1=Leo |title=Lounge Check: The Virgin lounge at Perth airport |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/lounge-check-the-virgin-lounge-at-perth-airport/QYBJKXKTL6OJI73NX3C3S2HB5Q/?c_id=7&objectid=12211669 |access-date=13 September 2023 |publisher=New Zealand Herald |date=11 March 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.leokearse.com/ Official website] *{{IMDb name|10212849}} * {{British Comedy Guide|people|leo_kearse}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kearse, Leo}} [[Category:Scottish stand-up comedians]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1976 births]] [[Category:GB News people]] [[Category:Scottish comedy writers]] [[Category:Scottish television presenters]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Stirling]] [[Category:People from Dumfries and Galloway]] [[Category:Scottish podcasters]] [[Category:Scottish male comedians]] [[Category:21st-century Scottish comedians]] [[Category:British free speech activists]] [[Category:Scottish YouTubers]] [[Category:Reclaim Party politicians]]