Nicola Sturgeon leads tributes to 'force of nature' Janey Godley

Nicola Sturgeon has led tributes to Scottish comedian Janey Godley, who shot to fame with video voiceover spoofs of the former First Minister during lockdown. 

Godley died of cancer in the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow at around 7am on Saturday morning (November 2) after a well-publicised battle with the disease. 

Ms Sturgeon, who Godley parodied during the pandemic, paid tribute to her 'friend' on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing: 'Knowing for the past few weeks that this moment was fast approaching didn't make it any less heartbreaking to hear the news early this morning that Janey had died.

'Janey Godley truly was a force of nature, and one of the funniest people I have ever known. 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. A bond was forged between us in the darkest days of Covid when her famous voiceovers of my daily briefings went viral. 

'In the toughest of times, she made people laugh - and that was precious. She did more that that though. In managing to project the serious public health messages of my briefings to a much wider audience than I would have managed alone, she helped save lives. 

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'I was so proud to call Janey a friend and will miss her hugely. My heart goes out to her family and many friends - they are in my thoughts today. I know Frank will have been there, holding the door for her as she went - with a tear in his eye, as I have in mine. RIP my friend.' 

Current Scottish First Minister John Swinney also paid tribute, writing on X: 'Very sorry to hear of the death of Janey Godley.

'She brought joy and laughter on many occasions when we needed it most. My condolences to her family. May she Rest in Peace.'

Former first minister Humza Yousaf added: 'I am gutted to hear of Janey's passing. She was as wonderfully warm as she was funny.

'Someone who just loved making people laugh, and as fiercely proud a Glaswegian and Scot as you could find. Our world has lost some of its light this morning. My thoughts with Janey's family.'

Rev Richard Coles also wrote a heartfelt tribute, saying: 'I loved Janey Godley. She made me laugh every day, she loved a sausage, and no one has ever given a more comprehensive assessment of the personal qualities of the 45th President of the United States. #RIPJaney, and condolences to her family and friends'. 

And Nigella Lawson wrote: 'So hard to think of that great force and bright energy no longer in the world. My huge love to Ashley and family in their pain and loss'. 

Fellow comedian Dara Ó Briain added: 'Ah, poor Janey Godley. She was a force of nature, she lived the hell out of life, and she will be sorely missed. Love to her family and friends'. 

And Gyles Brandreth shared an image of himself with Godley with the caption: 'Janey Godley - an unlikely friend but a real one. A lovely funny daring & delightful person - who rose to life's challenges in magnificent style. She was very special - she showed us how to live & taught us how to die, with courage & kindness & laughter'. 

The Scottish comedian's management company confirmed she died 'surrounded by her loved ones' on Saturday. 

In a statement, Chris Davis Management said: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our client doctor Janey Godley on November 2.

'Janey died peacefully in the wonderful Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow surrounded by her loved ones. She will be hugely missed by her family, friends and her many fans.

'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.'

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, her daughter Ashley Storrie shared a heartfelt video telling fans of her mother's passing. 

In the video, she says: 'My mum Janey Godley died this morning at about 7. She was with friends and family and 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 and a big thank you to mum's found family who were around her through these last horrible days. 

'I want to thank all of you for your kindness and your support. I believe in my heart of hearts that she felt every bit of love you sent to her. I think it kept her going. We got her longer because of all the support and love'. 

She ended the video with a tearful sign off of 'bye ma'. 

Julia McKenzie, Radio 4 comedy commissioning editor, also paid tribute, saying: 'Janey was a brilliant storyteller who embodied the stoic nature of Glasgow, offering audiences a very honest window into how she processed sometimes traumatic and sometimes hilarious stories from her life.

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'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.

'She has inspired many - not least all of us at BBC Radio 4 - with her instinct to always make people laugh in the face of darkness, bringing both dignity and empowerment to those different aspects of herself.

'Janey was entering a new exciting phase of her career, and she has gone too soon. But what a life.'

Fans also flocked to social media to pay tribute. 

One person wrote: 'So thankful [Godley] had a peaceful passing. She was an amazing lady who gave us all so much laughter [and] joy. She received that back in spades [and] rightly so'. 

Another added: 'Janey was a truly remarkable human. The world echoes with the warmth laughter she gifted us, may she rest peacefully'.

And another wrote: 'Janey Godley made me see that I can have contrary views to someone but still respect and admire them. Rest peacefully Janey. I wish strength for your loved ones'. 

Godley was admitted to the hospice in September after her cancer returned. She revealed she had ovarian cancer in November 2021, but was given the all clear in 2022. 

But, another scan showed signs of the disease in her abdomen and her gigs were cancelled in September, shortly before she was admitted to hospital to treat sepsis. 

She revealed in September that she would be getting palliative care for ovarian cancer and going into a hospice in a video shared to social media. 

In the video, she said: 'The chemo ran out of options and I just couldn't take any more of it and the cancer has spread.

'So it looks like this will be getting to near the end of it and it's really difficult to speak about this and say to people.'

Godley had recently been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Glasgow.

Her daughter shared on Instagram a photo of her mother lying in bed holding the certificate. The post was also shared on Godley's own account on X. 

Ashley wrote on October 31: 'Thank you @uofglasgow for bestowing upon my mum honorary degree of Doctor of the University of Glasgow.

'This has brought her so much joy in the final beats of her life. Janey is so honoured, and I am so immensely proud of her. I am always proud of her.

'Congratulations Doctor Godley.. Thank you for all your kindness and support to our family in this very difficult time.'

Godley, born the youngest of four and in poverty in Glasgow in 1961, took up stand-up comedy in 1994 and went on to become a regular co-presenter on BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends, as well as fronting BBC Radio 4 series The C Bomb.

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She has also appeared on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You. 

In her final episode in The C Bomb series, which ended in March, Godley candidly reflected on her life. 

'I have had strangest of times and the best of times and the worst of times. But the most important thing is, I've had time.' 

The comedian was photographed at Turnberry golf resort in Ayrshire, on Scotland's West Coast, with her infamous 'unwelcome' sign for the course's owner Donald Trump in June 2016 - bearing the message: 'Trump is a c**t.'

She faced controversy in 2021 after Scottish Government coronavirus adverts in which she featured were pulled after offensive tweets by her in the past came to light following an investigation by the Daily Beast website.

Godley profusely apologised for the tweets and donated the £12,000 fee she was paid to charity.

Last year she became the winner of the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

Many of her jokes were about her childhood, making light of her parents' addictions to alcohol and the difficulties that they came with. 

Godley, who has been married to her husband Sean Storrie for 44 years with whom she previously ran a pub before launching her stand up career, spoke publicly in early October about how the 'worst part' of her ordeal was having to tell her autistic daughter Ashley, 38, that she had cancer.

The comedian told the Times: 'She has always been a catastrophiser - telling her was like throwing a hand grenade.

'I tell Ashley that she is likely to feel a sense of relief once it's finally done and I'm dead: no more chemo, no more hair loss, no more vomiting, no more worry. And she was just, like, 'Ah, f***, I've been waiting for that to happen for ages already!''

Talking to MailOnline in January this year, Godley told of feeling comforted that her husband and daughter would be financially secure after her death.

She said: 'I worked hard. I have a great daughter. I've got a marriage that's lasted 43 year. I'm proud of the fact that despite all the s***e that was flung at me I managed to make my family financially secure which was very important to me.

'[It's because] I came from such poverty. It's very important that my daughter will never have to worry about the electricity bill or being evicted or the rent not being paid.

'She will never have to worry about her dinner. Level six has been achieved so I can leave the game.'