Alison Spittle
{{Short description|Irish comedian, writer and actor}}
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{{Infobox comedian
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| alt = A close up photo of a white woman wearing a multicoloured floral headband, a multicoloured floral garland, and rectangular glasses. She is laughing. She has long hair, and through the hair, you can see a glimpse of her dangly earrings. The photo was taken on a sunny day. There are many people in the background walking, with rainbow coloured flags and banners.
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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|14 June 1989}}
| birth_place = Harrow, London, United Kingdom
| nationality = Irish
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|image=Alison Spittle & Mary Lou McDonald TD (43149529721) (cropped) - Alison Spittle.jpg}}
Alison Spittle (born 14 June 1989) is an Irish comedian, comedy writer, radio producer and actor.{{cite news |url-status= dead |archive-date=4 October 2011 |date=9 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004001427/http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/news/people/articles/2011/09/09/4006468-i-dont-want-9-to-5/ |title='I don't want 9 to 5!' |work=Westmeath Examiner |url=http://www.westmeathexaminer.ie:80/news/people/articles/2011/09/09/4006468-i-dont-want-9-to-5/ |accessdate=29 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }} She has worked for iRadio, RTÉ Radio 1 and Newstalk and created sketches for Republic of Telly and has written and starred in her RTÉ Two sit-com Nowhere Fast in 2017. She is the host and creator of the Alison Spittle Show podcast hosted by HeadStuff Podcast Network.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.independent.ie/life/the-loves-of-my-life-comedian-alison-spittle-35352247.html |magazine=Life |title=The loves of my life: Comedian Alison Spittle |date=16 January 2017 |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{cite news |newspaper=The Irish Times |first=Erin |last=McGuire |date=1 February 2016 |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/sharon-horgan-the-divorce-industry-feeds-off-people-at-the-worst-time-of-their-lives-1.2516799 |title=Sharon Horgan: The divorce industry feeds off people at the worst time of their lives |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{Subscription required}}{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407141249/http://www.broadsheet.ie/2016/04/07/the-alison-spittle-show/ |url=http://www.broadsheet.ie/2016/04/07/the-alison-spittle-show/ |author=Bodger |date=7 April 2016 |website=Broadsheet.ie |archive-date=7 April 2016 |title=The Alison Spittle Show |url-status=live |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{cite news |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/ireland-now-nine-of-the-best-irish-podcasts-1.3004035 |title=Ireland Now: nine of the best Irish podcasts There has never been a better time to tune in to this growing community of talented people |date=16 March 2017 |first=Sarah Maria |last=Griffin |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{Subscription required}}
Early life
Spittle was born in Harrow, London. Spittle's father was a builder. The family moved frequently, including to Dresden, Germany, before moving to Spittle's mother's ancestral home of County Westmeath, Tyrrellspass, Mullingar and finally Ballymore at age eight. She attended secondary school in Moate.
Career
Graduating from college in Dublin, Spittle moved back to Westmeath where she worked as a researcher for iRadio with comedian Bernard O'Shea. She began working in comedy, supporting PJ Gallagher. This led to her participation in So You Think You're Funny's Irish heats, qualifying for rounds in Edinburgh. She got a guest spot on the "Happy Hour" section of the John Murray Show RTÉ Radio 1 from this success.
Her comedy shows have included Alison Spittle Needs an Agent, Alison Spittle Discovers Hawaii (2015), and Worrier Princess (2017).{{cite news |newspaper=The Irish Times |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/alison-spittle-i-just-tried-stand-up-like-you-would-try-abseiling-1.2592097 |title=Alison Spittle: 'I just tried stand-up like you would try abseiling' |date=4 April 2016 |first=Aoife |last=Valentine |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{Subscription required}} She has performed at the Edinburgh and Dublin fringe festivals, as well as The Forbidden Fruit and Cork Comedy festivals.{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/you-can-get-on-with-him-and-you-can-be-shocked-with-what-he-said-comedian-alison-spittle-on-george-hook-36303700.html |work=Evening Herald |title='You can get on with him and you can be shocked with what he said' – Comedian Alison Spittle on George Hook |first=Sean |last=O'Grady |date=9 November 2017 |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{cite web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911034908/http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/how-alison-spittle-deals-with-her-anxiety-through-stand-up-comedy-458307.html |date=5 September 2017 |url=http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsfilmtv/how-alison-spittle-deals-with-her-anxiety-through-stand-up-comedy-458307.html |title=How Alison Spittle deals with her anxiety through stand-up comedy |first=Ellie |last=O'Byrne |archive-date=11 September 2017 |work=Irish Examiner |accessdate=29 November 2017}}
Spittle wrote and starred in web comedy shorts for RTÉ Two, and in sketches for Republic of Telly with Kevin McGahern.{{cite news |date=3 May 2013 |via=InfoTrac Newsstand |url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A328462368/GPS?sid=wikipedia |title=Crawl to the Front – Camden weekend takes centre stage |work=Irish Daily Mirror |page=2 |first=James |last=Ward |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{free access}}
She was a regular contributor to The Right Hook with George Hook on Newstalk.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/all-in-the-chemistry-as-irish-radio-hopes-for-sparks-1.2741562 |newspaper=The Irish Times |title=All in the chemistry as Irish radio hopes for sparks |date=2 August 2016 |first=Laura |last=Slattery |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{Subscription required}} She is also a regular and well-loved co-host of The Guilty Feminist podcast with Deborah Francis-White.
She appeared in the 2019 comedy film Extra Ordinary.
In 2020, she and fellow comedian Fern Brady started a podcast for the BBC called Wheel of Misfortune.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08m3z73|title=Wheel of Misfortune on BBC|website=bbc.co.uk|publisher=BBC}} Brady left the podcast in early 2021 and Spittle hosted the show with guests until Kerry Katona became permanent co-host in November 2022.{{cite web |title=Kerry Katona joins Wheel of Misfortune |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/other-news/2022/11/08/52048/kerry_katona_joins_wheel_of_misfortune |website=Chortle |access-date=8 November 2022}}
In November 2023, she appeared on game show Richard Osman's House of Games.{{fact|date=February 2025}}
=''Nowhere Fast''=
In 2017, she co-wrote six-part sitcom Nowhere Fast with her boyfriend Simon Mulholland.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/alison-spittle-if-you-re-friends-with-a-mad-bastard-that-s-your-cross-to-bear-1.3283179 |title=Alison Spittle: 'If you're friends with a mad bastard, that's your cross to bear' |date=11 November 2017 |first=Patrick |last=Freyne |newspaper=The Irish Times |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{Subscription required}} The series was directed by Simon Gibney. The show sees Angela (played by Spittle) moving back down to Ballybeag in the midlands, having lost her job on a radio show in Dublin following a high-profile libel case.{{cite web |accessdate=29 November 2017 |url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A514914951/GPS?sid=wikipedia |title=Platinum couple; |date=19 November 2017 |work=Sunday Times |page=56 |via=Academic OneFile}}{{Free access}} The series began in November 2017, and was generally well received by critics and viewers.{{cite web |url=https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/nowhere-fast-reaction-606430 |archive-date=14 November 2017 |date=13 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114021115/https://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/nowhere-fast-reaction-606430 |title=It seemed like everyone tuned in for RTÉ's new comedy Nowhere Fast, and everyone loved it |first=Rory |last=Cashin |website=Joe.ie |url-status=live |accessdate=29 November 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.dailyedge.ie/mary-alison-spittles-nowhere-fast-3695443-Nov2017/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114191233/http://www.dailyedge.ie/mary-alison-spittles-nowhere-fast-3695443-Nov2017/ |archive-date=14 November 2017 |title=Everyone fell in love with the outrageous Mary on Alison Spittle's Nowhere Fast last night |date=14 November 2017|accessdate=29 November 2017 |website=DailyEdge.ie}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/a/34492/alison_spittle/tour Profile on Chortle] including tour dates
- [https://www.headstuff.org/the-alison-spittle-show/ The Alison Spittle Show] podcast
- {{Twitter|AlisonSpittle}}
- {{Instagram|alisonspittle}}
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Category:Irish women comedians
Category:Irish stand-up comedians
Category:People from County Westmeath
Category:Irish television writers
Category:Irish women television writers
Category:Irish expatriates in England
Category:People from Harrow, London
Category:21st-century Irish comedians
Category:Irish women screenwriters
Category:21st-century Irish screenwriters