Susan Calman

{{Infobox person

| name = Susan Calman

| image = Susan Calman LGBT rights.jpg

| caption = Calman outside the Russian Consulate in Edinburgh in 2013

| alt = Calman smiling, microphone in hand

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|11|6|df=y}}{{Cite web |date=2023-10-02 |title=Susan Calman: Who is the Scottish Comedian? What has she been in? Is she married? |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/who-is-susan-calman-explained-4355777 |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=The Scotsman |language=en}}

| birth_name = Susan Grace Calman

| birth_place =

| education = University of Glasgow (LLB)

| occupation = Stand-up comedian, television presenter

| television = {{Plainlist |

Extreme School (2013–2014)
All Over the Place (2014; 2016–present)
Top Class (2016–2020)
The Boss (2017–2018){{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/new-daytime-commissions |title=Dan McGolpin welcomes Susan Calman to BBC Daytime as new commissions for 2017 announced |date=20 January 2017 |website=BBC Media Centre |access-date=29 October 2017}}
Armchair Detectives (2017–2018)
Hogmanay Live (2019–2020){{Cite web|url=http://bbc.com/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/hogmanay/|title=Join Susan Calman, Des Clarke and Amy Irons for Hogmanay 2019|website=bbc.com}}
Great British Menu (2020)

}}

Susan Grace Calman (born 6 November 1974) is a Scottish comedian, television presenter and writer.

She has written and starred in two series of her radio sitcom Sisters, two series of stand-up show Susan Calman is Convicted and a series of stand-up show Keep Calman Carry On, all on BBC Radio 4. She was one of the relief presenters for Fred MacAulay on his BBC Radio Scotland show MacAulay and Co which ran until March 2015.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00x0xqz |title=MacAulay and Co: Susan Calman sits in |date=4 January 2011 |work=BBC Radio Scotland |access-date=18 April 2011}}

Other television work includes playing ‘Miss Adventure’ in the second season of the CBBC show School of Silence. She has also presented the CBBC programme Extreme School{{cite web |url=http://www.suchsmallportions.com/news/susan-calman-present-cbbcs-extreme-schools?page=2 |title=Susan Calman to present CBBC's Extreme Schools |first=Tim |last=Clark |date=11 December 2012 |website=Such Small Portions |access-date=17 April 2014}} and providing the comic voiceover on the CBBC series Disaster Chefs. She is a team captain on the BBC Northern Ireland comedy panel show Bad Language,{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06yn1sg |title=Bad Language |date=January 2016 |website=BBC One |access-date=29 October 2017}} and has been a panellist on a number of BBC Radio 4 shows including The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

She has presented the children's game show Top Class on CBBC, quiz show The Lie on STV, and the BBC One shows The Boss and Armchair Detectives. In 2017 Calman was a contestant on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing alongside professional dancer Kevin Clifton, finishing in 7th place. In 2020, she presented the BBC Two cookery challenge show Great British Menu, before being replaced by Andi Oliver in 2021.

Education and legal career

Calman was educated at the High School of Glasgow, a fee-paying independent school,{{cite web |url=http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/so-would-you-heckle-a-lawyer-1-1128535 |title=So would you heckle a lawyer? |date=1 August 2006 |work=The Scotsman |access-date=17 April 2014 }} and then studied law at the University of Glasgow, winning a Judge Brennan scholarship and a three-month stint in North Carolina working with criminals on death row.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/susan-calman-the-lawyer-who-became-our-pint-sized-new-comic-pin-up-02x036xsw2p |title=Susan Calman: the lawyer who became our pint-sized new comic pin-up |first=Gillian |last=Bowditch |date=26 July 2009 |work=The Times |access-date=18 April 2011}} During her seven-year career in corporate law, she gradually became dissatisfied with working as a specialist in freedom of information and data protection and developed her stand-up comedy in the evenings, eventually giving up her job with Dundas & Wilson to develop her career in comedy.

Calman was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Glasgow in 2018; she was honoured for her work in broadcasting and comedy, as well as campaigning on issues related to LGBT rights and mental health.{{cite news |url=https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2018/06/13/news/strictly-star-susan-calman-collects-honorary-degree-from-glasgow-university-1355204/ |title=Strictly star Susan Calman collects honorary degree from Glasgow University |date=13 June 2018 |newspaper=The Irish News |access-date=3 September 2019}}

Comedy and television career

Calman reached the semi-finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards in 2005 and was a finalist in the Funny Women competition in 2006. The Channel 4 sketch show Blowout won a Scottish BAFTA in 2007, with Calman amongst the cast. In 2009, she won Best New Scottish Comedian at the Real Radio Variety Awards.

Between 2011 and 2013, Calman played therapist Nadine in the comedy Fresh Meat. Her debut Radio 4 solo series, Susan Calman is Convicted won the 2013 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards for 'Best Radio Comedy'. She also featured in the 2012 sitcom Dead Boss for BBC Three.

In 2013, Calman wrote about receiving online abuse after joking about the Scottish independence referendum on the Radio 4 satirical comedy programme The News Quiz, including accusations of betraying her country, and of being "racist" towards other Scots.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/may/07/susan-calman-scottish-independence |title=Susan Calman finds that Scottish independence is no joke |last=Logan |first=Brian |date=7 May 2013 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=3 September 2019}}{{cite news |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/susan-calman-death-threats-for-independence-satire-1-2914670 |title=Susan Calman: Death threats for independence satire |last=Peterkin |first=Tom |date=2 May 2013 |newspaper=The Scotsman |access-date=3 September 2019}}

Since 2014, Calman has been a regular panellist on the CBBC panel show The Dog Ate My Homework, and has appeared in 10 episodes of the show. In July 2014, Calman appeared in the BBC Scotland one-off stand-up/sketch show Don't Drop the Baton, which featured sketches about the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and narrated the BBC Three dating show Sexy Beasts. She is a frequent guest panellist on BBC Two's QI and on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz.

In September 2017, she became the presenter of the BBC One daytime quiz show The Boss. Calman also presented Armchair Detectives, a BBC One daytime show first broadcast in November 2017.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/susan-calman-to-present-new-show-armchair-detectives-36123176.html |title=Susan Calman to present new show Armchair Detectives |first=Julia |last=Hunt |date=11 September 2017 |newspaper=Irish Independent |access-date=29 October 2017}} In December 2017 Calman was voted TV Star of the Year by readers of the Radio Times.{{cite news |url=https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/susan-calman-named-tv-star-year/ |title=Susan Calman named TV star of the year |date=29 December 2017 |newspaper=The Sunday Post |access-date=29 December 2017}}

Calman has fronted the Channel 5 travel show Secret Scotland since February 2019.{{cite web |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2018/05/15/39956/susan_calman_joins_channel_5 |title=Susan Calman joins Channel 5 |date=15 May 2018 |website=Chortle |access-date=3 September 2019}}{{cite news |url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/17417337.tonights-tv-secret-scotland-and-humpback-whales-a-detective-story/ |title=Tonight's TV: Secret Scotland and Humpback Whales: A Detective Story |date=8 February 2019 |newspaper=The National |access-date=3 September 2019}}

In 2018, Calman's podcast Mrs Brightside - A cheerful look at depression was first broadcast on BBC Sounds.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0683q6p/episodes/downloads|title=BBC Sounds - Susan Calman's Mrs Brightside - Downloads|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-23}}

On 1 October 2019, Calman was announced as the new presenter for series 15 of Great British Menu on BBC Two.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2019/great-british-menu-sc|title=BBC - Susan Calman to present BBC Two's Great British Menu - Media Centre|website=www.bbc.co.uk|access-date=2019-11-23}} Filming took place in Stratford-upon-Avon and was completed in November 2019. The show was to be broadcast in spring 2020.

Her 2019 show Susan Calman Makes Me Happy premiered on BBC Radio 4 on 20 November 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bkf7|title=BBC Radio 4 - Susan Calman Makes Me Happy, Episode 1|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-23}} The show also featured her wife, Lee.

Since 2020, Susan Calman has been the 'face of' Bank of Scotland starring in multiple adverts.{{Cite web |date=2020-09-19 |title=TV REVIEW: Secret Scotland with Susan Calman. Did it float your canal boat? |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18731872.secret-scotland-susan-calman-series-three-episode-one/ |access-date=2024-02-23 |website=The Herald |language=en}}

Writing

In May 2016, Calman published her first book, entitled Cheer Up Love: Adventures in depression with the Crab of Hate. Her second book Sunny Side Up: a story of kindness and joy followed in September 2018. A lifelong fan of Doctor Who, Calman was a contributor to the YA anthology The Day She Saved the Doctor: Four Stories from the TARDIS, published in March 2018. The title of Calman's story is Clara & The Maze of Cui Palta.{{Cite web|url=https://www.susancalman.com/books/|title=Susan Calman – Comedian, Actress and Writer - Books|website=Susan Calman – Comedian, Actress and Writer|language=en|access-date=2019-11-23}}

''Strictly Come Dancing''

On 15{{nbsp}}August 2017, Calman was announced as the ninth contestant on series 15 of Strictly Come Dancing.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-40910799 |title=Strictly 2017: The line-up in full |date=22 August 2017 |website=BBC News |access-date=29 October 2017}} She was partnered with professional dancer Kevin Clifton.{{Cite news |url=http://metro.co.uk/2017/09/09/strictly-come-dancing-2017-susan-calman-cries-after-being-partnered-with-kevin-clifton-6915569/ |title=Strictly 2017: Susan Calman cries after being partnered with Kevin Clifton |date=9 September 2017 |newspaper=Metro |access-date=24 October 2017 |language=en-GB}} They were the ninth pair to be eliminated, in week 10 of the competition. In a 2018 interview, Calman said she felt happiest "dancing with Kevin Clifton on Strictly."{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/nov/24/susan-calman-when-was-i-happiest-dancing-with-kevin-clifton-on-strictly|title=Susan Calman: 'When was I happiest? Dancing with Kevin Clifton on Strictly'|last=Greenstreet|first=Rosanna|date=2018-11-24|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-11-23|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}

Calman was criticised for not insisting on a same-sex dance partner for Strictly Come Dancing, but she rejected the comments as being unfair, saying: "No one is holding me hostage in this room, making me wear a dress and dance with a man. I want to learn how to dance... I have protested, I have picketed, I have fought, I have been spat on, I have been punched — and I want to dance."{{cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/who-is-susan-calman-strictly-11170720 |title=Who is Susan Calman? Scottish comedian who got caught up in Strictly same-sex dance partner row |first=Jessica |last=Gibb |date=15 October 2017 |work=Daily Mirror |access-date=15 October 2017}}

Personal life

Calman is the daughter of Ann Wilkie, a former primary school deputy head, and Sir Kenneth Calman, an oncologist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000bkf7|title=Susan Calman Makes Me Happy - Episode 1 - BBC Sounds|website=www.bbc.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-23}} Her father was chancellor of the University of Glasgow and former chief medical officer for Scotland, then England and Wales.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-9920 |title=Calman, Sir Kenneth (Charles), (born 25 Dec. 1941) |website=Who's Who |language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u9920 |isbn=978-0-19-954088-4 |access-date=31 January 2019}} She has an older brother and sister.

Calman came out as a lesbian in 1993 at the age of 19, and has spoken of her difficulties growing up gay in Glasgow. "It wasn't easy, not at all. Glasgow is a lovely city, but when I was growing up there was one lesbian bar, and there was a club for men, but there was no internet, there was no way of finding out [about other people]."{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2012/mar/03/susan-calman-saturday-interview

|title=Saturday interview: comedian Susan Calman |first=Emine |last=Saner |date=3 March 2012 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=3 September 2019}} The Times commented in 2009 that Calman's "status as a diminutive lesbian — she is 4ft 11in — gives a certain grist to her mill but, her Hobbit-like stature aside, what strikes you about her is her chirpy, optimistic level-headedness."

After nine years together, Calman and her partner Lee, who is also a lawyer, had a civil partnership ceremony in 2012. They married in 2016.{{cite AV media |title=The One Show, 26 October 2016 |work=The One Show |date=26 October 2016 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07z8490/the-one-show-26102016 }} They keep cats, and in 2018 had five.{{cite news

|url=https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/culture/edinburgh-festivals/interview-susan-calman-on-her-edinburgh-festival-talk-show-fringe-benefits-1-4786035 |title=Interview: Susan Calman on her Edinburgh Festival talk show Fringe Benefits |first=Janet |last=Christie |date=18 August 2018 |newspaper=The Scotsman |access-date=3 September 2019}} They live in Glasgow.

Calman says she was "desperately unhappy" as a teenager, and self-harmed and attempted suicide at 16.{{Cite web|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/14-susan-calman-your-psychiatric-ward-or-mine-part-two/id1144479729?i=1000378142890|title=Made Of Human with Sofie Hagen: 14. Susan Calman - Your psychiatric ward or mine? (PART TWO) on Apple Podcasts|website=Apple Podcasts|language=en-gb|access-date=2019-11-23}} She has openly discussed her experience with depression in interviews and in her books.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45257981|title=Why Susan Calman keeps a punchbag in her garage|date=29 August 2018|website=bbc.co.uk|access-date=23 November 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.madeofhumanpodcast.com/new-blog/2017/11/8/susancalmanpartone|title=Episode 13- Susan Calman (Part One)|website=Made of Human Podcast|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-23}}

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable"

style="background:#b0c4de; text-align:center;"

! Year

! Title

! Role

! Channel

! Notes

2010

|How Not to Live Your Life

| Margaret

|BBC Three

|Series 3 - Don the Musical

rowspan="2" | 2011

|Dani's House

| Sandwich Lady

| CBBC

Rab C. Nesbitt

| Irene Cordish

| BBC Two

2011–2013

|Fresh Meat

| Nadine

| Channel 4

|Two episodes

2012

| Dead Boss

| Fatty

| BBC Three

2013

| School of Silence

| Miss Adventure

| CBBC

| Season 2

2013

| 8 Out of 10 Cats

| Guest

| Channel 4

2013–2014

| Extreme School

| Presenter

| CBBC

rowspan="2" | 2014

| Don't Drop the Baton

| BBC Scotland

Sexy Beasts

| Narrator

| BBC Three

2014–2015

| The Lie

| Presenter

| TV3, STV, S4C

2014, 2016–2017

| All Over the Place

| Co-presenter

| CBBC

rowspan="2" | 2016

| Tracey Ullman's Show

| Romana

| BBC One

Bad Language

| Team captain

| BBC Northern Ireland

2016–2020

| Top Class

| Presenter

| CBBC

rowspan="2" | 2017

| Strictly Come Dancing

| Contestant

| Series 15

Armchair Detectives{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/news/2774/susan_calman_armchair_detectives/ |title=Susan Calman to host BBC game show Armchair Detectives |date=12 September 2017 |website=British Comedy Guide |access-date=29 October 2017}}

| Presenter

2017–2018

| The Boss

| Presenter

|BBC One

rowspan="2" | 2018

| Before They Were Stars

| Presenter

| Channel 5

| Replaced Dale Winton following his death in April 2018.

Home from Home

| Lorraine Sykes

| BBC One

2018–present

|Undercover Girlfriends

|Narrator

|Channel 5

2019

| Hogmanay Live

| Presenter

| BBC Scotland
BBC One Scotland

2019–present

| Secret Scotland

| Presenter

|Channel 5

2020

| Great British Menu

| Presenter

| BBC Two

2021

| Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman

| Presenter

| Channel 5

| Two Christmas specials{{cite web|url=https://www.teleboy.ch/en/tv-guide/five/20823213/christmas-cruising-with-susan-calman|title=Christmas Cruising with Susan Calman|website=teleboy.ch|access-date=9 December 2021}}

rowspan="2" | 2021–present

| Susan Calman’s Grand Day Out

| Presenter

| Channel 5

Susan Calman's Grand Week by the Sea

| Presenter

| Channel 5

| Second five-part series airing in August 2022{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-wkyful/susan-calmans-grand-week-by-the-sea-season-2/?episode=b-acui4k|title=Susan Calman's Grand Week by the Sea|website=radiotimes.com|access-date=27 July 2021}}

rowspan="2" |2022

| Big Antique Adventure with Susan Calman

| Presenter

| Channel 5

| Five-part series{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-mn4k4k/big-antique-adventure-with-susan-calman/|title=Big Antique Adventure with Susan Calman|website=radiotimes.com|access-date=24 May 2022}}

Cruising the Canary Islands with Susan Calman

| Presenter

| Channel 5

| {{cite web|url=https://www.channel5.com/show/cruising-the-canary-islands-with-susan-calman|title=Cruising the Canary Islands with Susan Calman |website=channel5.com|access-date=10 September 2022}}

2022–present

| Cruising with Susan Calman

| Presenter

| Channel 5

2024

| Great British Cities with Susan Calman

| Presenter

| Channel 5

| Six-part series{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-y7mwf6/great-british-cities-with-susan-calman-season-1/?episode=b-wh3kxz|title=Great British Cities with Susan Calman|website=radiotimes.com|access-date=4 March 2024}}

Stand-up DVD releases

2015 – Lady Like (Go Faster Stripe)

Books

2016 – Cheer Up Love: Adventures in Depression with the Crab of Hate, Published by Two Roads ({{ISBN|978-1473632004}})
2018 – Doctor Who: The Day She Saved The Doctor, Published by BBC Children's Books{{cite web |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2017/12/13/38670/susan_calman_writes_a_doctor_who_story |title=Susan Calman writes a Doctor Who story |date=13 December 2017 |website=Chortle |access-date=29 December 2017}}
2018 – Sunny Side Up: a story of kindness and joy, published by Hachette UK ({{ISBN|9781473663893}})