Jo Caulfield - 13.00

Jo Caulfield will talking about her book 'The Funny Thing About Death' which is about unexpected illness and death of her sister, Annie, from cancer. This session starts at 13.00.

Whether you’ve seen her on, ‘Have I got News for You’ ‘The John Bishop Show’ or Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow’. Heard her on ‘Just a Minute’ or ‘Breaking the News’ or caught her awarding winning Edinburgh Festival Shows, the chances are you are familiar with her work.

Described by The Observer as “one of the finest female comedians at work” and by The Scotsman as “quite simply, a damn funny woman” Jo can regularly be seen headlining the UK’s biggest and best comedy clubs. She is also in high demand on the corporate circuit, speaking at and hosting dinners and award ceremonies for many leading companies across the UK and beyond.

In 2018 she won the “SGFringe Stand-Up Comedy Award” and gained critical acclaim for her performance as Helena Brandt in the sell-out Fringe run of the play, Brexit.

In 2022 Jo was voted “The Comedians Comedian of The Year” – an award voted for by her peers and members of the comedy industry.

Behind the scenes Jo is a respected comedy writer, having served as a writer / programme consultant on all five series of Graham Norton’s BAFTA Award winning “So Graham Norton” and as head writer on both Ruby Wax’s “Waiting Game” and Zoe Ball’s “Strictly Dance Fever”. Jo has also written for – among others – Joan Rivers, Ant & Dec and Anne Robinson.

She has had several of her own shows on Radio 4: “It’s That Jo Caulfield Again”, “Jo Caulfield Won’t Shut Up”, “Jo Caulfield’s Speakeasy” and “The Jo Caulfield Stand-Up Special”.

Being a huge football fan Jo has appeared on both “Fighting Talk” (Radio 5) and “On The Ball” (Radio Scotland). She has appeared on BBC Scotland’s “Debate Night” and is a regular guest on Times Radio, giving her take on the news and political events.

How it all began….

Jo was born in Wales and raised in England, her parents are Irish and she now lives in Scotland. At the age of 17 she moved to London and spent two years living in a squat and playing drums in a rockabilly band. Given that she had a better sense of style than of rhythm, her music career was short-lived, but she looked great throughout. 

seriously she set about writing a proper set, getting gigs and started her own comedy club. 

Working her way though the ranks, Jo quickly made a name for herself on the circuit, landing bigger and better gigs as well as numerous writing projects. 

Jo moved to Edinburgh in 2013, having fallen in love with the city during her numerous Fringe Festival runs – she even chose “The History of Edinburgh” as her specialist subject when she appeared on “Celebrity Mastermind” in 2017. She didn’t win “Celebrity Mastermind” but she did win her week on “Richard Osman’s House of Games” in 2022.

Whilst working as a waitress Jo accompanied a friend to a comedy club open mic, and drunkenly decided that she could do just as well as those on stage, she promptly signed up for a spot and performed her first set. Unfortunately, whilst her alcohol fuelled bravado took care of any first night nerves; it did little to help her remember what she was talking about. Determined to take comedy