'She will be remembered for her outspoken comedy... but mostly for just being Janey'

Janey Godley died this morning at the age of 63.

The news comes just over a month after the comedian entered end-of-life care after exhausting all treatment for the cancer she had been living with since 2021.

Her agents, Chris Davis Management, announced the news this morning in a statement, referring to the honorary doctorate she received from the University Of Glasgow this week.

It said: ‘It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our client Doctor Janey Godley on 2nd November. 

‘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". 

Her daughter Ashley Storrie –  the stand-up behind the BBC Three series Dinosaur – also put out an emotional video on social media, just hours after her mother’s death.

In it she said: ‘Hello, friends. My mum, Janey Godley, died this morning at about seven. 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 of the staff at the Prince and Princess of Wales hospice, and a big thank you to mum's found family who were around her throughout these last horrible days. ‘

Storrie said those friends and family made ‘a very, very scary moment peaceful, and a nice transition’.

And she thanked fans and supporters ‘for all of your kindness and your support. I believe, in my heart of hearts, that she felt every bit of love you sent to her, and I think it kept her going.

‘I think genuinely, we got her longer because of all of the support and the love in the world. 

‘But that's it. It's over now. So thank you once again, and bye, ma.

‘Frank. Get the door.’

The last line is a  catchphrase Godley coined while making satirical voiceovers of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon during Covid.

Earlier this morning Janey passed away in her sleep. Her family were with her.
The love and support from all her friends and fans during this cancer journey brought her enormous joy. It has also been a huge comfort to us, her family and close friends, thank you. pic.twitter.com/r6cpoGjuR4

— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) November 2, 2024

The comedian was born Jane Godley Currie January 20, 1961 and raised in the poverty in the East End of Glasgow, leaving school, Eastbank Academy, at 16 with no qualifications. Her parents Annie and Jim Currie  were alcoholics and her mother was also addicted to tranquilisers.

Godley and her sister were sexually abused by their maternal uncle, David Percy, who was jailed for two years for the crumes in 1996.

She married Sean Storrie – who has  Asperger syndrome and was born into a gangster family –  in 1980 when she was just 19.  Together they ran a pub in Calton, Glasgow  for 14 years during the 1980s and 1990s –  a venue where Jerry Sadowitz made some of his first comedy peformances.

In 1982, when Godley was 21, her mother drowned in the Clyde. Godley believes she was murdered by her violent boyfriend, although he was never charged. It was not the only tragedy the family faced, as on December 31, 2010, Janey's brother Mij died from a drug-related illness.

She wrote about her troubled background in her 2005 memoir Handstands In The Dark, while another autobiography released earlier this year – Janey: The Woman That Won't Shut Up – covered her more recent life and cancer diagnosis.

She took up stand-up in 1994, adopting the stage name Godley and has quickly established herself on the circuit, playing  everywhere from the Glastonbury Festival to inmates at Scottish prisons, and was a regular at the Edinburgh Fringe an New Zealand Comedy Festival . 

 Godley became known on social media – especially after she was pictured standing outside Donald Trump's Turnberry Golf resort holding a sign stating ‘Trump is a Cunt’ in 2016.

Also going viral were the videos she made during lockdown revoicing Sturgeon's daily Covid briefings. 

It led to her becoming the voice of a public health campaign, but her involvement with the Scottish government prompted to critics delving into her Twitter past and unearthing messages Godley acknowledged used 'offensive, hurtful language', for which she apologised.

In 2023, Godley won the first Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award, given out but the city's comedy festival. The Big Yin called  her 'a worthy winner. A worthy comedian' adding  'She's a great girl, a great comedian and  [with] an extraordinary life story to dwell on.'

Godley initially shared her ovarian cancer diagnosis in November 2021, and a year later announced on Twitter that she had been given the all-clear. However, a subsequent scan showed signs of cancer in her abdomen.

» Politicians and comedians pay tribute to Janey Godley

Published: 2 Nov 2024