SHE’S danced in Strictly and appeared in dozens of TV shows but comedian Ellie Taylor revealed performing in Scotland still gives her the fear – but in a good way.
The 40-year-old actress, who starred in hit series Ted Lasso with Hannah Waddingham, said memories of her traumatic years doing stand-up at the Fringe means she gets nervous every time someone mentions Edinburgh.
But Ellie, who is about to embark on her first live stage tour in five years, admitted her love for the capital and Scottish audiences has ensured she keeps coming back.
The Plebs star, who will be performing in Edinburgh and Glasgow next May, said: “I haven’t been in Scotland for a while. I am very fond of Edinburgh despite having some scary Fringe experiences up there over the years.
“I have performed at the festival maybe five or six times it’s a hard hard graft and I’ve had some dramatic highs and traumatic lows – some shows I did went amazingly well while others were plain awful and I despaired.
“Despite the trauma I love Edinburgh too much not to perform there which is a testament to the city and its people. I would love to go back to the Fringe as a punter and watch funny things and drink cider.”
Ellie, whose new show Palavering will be at Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre on May 1 and Edinburgh’s EICC on May 2, added: “I’m so looking forward to my gigs next year. Scottish crowds are great fun and always up for it. Fringe audiences were fun too but when it’s a gig where people have paid money to come see you at least you know you have got at least half of the room on your side already and that makes a big difference.
“The new show is called Palavering which means talking unproductively and at length which is what I do naturally anyway. It’s been five years since I was on tour and I wanted to get out there and back to my comedy roots.
“A lot of things have happened since the last tour – I have doubled my number of children, I have turned 40, moved to the suburbs, done Strictly and bought an airfryer with two drawers. I have a lot to talk about.
“Stand-up is at the heart of everything I do and it will be great to be back. Yes, I will be nervous before every performance but I live for the adrenaline.”
The viral sensation whose sketch declaring that “women have told everyone to just f*ck off” has been watched more than 100 million times and shared by Jennifer Aniston and Madonna, said she is proud to be doing her bit for female comedy.
Ellie, who has a five-year-old daughter and 11 month old son with CNN journalist husband Phil Black, said: “There aren’t as many female comedians on the circuit so I like to think I am doing it for the girls. When you have kids it’s hard to tour but I’m lucky to have a very supportive husband.
“I want my kids to see I am a driven parent with a strong work ethic. I went back to work eight weeks after giving birth last year. Our son arrived early the day before I was supposed to be doing the Royal Variety Performance.”
Ellie, who made it to week ten on Strictly in 2022 with partner Johannes Radebe, admitted now that she has danced in front of the nation she has the confidence to do anything.”
The Plebs star said: “Strictly is a whole new level of nerves and if I can do that I can do anything. I did it and didn’t fall over or blank and I lasted 10 weeks. It put fire in my belly and reassured me I could do hard things.
“I got so much further than I imagined. I had put it in my diary up to week four. It does take over your life and if you have kids you have to factor yourself out.”
Ellie, who is from Brentford, Essex, admitted playing Sassie in hit TV series Ted Lasso with Jasaon Sedeikis was a dream come true. She said: “I had no idea it was going to be so big. The timing of the first series was perfect. It came out in lockdown and everyone was a bit bleak. It was so joyful, hopeful and uncynical that it got people’s attention. People fell in love wth the concept and that carried it through for three series. I’m so grateful to be part of something that is so beloved.
“Hannah Waddingham is great craic and everything you thought she would be. I met her and thought I am in love with that tall lady. She is wicked, an absolute dreamboat and I adored hanging out with her.”
She added: “Life for me at the moment is pretty great. I could do with some time to just sit and stare at a wall as 2024 has been mental. I’m constantly swimming and have to remember to pop my head up, breathe and enjoy the view.”
For tickets go to www.livenation.co.uk/artist-ellie-taylor-1238959.
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