“Has anyone here been sectioned?” TV presenter Gail Porter jokily asks her audience. Famed for her vibrancy as well as mental health struggles, she has turned to comedy to take control of her own story.
Comedy is a new venture for Gail. She has just concluded a run of her one-woman show Hung, Drawn and Portered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The show documents her life experiences and appears to be liberating.
“If I’ve got a problem, I like to share it – whether it’s homelessness or losing my hair,” “I’ve been in a psychiatric unit and I just think ‘you know what? I’ll just tell you. What’s the worst that could happen?'”
She got the taste for comedy last year after she teamed up with stand-ups John Bishop and Tony Pitts for their Fringe show, Three Little Words.
“We just did not stop laughing,” she says. The duo made a throwaway comment that she should write her own show – so she did.
As a lively 25-year-old in the 1990s she hosted TV programmes including Fully Booked, Top Of The Pops and Wish You Were Here.
But her pathway began to change tack in 1999 when she posed naked for FHM magazine. She was assured the image wouldn’t go anywhere, but instead it was projected onto the Houses of Parliament, standing 18m (60ft) high. The first she knew of it was when she heard her name mentioned on the news.
In 2005 she also developed alopecia and her TV career practically ended overnight.
“It was so quick,” she says. “I had long blonde hair, and then four weeks later I was completely bald. People didn’t want to go near me for television or anything because I looked different”. She decided early on that wearing a wig wasn’t for her. “My head’s quite a good shape and I’m quite clumsy and I thought I’m the sort of person that would probably take my wig off in a bar, scratch my head, put it back on, and then everyone in the bar would be traumatized.
But it has also provided her with a wealth of amusing material.
Gail’s career has been a rollercoaster and at the moment she’s enjoying a rising profile thanks to the comedy.
Limited Meet and Greet Tickets available!
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Fife, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Fife? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Known for their powerful vocals, rich harmonies, and fresh arrangements, Onóir is putting a new spin on traditional Irish music. Catch them when they play the Adam Smith Theatre on 19th September!
READ MOREMan's Best Friend is Douglas Maxwell's hilariously heart-warming story about the give-and-take of companionship, don't miss it at the Adam Smith Theatre on 20th September!
READ MOREThe National Theatre's Inter Alia, a searing examination of modern masculinity and motherhood, will be screened at the Adam Smith Theatre on 25th September.
READ MOREAfter last year's successful tour, Crown Ballet returns this year to the UK to enchant you with the delightful production of Swan Lake!
READ MOREComedy hypnotist Acari brings his brand-new show to The Adam Smith Theatre on Saturday 5th October.
READ MOREMark Thompson's Spectacular Science Show is coming to the Adam Smith Theatre! If you think science is boring, think again... this is science like you have never seen it before!
READ MOREDon’t miss the all-new Gallus – the latest comedy show from Connor Burns, Scotland’s breakout international stand-up sensation, at the Adam Smith Theatre on Thursday 16th October!
READ MOREExperience the powerful star vocals of four Josephs, coming together for a magical evening of West End and Broadway musical classics at the Adam Smith Theatre!
READ MOREIt's 35 years since Horse release of 'The Same Sky' and now, in a truly special event, Horse performs the entire album live in its original track order at The Adam Smith Theatre on 23rd October!
READ MOREFife Youth Jazz Orchestra (FYJO) is thrilled to announce its 50th Anniversary celebration. Join them for a night to remember at the Adam Smith Theatre on 1st November!
READ MOREThis new production by Eleanor Felton, set in modern times, is brought to the Adam Smith Theatre by Fife Opera on 7th & 8th November!
READ MOREKirkcaldy Amateur Operatic Society are delighted to present the popular musical Sunshine on Leith at the Adam Smith Theatre in November!
READ MOREStep into a world of festive wishes, wits, and a whole lot of whoops at this brand-new version of Aladdin at the Adam Smith Theatre!
READ MOREJoin Celtic Legends John Hartson and Chris Sutton at the Adam Smith Theatre on Friday 16th January as they share their stories from their time at the club!
READ MOREArgentine Tango King and Strictly Come Dancing legend, Vincent Simone, returns to the stage in 2025 and 2026 with ‘Tango Passions’ and brings it to the Adam Smith Theatre on 7th February!
READ MOREDon't miss Scotland's cheeky, irreverent and uproarious Kilty Comedy Pleasure and join Craig as his hilarious new live tour comes to the Adam Smith Theatre on Saturday 14th February!
READ MOREBoasting an impressive, worldwide celebrity client list, Stuart Michael - Psychic Medium brings his quick-witted humour, sensitivity, and compassion to the Adam Smith Theatre!
READ MOREAlan Bissett, award-winning creator of Fringe hit The Moira Monologues, takes on the dual roles of two Scottish cultural giants when he brings When Billy Met Alasdair to the Adam Smith Theatre!
READ MOREDon't miss Norrie Maciver, lead singer of Skipinnish, when he plays the Adam Smith Theatre on Thursday 19th March!
READ MOREOlivier Award-winner Hiran Abeysekera is Hamlet in this fearless, contemporary take on Shakespeare's famous tragedy from the National Theatre being screened at the Adam Smith Theatre!
READ MOREAfter selling out shows in 2025 – The Sound of Scotland with the Macdonald Bros returns in 2026 with a stunning new production!
READ MOREThe Provvy Wummin is a gritty musical comedy, with a soundtrack to the 70s, don't miss it when it comes to the Adam Smith Theatre on April 10th!
READ MOREPrepare for an unforgettable evening of true crime at The Adam Smith Theatre as Peter Bleksley reveals the harrowing reality behind solving murders and battling the criminal underworld.
READ MOREStrictly Come Dancing star Kai Widdrington is set to dazzle audiences in Fife when he brings his highly anticipated 2026 dance tour, Evolution, to the Adam Smith Theatre!
READ MOREBearfoot Comedy Club presents an extravaganza of stand up comedy on the 1st Saturday of every month at at The King's Live Lounge, Kirkcaldy.
READ MOREHead to Forgan’s and experience one of our unforgettable Saturday night ceilidhs, just don’t forget your dancing shoes!
READ MORESet in the peaceful charm of a small Scottish town, Peipei’s Palette Sip & Paint sessions invite you to slow down, sip something lovely, and let your creativity flow freely.
READ MORECome along to Falkland Palace this September and October for an after-hours journey through its dark history and ghostly legends.
READ MOREBe part of a night like no other as we bring you the concert you’ve been dreaming of! The ultimate celebration of one the biggest bands to have ever graced the stage – Queen.
READ MOREDane Baptiste, stand-up comedian, writer and presenter brings his 2025 tour to Methil Community Education Centre on Thursday 18th September!
READ MOREKnown for their powerful vocals, rich harmonies, and fresh arrangements, Onóir is putting a new spin on traditional Irish music. Catch them when they play the Adam Smith Theatre on 19th September!
READ MOREDon't miss Jim Borrows when he performs a selection of songs from his new album 'Carry Me Back to My Old Front Door' on Saturday, 20th September at Crail Community Hall.
READ MORE