Fern Brady - ‘I make more money in comedy than I ever did from stripping‘

2025-07-30

Download

In this searingly funny and deeply affecting live conversation, Elizabeth speaks to stand-up comedian, author and Taskmaster favourite Fern Brady about her autism diagnosis, her working-class roots, and the failures that shaped her award-winning memoir Strong Female Character. Fern opens up about late diagnosis, social masking, and stripping to fund her education - all delivered with the brutal honesty and whip-smart humour that’s made her one of the most exciting voices in comedy today. A powerful exploration of identity, feminism, and finding your voice. What stood out for y...

In this searingly funny and deeply affecting live conversation, Elizabeth speaks to stand-up comedian, author and Taskmaster favourite Fern Brady about her autism diagnosis, her working-class roots, and the failures that shaped her award-winning memoir Strong Female Character.

Fern opens up about late diagnosis, social masking, and stripping to fund her education - all delivered with the brutal honesty and whip-smart humour that’s made her one of the most exciting voices in comedy today. A powerful exploration of identity, feminism, and finding your voice.

What stood out for you in this episode? Leave us a comment.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

01:58 Autism Diagnosis and Masking

04:40 Experiences on Taskmaster

11:40 University Struggles and Stripping

17:33 Challenges of Writing a Memoir

20:03 Reflections on Edinburgh

21:49 Struggles with Mental Health and Misdiagnosis

22:35 University Challenges and Autistic Shutdowns

23:25 Extreme Stress and Physical Symptoms

24:34 Breaking into Comedy and Facing Limitations

26:05 Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs

27:55 Navigating the Comedy Industry

34:02 Rejecting Mainstream Entertainment

37:21 Celebrity Bakeoff Experience

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

“Even when people don’t know you’re autistic, they know you’re autistic. They pick up on something different about you.”“Comedy radicalised me as a feminist. And so did working in a strip club.”“I was told I had the wrong energy for QI. I think that was a coded way to say I was too common.”“Autistic people are always learning to speak neurotypical. All we’re asking is for a bit of that in return.”

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Fern’s memoir Strong Female Character is out now! @fernfrombathgate
Fern is a the Edinburgh Fringe: fernbrady.co.uk/gigs
Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day
Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/