Funeral of Janey Godley to take place after final tour

The funeral of Scottish comedian Janey Godley is set to take place after a two-day “final tour” of the cities she loved.

Godley died on November 2 aged 63 after receiving palliative treatment for terminal cancer.

Her funeral will be held at St Mary’s Cathedral in the west end of Glasgow on Saturday after a hearse carrying her coffin travelled through the centre of Edinburgh on Friday.

Her daughter Ashley Storrie described the journey as her mother’s “final tour, in the two cities she loved with all her heart”.

Godley, who found viral fame with her dubbed parodies of then Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s coronavirus news briefings during the pandemic, revealed she had ovarian cancer in November 2021.

On Friday the hearse travelled along the Royal Mile and Lawnmarket in Edinburgh with a “pause for reflection” at St Giles’ Cathedral before travelling on to Glasgow.

Her funeral on Saturday will be live-streamed on YouTube and those attending the service have been asked to wear bright colours if they wish, rather than traditional attire.

In a statement her family said: “Janey Godley, a daughter of Glasgow, was born, raised, lived, and died in the city. She was Glasgow, and it was part of her.

“It was important to her that her funeral be open to all – to the people who followed and supported her throughout her career and, more importantly, through these last few years with overwhelming love and kindness.”

A private service at a crematorium will follow the funeral.

Godley was given the all-clear in 2022 but later that year she announced another scan had shown signs of the disease in her abdomen.

However, she said she would continue touring with her Not Dead Yet gigs.

In 2023 she won the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

In September this year, she cancelled her autumn tour after her stage four ovarian cancer, which had been kept at bay through NHS treatment over the last few years, returned with what she said were added complications.

She died peacefully in the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow, surrounded by her loved ones, her management company said.

Published: 30/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub