Leo Kearse

Kearse was born on 17 July 1976 and grew up in Penpont in Dumfriesshire. He attended Wallace Hall school.^[1] After graduating from the University of Stirling, Kearse worked as a criminal intelligence analyst then as a consultant in national security and government.^[2]

Kearse is known for being a right-wing comedian.^[3] He covers anti-woke issues, such as cancel culture and left-wing bias at the BBC.^[4][5]

He was a New Comedian Of 2011 finalist at the Leicester Square Theatre^[6] and a finalist of the Laughing Horse New Act Of The Year Final 2012.^[7] He then won the Chelmsford Comedian of the Year in 2012.^[8]

Kearse was crowned the UK Pun Champion in 2015 after he beat off competition from fellow comedians Rob Thomas and reigning champion Darren Walsh.^[9] Leo won the contest with such jokes as "I was in hospital last week. I asked the nurse if I could do my own stitches. She said 'suture self' and "Growing up on a farm, my dad was always telling me to use the indoor toilet. But I preferred to go against the grain".^[10][11]

After being awarded runner-up in 2016, he won the Scottish Comedian of the Year award in 2017.^[12][13][14]

His breakthrough show Right Wing Comedian was cancelled by the Court Hotel venue at the Perth Fringe World in Australia in 2019 after his material was accused of being transphobic.^[15][16]

Kearse has criticised the Scottish National Party, Scottish independence and the Scottish Hate Crime Act.^[17][18][19]

The latter issue led him to become a Reclaim Party candidate in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election. Kearse stated that "With wokeness and extreme nationalism seemingly the only acceptable discourses allowed in Scotland these days, I feel now is the right time to stand up and be counted." He stood in Glasgow Pollok held by Humza Yousaf where he received 114 votes (0.3%). He also stood on the Glasgow regional list where he received 174 votes (0.1%)^[20][21]