Latest news with #ConnorBurns


Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
From a full-time job fixing washing machines to selling out Sydney Opera House.. now Capital comic Connor Burns is returning to his roots
From basement bars to the Sydney Opera House - Connor Burns' success has soared since he stepped into comedy. Having cut his teeth at open mics and performing to almost empty rooms, the comic is going from strength to strength as one of the most popular acts of this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Connor, from Gilmerton or 'Trainspotting Edinburgh ' as he describes it, has recently returned from his third and most successful tour of Australia and amassed millions of views online. He recently announced his newest UK tour and his debut comedy special of his show Vertigo was released worldwide yesterday by prestigious label 800LB Gorilla. Now Connor has a monumental 32 shows lined up for the World's biggest arts festival, with more than 8,000 tickets sold so far. It is a far cry from the 60 seater venue where he made his Fringe debut. For the 31 year-old is ready to take his new show Gallus to the stage and enjoy working in his home city for a month. Speaking exclusively to the Scottish Daily Mail, Connor recalls the early days of comedy, the advice he gives to new talent and the highlights of his career so far. He said: 'It's funny to see the whole industry relocate to your home city for a month.' Since stepping on to the stage in 2017 he has been propelled to stardom. He gave up a full-time job fixing washing machines to take the leap into comedy. With some television performances under his belt and travelling the world for work, Connor is now looked upon for advice by new stand-ups. He said: 'It's odd, new acts come up to me and ask for advice and I'm always thinking 'I don't know, I'm still making it up and flying by the seat of my pants! 'But it's really cool and I always try and give as much help as I can. 'My advice is not to worry too much about this digital world that we're living in. 'A lot of new comedians rush to have an online presence, which is really important, you do need it and it has changed my career. 'But, spend the first three years in the shadows getting really good. 'The last thing you want to do is in five years' time when you're a good standup is look back at all the stuff you can't get off the internet.' He also advises not to give up part-time work too soon so there's a steady income while trying to secure work in comedy and to practise Connor added: 'I waited until I was always asking to get shifts covered to do gigs, then made the jump.' And he is someone who knows a thing or two about practising in the shadows. Before solo shows were par for the course, he too honed his trade performing anywhere he could. He said: 'I started the way everyone does, grinding away in the open mic club circuit and doing gigs to the back of peoples' heads when the football was on. 'All the character-building experiences. There's absolutely no substitute for that. 'It was hard labour at the start, but I think you need that and it makes you bulletproof.' Now Connor is reaping the rewards. Playing to audiences all over the world, he has built up a loyal fan base and gets to work with other greats in the industry. He said: 'I got to play the Opera House in Sydney. I can't wrap my head around that because there's also the big Billy Connolly connection there. 'I got to play in New York this year too and go on stage in some of the legendary comedy clubs. 'It's terrifying, there's picture of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock and Bill Burr and I'm a wee guy from Gilmerton. Shows like that are really surreal. 'I get to occasionally work with people like Kevin Bridges. I had his DVD before I did stand up. 'When you get a message from someone like that who wants to work with you, it's brilliant.' His Fringe debut was in 2022 and the following year was a sellout even with another 2,000 seats added. In March this year he sold out two solo performances at The King's Theatre in Glasgow, a show his family were there to see. That was a proud moment for the comedian, who largely doesn't take himself too seriously. He said: 'My family will usually come see me one night every Fringe and they were at the Kings as well. 'The Fringe is the one I'm always more nervous for because they've not heard the new show and I say 'There's a couple of jokes about you…' 'My dad loves whenever I talk about him on stage. 'For me, there's always the thought if anything happened to them I love that they've been there to see me in a position in my career where they say 'He made it'. 'I got that feeling at The King's. They've always been so supportive but that was really special to have had them see me do so well.' Last year Connor's Fringe show moved to The Nucleas and remains there for this year. He said: 'I'm back in the same venue this year, the big church at The Pleasance and there's a lot of shows. 'I'm doing 32 shows over the course of the Fringe - and it's brand new. 'This year the show is Gallus. I called it that because I think in Scotland we're very aware of not being full of ourselves and it's something I like about us. 'We don't let people forget who they are. A lot of it is comparing my time spent in America to here. 'We can be a bit dour and I don't think it's all good, but it's about how quite often the people who love you most will give you the hardest time. 'But the Los Angeles mentality is different, the people who will step over you in a burning building will tell you you're the best. 'A lot of the show it is that, and me getting the chance to be a little bit…gallus.' Limited Fringe tickets and his new comedy special is available from


Scotsman
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Connor Burns: My family used to hate the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, now it's my favourite month of the year
Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... When Connor Burns was growing up in the Edinburgh suburb of Gilmerton, his family's views of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was far from positive. 'I always wanted to do stand up, for as long as I can remember,' he says. 'But I grew up in a household where we didn't massively value the Fringe. We saw it as that month where traffic is really bad and the city's too full.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Now, eight years after he first launched his comedy career, Burns regards the Fringe as the main event of his year. His career has rocketed in recent times, with sell-out runs in Edinburgh and successful UK and international tours. The comedian's first full-length show is soon due to be broadcast on comedy streaming platform 800 Pound Gorilla. 'I cringe when I look back at the amount of years I wasted not going to see stuff at the Fringe, because as an artist, you realise it's an unbelievable feat,' he says. 'In the space of one day, you can see a Chinese circus, an African dance troupe and an American comedian and they're all coming to one place. 'I think the Fringe is awesome. The city is buzzing with life. It's just exciting. It's a massive month for me.' However, he admits his attitude towards the event is different to that of his fellow comedians from outside Scotland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I don't know if I have the same feeling of grandeur about the Fringe, because I live in Edinburgh,' he says. 'For a lot of acts who've got to get accommodation and get travel sorted, it's like 'oh wow, it's the Fringe and I'm going to go and live in another city for a month'. Connor Burns | Connor Burns 'But for me, I just love it. It's the only month I don't have to pack a suitcase and get a flight, I have home gigs the whole time and there's this cool month where all my pals come to my home city and we get to hang out with each other.' Burns sees the month as a chance to hone his new material before launching into touring after August is over. 'I view it like a new show boot camp,' he says. 'I try not to turn up to the first show without a show ready because I don't think it's fair to the first four or five audiences if you turn up without a show totally formed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But obviously if you do something 34 times in a month, it goes to a whole other place. With the repetition, you realise for example, that there's a better word - that's the process - and at the end of the Fringe, the show's ready to tour.' However, he has not forgotten his early days on the Free Fringe. He describes the excruciating free Fringe scene depicted in Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer as 'of the most accurate depictions of doing the Fringe as a nobody'. The Netflix show portrays Scottish performer Gadd - whose career was launched at the Fringe - playing to a near-empty pub, telling jokes which fail to land. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Burns says he believes his early years were spent 'doing the Fringe the way it was made for'. 'I was literally handing out all my own flyers, trying to convince people to see my show,' he says. 'And I think that teaches you about humility. But I don't think anyone could pay me any sum of money to go back into the first two years again. Because it's unbelievably humiliating at these gigs. Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer. The hit Netflix show started out life on the Edinburgh Fringe. | Ed Miller/Netflix 'Comedy is funny because it's back in front in that you do the hardest gigs of your career when you're the newest, and then eventually loads of people start coming, and then loads of people who actually already like you start coming. It gets easier and easier. 'When you start, you're doing a gig in front of nine guys in a pub who are angry because you've turned off the football. So if you can get good at them [the gigs], standing in front of a thousand people who bought tickets because they want to see you is a breeze.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Burns is about to start a pre-Fringe tour with a couple of other comedians, playing venues in Stirling, St Andrews and Paisley. 'It's just to stretch our legs - we take notepads up and it's not sold or set up like a polished comedy night,' he says. 'It's funny - there are people who come every year to see those shows, and then they'll also come and see us at the Fringe, because some people quite like to see how the sausage is made, what makes it to the actual show and what gets left.' Burns admits that he tries to write a minute of his show a week over the year in advance of the Fringe - to a total of 45 minutes of the hour-long slot before it starts - with the rest given over to improvised crowd work. He tries to avoid trying out new material in front of his established fans. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'If you've got that bias, that before the show starts, they want you to succeed and sometimes they'll let a five-out-of-ten joke slip by because there's goodwill in the room,' he says. 'So, I like to go up in front of people who are not my audience. They're just there to see a comedy night. I think that gives you the most accurate representation as to whether the stuff's properly good or not.' Burns tried out a number of different jobs before settling on comedy, training as an electrical engineer and later working in an Edinburgh guitar shop. 'I can't believe I was fixing washing machines a few years ago and now I'm running about New York getting to go backstage at all these cool venues,' he says. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But I'm glad I had ten different jobs before stand up, because it gives you some perspective. I always feel like a bad night doing stand up is better than a good day fixing washing machines. And it gives me something to talk about. I know what it's like to be really skint and what it's like to be between jobs. That's what's most relatable. 'I sat down two years ago and thought 'what do I want [from my career]?' And the answer has always been to just be a stand up. It's not about trying to get on panel shows. I love the lightning-in-a-bottle feeling you get, standing in front of a live audience. Nothing has ever matched it.'
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Yahoo
Teacher with deadly allergy claims $13K honeymoon flight could kill her: ‘This is life or death for me'
' 'Til death do us part' could be sooner than expected, she feared. A UK teacher fears her honeymoon flight could be her last as an airline has allegedly vowed to continue serving nuts despite her deadly allergy. 'I thought Qatar Airways would be more understanding and accommodating of the allergy,' Bethany Roads, 27, told Kennedy News and Media. 'This is life or death for me.' The Kent native has suffered from a severe airborne nut allergy since she was 4, but didn't think it would be a problem while planning her honeymoon this year. Roads and her partner of nine years, Connor Burns, 29 — whom she's slated to wed in August — had booked the trip of a lifetime to Tanzania and Zanzibar. The total cost for the trip was estimated at around $13,000. 'This is a dream destination for us,' she gushed. 'It's something we've both wanted to do for a long time.' To ensure her 'special' vacation went smoothly, Roads reached out to Qatar Airlines to alert them of her nut allergy, which can induce anaphylactic shock — a severe reaction that can stop the sufferer's breathing or heartbeat. She requested that the carrier make 'an announcement,' she told Kennedy News, but claimed she was told they couldn't 'guarantee it'll be 100% safe.' Despite the potential danger, the airline allegedly failed to heed her request. 'I said, 'If you can't make an announcement, can I make my own?' and they told me on the phone if I do, that there would be a chance I could be kicked off the flight for going against their policies,' the 'shocked' Brit claimed. 'They said they would still serve them, knowing I could go into anaphylaxis. They said this would not be intentional around me.' Roads said that Qatar Airways, in an exchange of messages shared with Kennedy Media, suggested that as a precaution for her own 'safety,' the teacher should make sure to bring an EpiPen and use 'hand sanitizer, face wipes and appropriate medications,' she said. 'Inform the co-passenger about the allergy, request for window or seats at the back, and avoid contact with the allergens,' Qatar reps added. 'However, the requests are not guaranteed and would be subject to availability.' Roads believed their response would be wilfully putting her life 'at risk.' 'They know about the allergy, and they're choosing to do it anyway,' she said. 'There's a risk of me dying with anaphylaxis, even with two Epi-Pens with me.' The distraught educator added, 'One person ignoring an announcement and continuing to eat a bag of nuts is very different to them giving out nuts to 300 people on a plane.' The traveler was particularly appalled because she said she'd been on flights in the past where understanding crew members announced that they wouldn't hand out nuts on account of her condition. Roads has even contemplated scrapping the honeymoon altogether, as it wasn't worth the risk. 'Canceling the trip is definitely something we would have to consider,' the pedagogue said. 'People don't understand what an airborne allergy is.' Roads declared that the carrier had a 'legal requirement' to ensure she had a safe flight, saying: 'Passenger safety is meant to be their utmost priority but what they're saying to me is the opposite of that.' A spokesperson for the carrier has since addressed the incident in a statement, in which they reiterated their company's allergy policy. 'We do our best to accommodate passengers with allergy needs,' the representative told Kennedy News, quoting the guidelines. 'But as our flights are open to the public, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.' They added, 'Qatar Airways' allergy policy is available online, and we thank Ms Roads for notifying us of her circumstances. Our customer care team is in direct contact with her.' The policy further stipulates that passengers 'are responsible for carrying any necessary medication with them onboard' and that they 'may be required to sign a waiver of liability.' Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Qatar Airways has been accused of failing to heed someone's nut allergy disclaimer. Nut allergy sufferer Amy Pearson thought she'd die after two airlines handed out peanuts on a 14-hour journey last year — despite her notifying them of her allergy in advance.


New York Post
09-05-2025
- New York Post
Teacher with deadly allergy claims $13K honeymoon flight could kill her: ‘This is life or death for me'
' 'Til death do us part' could be sooner than expected, she feared. A UK teacher fears her honeymoon flight could be her last as an airline has allegedly vowed to continue serving nuts despite her deadly allergy. 'I thought Qatar Airways would be more understanding and accommodating of the allergy,' Bethany Roads, 27, told Kennedy News and Media. 'This is life or death for me.' Advertisement The Kent native has suffered from a severe airborne nut allergy since she was 4, but didn't think it would be a problem while planning her honeymoon this year. 4 'They know about the allergy, and they're choosing to do it (serve nuts) anyway,' claimed Roads. Kennedy News and Media Roads and her partner of nine years, Connor Burns, 29 — whom she's slated to wed in August — had booked the trip of a lifetime to Tanzania and Zanzibar. The total cost for the trip was estimated at around $13,000. Advertisement 'This is a dream destination for us,' she gushed. 'It's something we've both wanted to do for a long time.' To ensure her 'special' vacation went smoothly, Roads reached out to Qatar Airlines to alert them of her nut allergy, which can induce anaphylactic shock — a severe reaction that can stop the sufferer's breathing or heartbeat. She requested that the carrier make 'an announcement,' she told Kennedy News, but claimed she was told they couldn't 'guarantee it'll be 100% safe.' 4 'When I've been on flights in the past, they've always said any nut products won't be sold and informed passengers, made announcements. I've never had a problem until now,' said Roads, pictured with her fiancé, Connor Burns, 29. Advertisement Despite the potential danger, the airline allegedly failed to heed her request. 'I said, 'If you can't make an announcement, can I make my own?' and they told me on the phone if I do, that there would be a chance I could be kicked off the flight for going against their policies,' the 'shocked' Brit claimed. 'They said they would still serve them, knowing I could go into anaphylaxis. They said this would not be intentional around me.' Roads said that Qatar Airways, in an exchange of messages shared with Kennedy Media, suggested that as a precaution for her own 'safety,' the teacher should make sure to bring an EpiPen and use 'hand sanitizer, face wipes and appropriate medications,' she said. 'Inform the co-passenger about the allergy, request for window or seats at the back, and avoid contact with the allergens,' Qatar reps added. 'However, the requests are not guaranteed and would be subject to availability.' Advertisement 4 Roads reveals a response from Qatar Airways. Kennedy News and Media Roads believed their response would be wilfully putting her life 'at risk.' 'They know about the allergy, and they're choosing to do it anyway,' she said. 'There's a risk of me dying with anaphylaxis, even with two Epi-Pens with me.' The distraught educator added, 'One person ignoring an announcement and continuing to eat a bag of nuts is very different to them giving out nuts to 300 people on a plane.' The traveler was particularly appalled because she said she'd been on flights in the past where understanding crew members announced that they wouldn't hand out nuts on account of her condition. Roads has even contemplated scrapping the honeymoon altogether, as it wasn't worth the risk. 'Canceling the trip is definitely something we would have to consider,' the pedagogue said. 'People don't understand what an airborne allergy is.' Advertisement Roads declared that the carrier had a 'legal requirement' to ensure she had a safe flight, saying: 'Passenger safety is meant to be their utmost priority but what they're saying to me is the opposite of that.' A spokesperson for the carrier has since addressed the incident in a statement, in which they reiterated their company's allergy policy. 'We do our best to accommodate passengers with allergy needs,' the representative told Kennedy News, quoting the guidelines. 'But as our flights are open to the public, we cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment.' They added, 'Qatar Airways' allergy policy is available online, and we thank Ms Roads for notifying us of her circumstances. Our customer care team is in direct contact with her.' Advertisement The policy further stipulates that passengers 'are responsible for carrying any necessary medication with them onboard' and that they 'may be required to sign a waiver of liability.' 4 UK teacher Bethany Roads fears her honeymoon flight on Qatar could be her last. AFP/Getty Images Unfortunately, this isn't the first time Qatar Airways has been accused of failing to heed someone's nut allergy disclaimer. Advertisement Nut allergy sufferer Amy Pearson thought she'd die after two airlines handed out peanuts on a 14-hour journey last year — despite her notifying them of her allergy in advance.