Susan Calman

Feisty Glaswegian Susan Calman gave up a lucrative career in corporate law to become a comedian and has since proven to be a popular star on TV, radio and on the live stage.

After starting comedy as a hobby, Susan turned her back on her life as a barrister when she noticed more and more clients turning up to her gigs. Deciding this was a difficult professional balancing act to maintain (especially when clients provide so much material), Susan successfully embraced a comedy career. She reached the semi-finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards, was a finalist in the prestigious Funny Women competition, and won Best New Comedian at The Real Radio Scottish Variety Awards.

Her sharp, clever take on life, relationships and law proved a hit beyond her native Glasgow and Susan went on to perform sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Festival, the Magners International Comedy Festival and Leicester Comedy Festival. She also became resident compere at Glasgow's most famous comedy club, The Stand.

As well as her turn on Strictly Come Dancing Susan is now an established TV star. She hosts the daytime quiz The Boss, and Armchair Detectives on BBC One, and CBBC’s Top Class. She’s a regular on Have I Got News For You, QI, Mock the Week and often pops up on various other panel shows. She was a regular co-presenter with, and stand in for, Fred MacAulay on his BBC Scotland show. She’s also frequently on Radio 4, in particular the radio comedy institutions The News Quiz, Just A Minute, and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue. As an actor, Susan has appeared alongside Sharon Horgan and Jennifer Saunders in Dead Boss, in Rab C Nesbit and BBC3’s cult sit-com How Not To Live Your Live.