Leo Kearse Comedian: Anti-Woke Antidote
Scotland born-and-bred (Glasgow, to be precise), Leo Kearse is 2022’s anti-woke antidote and an unabashed free speech warrior.
When he’s not on Twitter offering biting commentary on the state of the world in 2022, you can expect to find him writing for BBC comedy shows, planning his latest stand-up routine, or planning another viral video stunt. Leo’s “Stand up on the tube” spoof video racked up hundreds of thousands of hits on social media and landed the comedian in Ladbible and the Mail on Sunday.
You can also find him up on stage, firing out some Friday night comedy for our guests over here at Comedy Carnival.
Career Highlights
Often making reference to his upbringing, Leo’s work has been roundly formed by his Scottish roots. He starred as himself in the 2021 BBC docu-series “Growing Up Scottish,” and of course, he started out performing stand-up at the iconic Edinburgh fringe festival. (Just don’t ever mistakenly claim that he’s from Edinburgh).
In 2018, Leo took his act “Right Wing Comedian” back to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, grabbing headlines and bagging solid reviews from critics and fans alike. On social media, Leo’s witty contempt for the status-quo struck a chord with those fed up with political correctness and censorship.
After 2018, Leo’s career snowballed: you might have already seen him battling it out with feminists and social justice warriors on GB News, fighting the woke brigade on free speech, offence-taking and the right to uncensored comedy.
But before he took on his role as the UK’s antidote to woke culture, Leo’s acting and writing credits included the BBC’s Breaking The News and Sam Delaney’s News Thing, ITV’s Dinner Date (in which he was crowned winner),and Comedian Rap Battles, where he battled against Rob Mulholland. As of 2022, his projects include Unsafe Space, #CancelKarenDunbar, and his role as Team Captain on Ministry Of Offence.
While he’s only just begun making his mark on the world of comedy, he’s already won Scottish Comedian of the Year twice, both in 2017 and 2018. Take that, Frankie Boyle.
Currently, Leo is preparing his routine for the Comedy Unleashed Tour, which will be touring the UK from the 16th of September to the 19th of November 2022. You’ll find Leo on the line-up, alongside Reginald D Hunter, Geoff Norcott, and Tony Law.
What do the critics have to say?
“Genuinely thought-provoking… hugely entertaining… a warm and personal show.” The Scotsman
“Very funny, very dirty, occasionally shocking, but edgily likeable and happily endearing, eliciting the guilty pleasure of laughter from a wide-eyed audience.” ★★★★ THE LIST
“Kearse is seriously good. Quick, funny, smart and to the point… hilarious.” Kate Copstick
“Rampantly self-interested, prone to generalisations and stereotypes, and with a penchant for punching down rather than up… the audience were roaring with laughter.” One4Review.co.uk
Where to find him
You can find Leo on Twitter at @comedyLeo, where you can enjoy his cutting commentary on everything from politics to pronouns. You can also come to see him in person at Comedy Carnival; what better than a Scotsman at your local comedy club?