Janey Godley's final farewell as coffin to tour city ahead of Glasgow funeral

Glasgow comic Janey Godley is to take one last tour of the nation ahead of her funeral in Glasgow's west end.

The hearse carrying Janey's coffin will travel through Glasgow and Edinburgh in what daughter and fellow comic Ashley Storrie called Janey's "final tour". Janey, 63, died on November 2 after receiving palliative treatment for terminal cancer.

In a post on social media, daughter said the hearse will travel through Edinburgh, her “beloved festival home”, on Friday (November 29) before travelling “home to Glasgow”.

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The funeral will take place at St Mary’s Cathedral in Glasgow's west end on Saturday. Janey, 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.

Despite her diagnosis in 2021, Janey returned to touring and was given the all-clear in 2022 – but later that year 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, she cancelled her autumn tour after her stage four ovarian cancer returned with what she said were added complications.

Janey died in the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow on November 2. In the social media post Ashley said: “Here’s the details of Janey’s final tour, thank you for all the love and kindness in this past week.

“For the past few years of Ma’s life, it was important to her that she shared her journey with everyone, to offer support for others on the same path and to highlight the symptoms of Ovarian Cancer – all of course in her very singular Janey style, with laughter and candour.

“So many of you who have travelled with us on this journey wish to bid her a final farewell, so here’s the details of my mum’s final tour, in the two cities she loved with all her heart.”

The hearse will travel along the Royal Mile and Lawnmarket in Edinburgh – with a “pause for reflection” at St Giles’ Cathedral before travelling along Cockburn Street, Market Street and on to Glasgow. After the funeral on Saturday, there will be a private service at the crematorium.

Ashley said her mother asked that instead of traditional funeral attire, those who wish to do so should wear bright colours, and that no flowers be sent but that people are invited to contribute to the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice or other charities.

Ashley concluded: “Thanks again everyone for all the love and support,” adding it “does help so much”.

Accepting two awards at the Scottish Baftas, Ashley said that Godley was “in the room tonight” and that “she’s in my DNA”.

Ashley added: “She would say ‘well done, I’m very proud’ and then turn around and say ‘that’s my daughter’ and make it all about her.”

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