BBC New Comedy Awards finalist Marie Goulbourne has died
- Marie Goulbourne - a rising star on the North West stand-up circuit - has died unexpectedly
- Earlier this month she won the northern heat of the BBC New Comedy Awards
Stand-up comedian Marie Goulbourne has died unexpectedly from a health issue.
A rising star on the comedy circuit, on 5th October she won the Lancaster-based heat of the BBC New Comedy Awards, securing a place in the grand final that is set to be recorded in Birmingham on 30th October. Her heat has not yet been seen on television, but is scheduled to air on BBC Three on 6th November.
She died on 10th October, aged 46.
Goulbourne first dabbled in comedy performance over 20 years ago, however a career as a lawyer took her away from the circuit. She returned to stand-up in 2021, and quickly became one of the most sought-after new acts on the North West comedy scene.
Her biography explains: "Her deadpan style and exceptional timing deliver a likeable authenticity as she shares candid tales of life as an autistic oddball in a modern world that understands her as well as she understands it. That is to say, not at all.
"Based in Wigan and standing at 5 feet 2, Marie is confident in the diversity-box-ticking, gender non-conforming, AFAB, disabled, working-class lesbian that she is. But this is incidental. Marie is dry, refreshing and different. But, if you're opposed to swearing or overwhelming honesty, she isn't for you."
Goulbourne performed as part of the Women In Comedy Festival in Manchester just a few days before she died, a festival she has assisted behind-the-scenes on since it was founded.
Festival director Jessica Toomey says: "This is such devastating news, she was a friend and had worked with the festival from its inception, and even Laughing Cows before that with Hazel O'Keefe. This is a big shock to all; it's really tragic."
Goulbourne performed regularly on line-ups for Comedy Queers, the gigs run by Sian Davies. Speaking to BCG, Davies says: "Marie Goulbourne was a comic on the cusp of greatness. The last twelve months were life changing for Marie. She finally made the decision to throw herself into comedy. She attended comedy conferences and workshops, she made new connections and charmed the whole comedy community. She spent August in Edinburgh, absorbing the festival, performing and meeting new friends. Marie relished the unique opportunity to perform multiple times a day and her growth during that time was remarkable.
"Five days before she passed, I sat with her family at Lancaster Town Hall. We watched her win the northern heat of the BBC New Comedy Awards competition. She walked on stage and owned that gig. I had one eye on the judges, who were blown away by her sardonic self-deprecating material. Her timing was perfect, her deadpan delivery and occasional eye roll raised the roof. Marie was in her element, and I felt privileged to witness what we all thought was the start of something wonderful for her.
"Her unexpected death has shocked the whole comedy community. As the news broke it became apparent just how many of our colleagues Marie was such a good friend to. Today I am not only grieving the loss of a close personal friend, but the undoubted impact she would have made on the world."