Scottish comedian Fern Brady discusses her autism diagnosis, catholic upbringing, and the chaos prior to her diagnosis. She also talks about her odd jobs, including working at a student newspaper and lap dancing, and how her diagnosis has changed her. She shares her future plans and gratitude.
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Fern's Turbulent Young Adulthood
Fern Brady experienced a chaotic young adulthood marked by mental health struggles and unconventional jobs.
She lived through suicide attempts, burnout, and an abusive relationship before her autism diagnosis.
insights INSIGHT
Recognizing Hidden Stress Signals
Fern couldn't recognize her own stress due to alexithymia, common in autism.
Her diagnosis helped her connect physical symptoms to stress and better manage sensory overload.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Catholic Upbringing Influence
Fern grew up deeply immersed in Catholicism but stopped believing in God at 13 after questioning the rituals.
Her experiences with priests and church fueled her dark comedic style and mistrust of authority.
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In 2020, Scottish comedian Fern Brady was diagnosed with autism. Her award-winning Sunday Times Bestselling book ‘Strong Female Character’ is an incredibly honest and hilarious account of Fern’s life as an autistic girl and woman.
Fern regularly appears on comedy panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats and Taskmaster as well as touring her own shows all over the world. In this episode, she discusses her catholic upbringing in Scotland and when she realised that she was different to other people, the “unrelenting chaos” prior to her diagnosis (including her time working at a student newspaper and lap dancing at the same time) and how her autism diagnosis as an adult has changed her. There’s no holding back.
Fern is currently preparing for her worldwide 2024 stand up tour ‘I Gave you Milk to Drink’. Tickets are on sale now.
https://fernbradycomedian.com/
Buy a copy of Strong Female Character here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/strong-female-character-fern-brady/6460207?ean=9781914240447
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