The First Minister announced on her Instagram this morning that she and Peter had called time on their marriage saying in a post titled Personal: “With a heavy heart I am confirming that Peter and I have decided to end our marriage. To all intents and purposes we have been separated for some time now and feel it is time to bring others up to speed with where we are. It goes without saying that we still care deeply for each other, and always will.We will be making no further comment.”
However just on Friday Nicola and her pal Scots crime writer Val McDermid were full of high spirits as they enjoyed a night out at the launch of Glasgow International Comedy festival.
Nicola who said she was not drinking on account of driving through from Edinburgh even revealed ‘plans’ to follow in the footsteps of fellow Scot and comedian Richard Gadd with an award appearance at the Golden Globes in two years time.
The former First Minister revealed her unexpected future ambitions and more as she announced her appearance at this year’s Comedy Festival.
The former MSP, who will be cohosting a show with Val McDermid explained that she was chuffed to be ‘doing a gig’ at the fest in March.
And as she and Val got drinks from the free bar she said: “We are appearing at this year’s comedy festival which is as much as a joke to us as it is to anybody else.
“We don’t have a double act name but watch this space - it might happen.
We did a gig together, haha, ‘a gig’ together, before Christmas about books and it went well and we thought ‘why not’?”
Asked to look at comedian Richard Gadd who won a double award for his own production of Baby Reindeer at this years Golden Globes she added: “Absolutely - Do you think we’ll be at the Golden Globes next year? Maybe the year after…”
Nicola, who drove to the launch party after passing her driving test at the age of 53 in October last year, ensured she was sticking to soft drinks on the night whilst Val went for something more spirited.
Nicola said: “I’m driving so I’m going to have an Irn Bru.
Val then referred to Nicola’s newfound driving skills as she quipped: “I’m going to have a drink because it makes it easier to be driven by Nicola when I’ve had a drink.”
Nicola added: “She just slagged off my driving by the way. This duo might not make it to the comedy festival if she keeps insulting my driving.”
Nicola who will join fellow former Nat MP Mhairi Black and Scots comedians including Susie McCabe, Ashlie Storrie, Connor Burns and Rosco McLelland at the festival in March added: “We’re not going with the intention of telling jokes but there will undoubtedly be a couple that just come to us. We think we’re funny, but probably our nearest and dearest don’t think we’re funny.”
“It’s books and banter. Val will be talking about books but will I be talking about politics? Not if I can help it.”
“There’s definitely a lot of comparisons between politics and comedy but I’m a great believer in life that everything is political to some extent so
I’m sure there will be the odd political reference. It joins up perfectly. We will have one liners but we’ve only got a limited number of them so if we tell you them now we won’t have more on the night.
“I find lots of comedians funny. We’d better not name names but anyone that wants to work with us, they just need to come and enquire.”
Val said of their double act: “It’s funny sometimes, not intentionally, but sometimes. We’re quite funny when we get going. She takes the piss out of me and I take the piss out of her.”
There’s lot of laughs in politics not many of them intentional. I think everything is funny.”
