Boss Wummin'

Rich Hall is a comedy legend. His career stretches from Saturday Night Live and The David Letterman Show in the 1980s to decades of appearances on British television, including QI, Have I Got News For You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks . He was on the Gilded Balloon stage this Fringe with his new show, Chin Music , which he’s currently touring. He’s also one ofKaren’s oldest friends and he joined us...

Celebrity Traitors 2026 is rammed with comedians. Alan Carr won last season. What is it about being a stand-up that gives you an advantage in the castle? What gets in the way? We have insight. Rob, Romesh, Joe and Joanne are So You Think You’re Funny alums. We lift the lid on what makes them tick and why we think they’re going to sink or swim. Plus, what does it do for a comedian’s career when the...

Maisie Adam won Taskmaster , killed on Last One Laughing , slays on her football podcast Big Kick Energy – and NOW she’s talking to Karen and Katy Koren. She has truly arrived (she also won So You Think You're Funny in 2017). She’s now one of the UK’s most successful comedians and is touring the UK and Europe with her brilliant new show, Whatsherface. Find out, amongst other things: The trauma...

What do Lee Mack, Aisling Bea, Sarah Millican, Romesh Ranganathan, Josh Widdicombe, Peter Kay and Maisie Adam have in common? Not just that they are some of the most successful comedians in the UK today. They also all entered the So You Think You’re Funny comedy competition - started by the one and only Karen Koren in 1988. Every year we hold the Grand Final of the competition on the last Thursday...

Fiona Allen is one third of the Emmy-winningand Bafta-nominated TV sketch show, Smack the Pony. She’s also been in Shameless,Skins, Waterloo Road and EastEnders on TV and her filmsinclude 24 Hour Party People, Fat Slags, Gladiatress and FindingEmily . In 2023, she brought her show On the Run to the Fringe and thentoured the UK. This year, she’s back with White Lies , all about making up anexcuse t...

Jamie Kilstein is a comedian, writer, actor and radio host. He’s back at the Edinburgh Fringe with Can’t Tie Knots —a show that explores the death of his friend and mentor, Robin Williams; how he dealt with a very public mistake; his controversial spat on Joe Rogan’s podcast - with Joe Rogan; and what it means to carry on when life takes an unexpected and painful turn. It's quite a journey - with,...

Legendary Scottish comedian, Jack Docherty, joins us in the No Funny Business shed to talk about how his new show – Butterfly – got off the ground, why his mother probably shouldn't come and see it, what's next for The Chief and why he's not too sure about social media. Exactly. Why would you miss it? Book tickets for Butterflyhere https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/jack-dochert...

We have a cheeky dressing room chat with Graham Norton and Maria McCerlane moments before their VERY FIRST WangingOn audience show (part of the Gilded Balloon 2026 Fringe programme). Listen to discover, amongst other things:- Why hasn’t Graham done a Fringe show since 1997?- Are organ transplants funny?- What was Maria’s best entrance ever?- Why Wanging On won't do the Albert Hall? Exactly. Why wo...

Do you have a wondering womb? Do you fancy ice-cold water up the rectum? No to both? Women have been faced with (mainly male) misunderstanding and misdiagnosis of the menopause for centuries. Top broadcaster, Mariella Frostrup, and her friend, actress Gina Bellman, are bringing their show Cracking the Menopause to the Gilded Balloon and Mariella tells us all about what she’s doing to redress the b...

Amanda Knox got world famous for being wrongly convicted for killing her roommate in Italy. This is not your average life experience and she’s dealing with it - how else? -by doing a one woman show - Cartwheel . Some people are outraged, some are fascinated. Listen to our frank, surprising, moving and, yes, amusing conversation with Amanda ahead of her run at Gilded Balloon. Plus, another Fringe f...

It is July … yes it is … and we’re hurtling towards Edinburgh Fringe 2026. This means the Gilded Balloon team have to address the fact they have 230 shows to put on while not actually having an office. It also means that lots of people are starting to think about buying tickets – but where to start? Karen and Katy are here to help with their first round-up of suggestions for shows they think you’l...

Maria Mcerlane is with us! She and Graham Norton are bringing their hit podcast, Wanging On , to Gilded Balloon this Fringe. But before she was Graham Norton’s de facto wife, Maria was raging round the streets of Edinburgh with our very own Karen Koren and – you won’t be surprised – there are some stories to tell.  Listen to discover – amongst other things: who had raw sex with fluffy girlies who...

We’re back! Have you missed us? We took a break. Katy had a baby. Karen had a bit of a rest. But we have returned with a new name, new sig tune, new guests and new energy to tell you all about being women, in business, in comedy, in Scotland.  Gilded Balloon is gearing up for another Edinburgh Fringe and we’re hard at work trying to make sure all the things Karen and Katy started planning last Nov...

In this episode, Karen and Katy finally reveal what they've been keeping under wraps, the Gilded Balloon's 40th Anniversary Fringe programme! Tune in as they lift the curtain on the incredible shows who'll be gracing Gilded stages this Summer, including Rosie O'Donnell and Smack the Pony. Book tickets for the full programme here. Follow us on  ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ,  ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠  and ...

In this episode, Karen and Katy catch up on a very busy couple of months - from the Glasgow International Comedy Festival to their Aussie adventures, road-tripping on the Big Comedy Roadshow and gearing up for the Fringe. Follow us on  ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ,  ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠  and  ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ . Hosted by Karen and Katy Koren, the dynamic mother-daughter duo behind the renowned Gilded Balloon at the Edinburgh...

In this episode, Karen and Katy sit down for a chat with former MP-turned-comedy sensation Mhairi Black. They delve into her childhood, how she got into politics, and why she ultimately stepped away from it all. Plus, they talk all about Mhairi's exciting journey into comedy, from selling out every single show at her first Fringe run to her upcoming live tour, hitting stages across Scotland this S...

New year, new plans! In this episode, Katy and Karen discuss Hogmanay, share their 2025 resolutions and dive into the exciting process of planning this year’s festival programme. Plus - they're heading to Australia!  Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ , ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠ . Click here for Jack Docherty's Australian Tour Hosted by Karen and Katy Koren, the dynamic mother-daughter duo behind the...

In this episode, Karen and Katy catch up on all the latest happenings at Gilded Balloon since the Fringe wrapped up, and share their exciting plans as they look ahead to 2025. They chat about potential new venues and the challenges they bring, and discuss the importance of being resilient. Follow us on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook . Hosted by Karen and Katy Koren, the dynamic mother-daughter du...

In this episode, recorded live at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe, Karen and Katy sit down with singer, actor, writer, and comedian Michelle Brasier . They dive into Michelle's fascinating journey, from her childhood to her diverse career, and discuss her heartbreaking and hilarious memoir, My Brother's Ashes Are in a Sandwich Bag.

It's time for Fringe 2024 and Karen and Katy give you a rundown of what they have planned for Gilded Balloon this August. Follow Us On Social Media  ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠   ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ Boss Wummin' is a podcast about Women in Business in Comedy. It's hosted by Karen and Katy Koren, the mother daughter powerhouse team behind the Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue, Gilded Ballo...

In this episode we welcome the 3rd generation of Boss Wummin' to the podcast. Follow Us On Social Media   ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠   ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠   ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ Boss Wummin' is a podcast about Women in Business in Comedy. It's hosted by Karen and Katy Koren, the mother daughter powerhouse team behind the Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue, Gilded Balloon. Listen as Katy asks her mum for important bus...

The Boss Wummin' are back for a brand new series and there is some VERY exciting news!! There is a Gilded Baby on the way!  Follow Us On Social Media Instagram Twitter Facebook Boss Wummin' is a podcast about Women in Business in Comedy. It's hosted by Karen and Katy Koren, the mother daughter powerhouse team behind the Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue, Gilded Balloon. Listen as Katy asks her...

Karen & Katy catch up with their long time friend Lynn Ferguson on this episode of Boss Wummin'. Listen to a few of the many highlights of Lynn's career, her childhood, relationship with her parents and more importantly how she met Karen.  Follow Us On Social Media Instagram Twitter Facebook Boss Wummin' is a podcast about Women in Business in Comedy. It's hosted by Karen and Katy Koren,...

In the final instalment of Live at The Fringe episodes Karen & Katy are joined in the Gilded Garden by Lucy Porter. Lucy talks about starting out in comedy, how she still enjoys The Fringe 20 years later and her relationships with her parents growing up.  Follow Us On Social Media Instagram Twitter Facebook Boss Wummin' is a podcast about Women in Business in Comedy. It's hosted by Karen...

In this episode Karen & Katy speak to Kiri Pritchard-Mclean in the Gilded Garden at The Fringe. They talk about Kiri's childhood and how she got into comedy, who her early influences were, working relationships and being on a comedy course at Uni. She also tell us about The Covid Arms during the pandemic and setting up the wonderful Get Off Comedy, an industry born and funded independent HR th...