Interview: Comic Suzi Ruffell on her Spread a Smile charity night and representation in comedy

Comedian Suzi Ruffell has been delighting audiences with her innovative stand up routines since 2008.

The Portsmouth-born comic has enjoyed five sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

She has appeared on numerous TV shows such as Live At The Apollo, Mock The Week and The Jonathan Ross Show.

A regular on BBC Radio 4 shows including The News Quiz and The Now Show, Ruffell also co-hosts the podcast Like Minded Friends with Tom Allen.

This Christmas she is raising vital funds for Spread a Smile in a special charity gig at the Comedy Store alongside fellow comedians Rosie Jones, Ed Gamble and Alan Carr.

Ruffell chats to LondonWorld about her role as an ambassador at Spread a Smile, the importance of representation in comedy and the controversy around the World Cup being hosted in Qatar, a country that denies the basic rights of the LGBT community.

Spread a Smile

Spread a Smile is a charity aiming to spread joy to seriously ill children in hospitals, hospices and homes across the UK, in the shape of magicians, fairies, therapy dogs and more.

Ruffell first discovered the charity when a friend’s child had cancer treatment in hospital.

“During that time Spread a Smile was at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) and they just made [her] life so much easier,” she said. “They just gave her a break from being a sick kid.

“Her parents got to hang out with other parents at the hospital and a sort of community was created through Spread a Smile.”

Ruffell has since supported the charity by donating her winnings from TV appearances on The Tipping Point and The Weakest Link and organising various comedy fundraisers.

LGBTQ+ representation in comedy

Ruffell, who is a gay woman, says that although it’s a very exciting time to be a comic, there aren’t enough comedy TV shows with a woman at the helm.

“I think there’s a real lack of gay women on television,” she said. “If you think that the last female stand up that really broke through as a gay woman is Sue Perkins.

“Quite often when diversity includes LGBT people it can often feel like they’ve got a lot of gay men that they’re aware of and not enough women.”

She also spoke out about experiencing homophobia as a comic.

“I’ve been homophobically heckled at my own tour shows,” she said. “Everytime I’m on television I receive homophobic tweets.

“I think people assume that because we’ve got, you know, gay marriage, because we can have kids, people think that it’s sort of done. It’s not done.

“I can’t go and do gigs in Dubai, I’ve been asked to go into gigs in Dubai, I’m not going to gig somewhere where it’s illegal for me to be me.”

World Cup One Love armbands

Ruffell stands amongst other comedians including Joe Lycett in calling out David Beckham’s role as an ambassador for the Qatar World Cup amid the country’s denial of human rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

She said: “I think that quite often there’s pink washing where someone like David Beckham knows he can get brownie points for being a gay ally. Then when it comes to money he’s not.

“I think it’s disgusting that he’s someone that was on the cover of Attitude magazine, as the first sort of straight footballer saying, you know, I’m going to stand up for gay people.

“Then when it comes to it, it’s a lot harder for people to put their money where their mouth is.

“I hate the fact that the England team hasn’t worn the One Love armband and I thought that when Alex Scott wore it it was brilliant.”

As a comedian Ruffell said she has a responsibility to speak up for LGBT rights.

“A gay woman in Afghanistan, or Iran, or Qatar can’t talk about her experiences but I can.”

She continued: “I think that the fact that the World Cup is going on in Qatar is disgusting.

“I think Fifa has a lot to answer for after the previous World Cup happening in Russia after they invaded Crimea, and they were putting gay men in prison in Chechnya. I mean, into basically concentration camps.

“I think money seems to be more important than gay people’s lives.”

The charity comedy night will be on December 19 with all proceeds going to Spread a Smile.

To learn more about the work Spread a Smile does you can visit their website.