Kate Copstick

Last updated

Kate Copstick
Born
Glasgow, Scotland
Alma mater University of Glasgow
Occupations
  • Actress
  • television presenter
  • writer
  • critic
  • director
  • producer
Years active1982–present

Kate Copstick is a Scottish actress, television presenter, writer, critic, director and producer.

Contents

Early life

She was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and studied for a law degree at the University of Glasgow. [1]

Career

As a comedy actor, Copstick appeared on children's TV shows No. 73 in the 1980s, and ChuckleVision in the 1990s. She played the titular role in children's series Marlene Marlowe Investigates , and performed as part of the ensemble cast of former Saturday morning BBC children's show On the Waterfront . Copstick executive produced the Natural Born Racers TV series [2] that followed the Virgin Mobile Yamaha R6 Cup. [3]

Copstick is a commentator on human sexuality. After years writing for the Erotic Review , [4] she became its owner in 2009. [5] [6] [7] [8]

At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Copstick was a Perrier Comedy Award judge in 2003 [9] and 2004, [10] and a Malcolm Hardee Award judge in 2008–2015. [11] She lends her voice to the announcements at Fort William railway station. [12]

She is The Scotsman newspaper's comedy critic, [13] [14] having begun reviewing for the paper in 1999. [15]

Work with charitable organisations

Copstick has worked in Kenya with HIV+ women and their families. Through the Children With AIDS Charity, of which she is vice-chair, she started Mama Biashara ("Business Mother") in 2008, [16] working to set these women up in small businesses, thus making them financially independent. [17] [18] [19] [20] The slogan of the charity is "A Hand Up, Not a Hand Out", and its survival is dependent on donations and on raising money from the Mama Biashara shop in Shepherd's Bush Green, London. [21] [22]

Copstick made Positive Thinking for BBC One, a documentary on HIV/AIDS aimed at children. [23] She is a patron of the Waverley Care Trust. [24]

Personal life

Copstick was attacked and robbed close to her home in west London in September 2022. The robbers took £8,500 that she had raised for her charity Mama Biashara. [1] [25]

Theatre

YearTitleRoleCompanyDirectorNotes
1982The Shepherd BeguiledJean Theatre Alba Charles Nowosielski play by Netta B. Reid

Filmography

Actress

Writer

Self

Bibliography

References

  1. 1 2 Sugden, Maureen (4 September 2022). "Scots star of 1980s children's TV mugged for charity money in London street". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Broadcast magazine". 7 November 2007.
  3. ↑ "'natural Born Racers' Come To Life", MCP, 24 April 2003.
  4. ↑ "Erotic Review Magazine: The Editorial Team". Archived 16 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ Tait, Simon (14 June 2009). "'Erotic Review' back to titillate – and educate". The Independent . London. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  6. ↑ Cornwell, Tim (14 May 2009). "Tim Cornwell's arts diary: Erotic credentials open the door to Number 11". The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  7. ↑ Lauener, Paul (15 June 2009). "Erotic Review owner: 'Women can't write about sex'". Reuters. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  8. ↑ "Women can't write about sex". abc.net.au. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "BBC News". 20 August 2003. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  10. ↑ Jones, Rebecca (11 August 2004). "BBC News" . Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  11. ↑ "Malcolm Hardee Award site, 2008". Archived from the original on 8 February 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2008.
  12. 1 2 "Kate Copstick Biography". UK game shows.
  13. ↑ Jackson, Debbie (8 August 2022). "'One person turned up to watch my Fringe show'". BBC Scotland. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  14. ↑ Copstick, Kate (15 August 2025). "Kate Copstick's Festival Diary: 'None of this really matters'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  15. ↑ Cox, Roger (3 June 2025). "The Scotsman's 2025 Edinburgh Festival coverage: everything you need to know | Reviewer biographies". The Sotsman. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  16. ↑ "About Our Organization". Mama Biashara. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  17. ↑ Fleming, John (23 September 2015). "Critic Kate Copstick shows how to make a difference in Africa – or anywhere". The John Fleming Blog. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  18. ↑ Fleming, John (8 November 2012). "Feared UK Comedy Critic Kate Copstick Has Links With African Criminals and Deals Drugs in Kenya". Huffington Post . Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  19. ↑ Fleming, John (20 February 2018), "Mama Biashara’s expanding charity work in Kenya – with Kate Copstick", So It Goes.
  20. ↑ Fleming John (15 February 2019), "Kate Copstick and the sexually-abused girl being held in a Nairobi hospital", So It Goes.
  21. ↑ "Shop". mamabiashara.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  22. ↑ Fleming, John (26 March 2018). "Critic Kate Copstick needs money and is offering to provide feel-good pampering" . Retrieved 4 February 2026.
  23. ↑ CWAC's Board of Trustees
  24. ↑ "Key People". Waverley Care. Archived from the original on 23 February 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  25. ↑ "Actress Kate Copstick attacked and robbed of charity money". BBC News. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022.
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