Scottish comedian Janey Godley’s daughter has paid tribute to her mother following her death at the age of 63.
Ms Godley, who had been receiving palliative care for ovarian cancer, passed away peacefully after receiving palliative treatment for terminal cancer, according to her daughter Ashley Storrie.
In a heartfelt video shared on social media, Ms Storrie thanked her mother’s “found family” for their support “throughout these last horrible days.”
“I wanted to tell you face to face because it felt very much what she would have wanted,” Ms Storrie said. “She went peacefully, and I want to say a big thank you to all the staff at the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice.”
Expressing gratitude to her mother’s followers, Ms Storrie added: “I believe in my heart of hearts that she felt every bit of love you sent to her. I think it kept her going. Genuinely, we got her longer because of all the support and love in the world.”
She ended her tribute with “Bye Ma,” adding “Frank, get the door” – a nod to Ms Godley’s popular voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon.
Earlier this morning Janey passed away in her sleep. Her family were with her.
— Janey Godley (@JaneyGodley) November 2, 2024
The love and support from all her friends and fans during this cancer journey brought her enormous joy. It has also been a huge comfort to us, her family and close friends, thank you. pic.twitter.com/r6cpoGjuR4
Ms Sturgeon, 54, said Godley was “a force of nature” and “one of the funniest people I have ever known” in a moving tribute on X, which featured pictures of the pair together.
She said: “Knowing for the past few weeks that this moment was fast approaching didn’t make it any less heartbreaking to hear the news early this morning that Janey had died.
“Janey Godley truly was a force of nature, and one of the funniest people I have ever known. I was able to visit her in the hospice a couple of weeks ago and though she was fragile, she still had me in stitches.
“Janey was also incredibly kind. And she made the world a better place.
“A bond was forged between us in the darkest days of Covid when her famous voiceovers of my daily briefings went viral.
Knowing for the past few weeks that this moment was fast approaching didn’t make it any less heartbreaking to hear the news early this morning that Janey had died.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) November 2, 2024
Janey Godley truly was a force of nature, and one of the funniest people I have ever known. I was able to visit her… pic.twitter.com/Yx9B8Pu2xq
“In the toughest of times, she made people laugh – and that was precious. She did more than that though.
“In managing to project the serious public health messages of my briefings to a much wider audience than I would have managed alone, she helped save lives.
“I was so proud to call Janey a friend and will miss her hugely. My heart goes out to her family and many friends – they are in my thoughts today.
“I know Frank will have been there, holding the door for her as she went – with a tear in his eye, as I have in mine. RIP my friend.”
In a statement, Chris Davis Management said she would be “hugely missed by her family, friends and her many fans”.
Godley, who found viral fame with her dubbed parodies of Nicola Sturgeon’s coronavirus news briefings during the pandemic, revealed she had ovarian cancer in November 2021.
Despite her diagnosis, she returned to touring but cancelled her 2024 autumn event dates in September.
She said she would be getting palliative care and going into a hospice in a video shared to social media on Wednesday September 25.
Her management company confirmed on Saturday that she had died “surrounded by her loved ones”.
A statement from Chris Davis Management read: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our client doctor Janey Godley on November 2.
“Janey died peacefully in the wonderful Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow surrounded by her loved ones. She will be hugely missed by her family, friends and her many fans.
“She will be remembered for her legendary voiceovers of Nicola Sturgeon during the pandemic, her hilarious and outspoken comedy, but most of all for just being Janey.”
Her death was also confirmed on Godley’s X account, with a message saying “love and support” from her followers had been “a huge comfort to us”.
The post read: “Earlier this morning Janey passed away in her sleep.
“Her family were with her. The love and support from all her friends and fans during this cancer journey brought her enormous joy.
“It has also been a huge comfort to us, her family and close friends, thank you.”
Born in poverty in Glasgow in 1961, Godley went on to become a regular co-presenter on BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends, as well as fronting BBC Radio 4 series The C Bomb.
The comedian was photographed at Turnberry golf resort with her infamous “unwelcome” sign for Donald Trump in 2016.
In 2023, Godley became the winner of the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
The comedian was given the all-clear in 2022 but later that year announced another scan had shown signs of the disease in her abdomen.
However, she said that she would continue touring with her Not Dead Yet gigs.
In September 2024 she cancelled her tour this autumn due to her stage four ovarian cancer, which had been kept at bay through NHS treatment over the last few years but had returned with some added complications.
