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Karen Dunbar
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Karen Dunbar | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Dunbar at the Mary Queen of Scots premiere in 2019 | |
| Born | 1 April 1971 Ayr, Scotland |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Known for | |
Karen Dunbar (born 1 April 1971) is a Scottish comedian, actress and writer. She first appeared on television on the BBC Scotland sketch comedy series Chewin' the Fat (1999–2005) and was subsequently given her own show by the channel, The Karen Dunbar Show (2003–2006). She voiced Finlay in the 2024 video game Still Wakes the Deep, for which she won the British Academy Games Award for Performer in a Supporting Role.
Her sketch show, The Karen Dunbar Show, received four nominations for the Golden Rose European TV Awards.[1]
Early life
[edit]Dunbar was born in Ayr,[2] before moving to Glasgow in the late 1980s following her secondary education.[3] She attended Ayr Academy,[4] and said in a 2023 interview that her biology teacher sketch from Chewin' the Fat was based on her own biology teacher during her time at Ayr Academy.[5]
Career
[edit]Television
[edit]Dunbar began her career as a DJ and karaoke host before she attended The Comedy Unit's open auditions in 1997 where she was cast in the BBC Scotland comedy sketch show Chewin' the Fat. She spoke about how she gave up a lucrative income to work fulltime on the show, but after Series 1 aired she struggled financially.[6] She starred in The Karen Dunbar Show, which received two Golden Rose nominations for Best Comedy Show and Dunbar herself two personal nominations for Best Comedy Performance.[7]
Dunbar has presented BBC Radio Scotland series such as Karen Dunbar’s Beautiful Sunday and Karen’s Summer Supplement, as well as being a team captain on the quiz show Step Back in Time.[7] In 2009, Dunbar starred in a six-part series of the Scottish comedy Happy Hollidays. She played the role of Arme Gonnerssen in M.I. High in 2009.
Theatre
[edit]In 2007, Dunbar made her first appearance in pantomime, at the King's Theatre in Glasgow, playing Nanny Begood in Sleeping Beauty.[8] Further pantomime roles include the dual role of the Good Fairy and the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (2008–09)[9] and Widow Twankey in Aladdin (2009–10).[10] She appeared as a critic on Britain's Got More Talent on 27 May 2008. She played the fairy godmother in Cinderella (2012–13)[11] and appeared in the 2013–14 season as the Slave of the Ring in Aladdin.[12]
She has also played serious roles, including a performance in the poetic monologue A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle adapted by Denise Mina from Hugh MacDiarmid's poem of the same name.[13] Between 2012 and 2016, she was featured in Phyllida Lloyd's trilogy of all-female Shakespeare plays at the Donmar Warehouse, playing Casca in Julius Caesar, Bardolph/Vernon in Henry IV and Trinculo in The Tempest.[14]
Stand–up
[edit]In 2025, Dunbar toured Scotland, and her homecoming show at Ayr Town Hall was broadcast on BBC Scotland in December 2025.[15] Dunbar will embark on a stand–up tour of Scotland entitled Aw Roon the Hooses beginning in September 2026.[16]
Personal life
[edit]Dunbar is a lesbian.[17][18][19] She featured on The Scotsman's "Pink List" of LGBT people contributing to Scotland's cultural life in 2014[20] and was awarded the Role Model of the Year award at the Icon Awards which celebrate Scotland's LGBTI community in 2015.[18] She spoke about her experiences of homophobia and the acceptance she found in Glasgow's LGBT community in a BBC documentary, I Belong to Glasgow, screened in 2014.[21][22][3] She spoke in 2016 about her plans to marry her female partner.[17] In 2018, Dunbar gave a TED talk in Glasgow, in which she spoke briefly about her recovery from a challenging upbringing, prior alcoholism and a change in her comedic style, which she later reverted.[23]
Filmography
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Rab C. Nesbitt | Stern Woman / Cowgirl | 2 episodes |
| 1999–2002 | Chewin' the Fat | Various Roles | Regular appearances |
| 2003–2006 | The Karen Dunbar Show | Also co-writer | |
| 2007 | An Audience with... | Guest | |
| 2008 | Britain's Got More Talent | Guest Critic | 28 May 2007 episode |
| 2009 | Happy Hollidays | Joyce Mullen | Six part television series |
| 2012 | M.I. High | Arme Gonnerssen | |
| 2014 | XX Commonwealth Games broadcast | Lead Compere | Alongside John Barrowman, opening ceremony only |
| 2017 | The Late Show with Ewen Cameron | Guest | |
| River City | Francesca Simpson | Episode: 10 October 2017 | |
| 2022 | Breaking the News | Guest Panellist | 2 episodes |
| 2025 | Karen Dunbar Live from Ayr | Herself | BBC Scotland television special |
Film
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Rice Paper Stars | Herself | |
| 2018 | Mary Queen of Scots | Commoner | Cameo appearance[24] |
Video games
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Still Wakes the Deep | Finlay | Won the BAFTA Game Award for Performer in a Supporting Role.[25] |
Theatre credits
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Sleeping Beauty | Nanny Begood | |
| 2008–2009 | Cinderella | Good Fairy / Wicked Stepmother | |
| 2009–2010 | Aladdin | Widow Twankey | |
| 2012 | The Guid Sisters | Rose Ouimet | |
| 2012 | Cinderella | Fairy Godmother | |
| 2013–2014 | Aladdin | Slave of the Ring | |
| 2015–2017 | Henry IV | Vernon | |
| 2019 | Calendar Girls | Cora | UK tour |
| 2019 | Still Game: The Final Farewell | God |
References
[edit]- ^ "Karen Dunbar: Aw Roon The Hooses!". OneRen. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ McMillan, Joyce (25 February 2021). "The Scotsman Sessions #192: Karen Dunbar". The Scotsman. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ a b English, Paul (21 June 2014). "Chewin' The Fat star Karen Dunbar tells of gay hate ordeal and how her pet cat was drowned". Dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "The best days of your life?". HeraldScotland. 12 July 2005. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ "Karen Dunbar speaks about Ayr influence before hometown gig". Ayr Advertiser. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ Karen Dunbar Straight Talk | Episode 8, retrieved 9 November 2023
- ^ a b "Karen Dunbar – actor singer comedienne". Karendunbar.co.uk. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
- ^ "The pick of the pantos". The Evening Times. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Panto magic!". The Evening Times. 10 December 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "It's time for a pantomime!". The Evening Times. 11 December 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Cinderella". The Evening Times. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Aladdin fun is a fare deal". The Evening Times. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "A Drunk Woman Looks At The Thistle, Oran Mor, Glasgow". The Herald. 24 April 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Eye For Film: Karen Dunbar on getting serious with Shakespeare for Julius Caesar". www.eyeforfilm.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ^ "Karen Dunbar Live from Ayr". BBC. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ "All Shows". www.breakneckcomedy.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
- ^ a b English, Paul (2 March 2016). "Scots comedy actress Karen Dunbar 'over the moon' as she announces wedding plans". Dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ a b "Comedian, top cyclist and Herald writer honoured at gay, lesbian and transgender community's big night out". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Top politicians among nominees for Scotland's first LGBTI Awards". PinkNews.co.uk. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "The Pink Scotland List: the pride of the nation". Scotsman.com. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Karen Dunbar: why I Belong to Glasgow". Evening Times. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "I Belong to Glasgow – Karen Dunbar – BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
- ^ "Use humour as a tool, not a weapon | Karen Dunbar | TEDxGlasgow". Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 31 October 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ English, Paul. "Karen Dunbar reveals all about her unintentionally hilarious cameo in Mary Queen of Scots movie". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
- ^ Szalai, Georg (4 March 2025). "BAFTA Games Awards: 'Senua's Saga: Hellblade II,' 'Astro Bot,' 'Still Wakes the Deep' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 4 March 2025.