Notes from my sick bed

send honey and lemon

I am bed-bound today with the lurgy, beautifully timed for my show in Edinburgh tomorrow. Noooo! Taking vitamins every three hours that taste like raw garlic and glugging pints of ginger tea. Was supposed to be having dinner courtesy of chef legend Julie Lin tonight, seriously gutted to miss out on her delicious food.

If you’re coming to Monkey Barrel tomorrow, don’t worry: adrenaline will see me through. And ibuprofen. This ain’t my first rodeo. There are just TWO tickets left, which you can procure at this link.

The completist in me would love to sell this out. Do you know two comedy fans in Edinburgh, or the surrounds? Tell them about it, make my day! Equally, if you’re skint but want to come, get in touch and I will sort you out.

On the wireless - coming soon!

Eleanor Morton’s BBC Radio 4 pilot record (Eleanor & Pals) went well on Tuesday. We have a broadcast date: Wednesday 11 February 2026. Really grateful to Eleanor and producer Gus for bringing me (Aileen) on board. It’s definitely got me thinking about radio vs TV as a medium - leaning on listeners’ imaginations instead of having to build sets or props; the luxury of having a script (no memorising lines!); no need for make-up or costumes (although I wore my Aileen outfit anyway); no worries about Scottish weather disrupting plans at the last minute; it’s all quite appealing.

Armchair mountaineering

Since the nights have drawn in, my partner and I have become obsessed with Everest films (EverestTok is a gateway). There’s something comforting about getting toasty under a blanket and watching mad people scramble about in horrifically cold conditions. It makes you appreciate the little things in life, like Not Being on Everest. We’ve watched The Man Who Skied Down Everest (spoiler: a mere six people had to die for him to achieve it); the first two parts of Aftershock: Everest and the Nepal Earthquake (probs won’t finish it, Netflix loves to drag stuff out); and Everest with Jake Gyllenhaal (which confirmed I prefer docs to dramatisations). Any recommendations welcome.

Christmas in the West End

On Saturday at 3.30pm, I’m going method: “Aileen” is switching on the Christmas lights at the Clarice Pears building just off Byres Road. There’s free activities, market stalls etc. from 12-4pm. Maybe see you there?

Settling into Scotland

Ibrahim, the now 20-year-old who fled Gaza and is studying at the University of Glasgow had his first ever day trip (to Edinburgh) last week. I know many folk on here supported the campaign to get him to Glasgow, so you might be interested in following his updates on Instagram. He’s launched an appeal to support his remaining family, you can donate at this link.

Off to ingest some more garlic, wish me luck.