Des McLean

Who is Des McLean?

Des McLean is a Scottish stand-up comedian, actor, and a presenter for radio and television from Glasgow. Billy Connolly has cited McLean as his favourite comedian.

He started working in comedy during 1999, and was a finalist in both the BBC New Comedy Awards, and in the Channel 4 programme So You Think You’re Funny. In 2002 McLean made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his one-man show Des McLean 5 Stars and appeared on the BBC series The Live Floor Show. The following year he performed at the Glasgow International and New York comedy festivals.

In 2005 McLean was sought by Radio Clyde to provide sketches for the Bowie at Breakfast programme on Clyde 1. He soon became the co-host on the breakfast show with George Bowie, with the two men winning Sony Radio Academy Awards in the Best Breakfast and Entertainment Categories. McLean recorded a series of wind-up telephone calls for the programme, fooling stars that included Sean Connery, Rod Stewart and Joan Rivers. The daily calls became a series of 4 top selling CD releases, The Best of The 8.10 Sketches. McLean went on to host his own comedy sketch shows Friday Night Comedy and Des McLean's Sunday Sketch.

While still hosting daily radio shows McLean starred as The Tin Man in the Glasgow Pavilion Theatre pantomime Wizard of Oz in 2008 and Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio in 2009. In 2008 his flair for more serious acting won him the lead role in the theatre drama Two Tales of Love and Loss.