‘Shocking state of childcare in the UK forced me to become a comedian’-Kitty Chrisp-Entertainment – Metro

Sophie McCartney had a different route into comedy after quitting her job over childcare costs (Picture: Karla Gowlett)

Comedian and novelist Sophie McCartney – yes, from that McCartney family – hasn’t had an ordinary route into stand-up and parenthood. Or life, for that matter.

The mother-of-three, 40, went viral in 2017 after posting her first ever comedy video online, which was her own version of Ed Sheeran’s Shape Of You, reimagined from the perspective of a parent.

And so ‘Smell Of You’ was born, which would go on to cause Sophie legal trouble (she wasn’t aware of copyright laws at that time, but we live and learn).

More importantly, though, it kickstarted a whole new career path for Sophie, who – perhaps controversially – got into stand-up comedy via social media skits.

It’s not controversial at all on paper. But Sophie feels a certain level of judgement from the comedy community that she didn’t work her way up the stand-up circuit to get where she is now. Instead, success came virtually, in her relatable sketches as Tired and Tested.

‘There seems to be a sense of people thinking: “You haven’t done it properly. You’ve skipped ahead of where you should be,”‘ Sophie says chatting to Metro.

The social media star thinks the way she got into comedy is a great access point for women (Picture: Karla Gowlett)

It’s a perspective Sophie can empathise with, but it’s one she has a very valid counter argument to.

‘I think the way I came into comedy is a great access point for women,’ she says. ‘I was edging towards me late 30s when I got into stand up. I already had the kids, my husband worked away a lot.

‘There was no way I could hop in a car and do a gig at a working men’s club in Blackburn at the drop of a hat. The circuit for me wasn’t an option.’

While the percentage of dads giving up their jobs for childcare is increasing, the vast majority of parents who do this are mothers, so this inherent inaccessability in comedy does disproportionately affect budding female comics.

Sophie poses a salient question: ‘How many of these people are trapped at home with all this potential and all this funny?’

Probably a fair few. Charity Turn2us estimates a single parent working full-time with a child in nursery for 21 hours a week spends 21% of their wages on childcare. A single parent working full-time with a child in nursery for 40 hours a week spends 40% of their wages on childcare.

To encourage parents back to work a new system is being rolled out in 2025, when children as young as nine months will be eligible to 30 hours of subsidised childcare every week of term time.

This mother-of-three isn’t just a comedian though: she’s also a best-selling author, having written Tired and Tested and her first novel Mother Hens, which was shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize.

While there’s some turned-up noses in the comedy industry at Sophie’s entry via social media, it’s the same in the publishing industry. (And no, she definitely does not have a ghost writer.)

But none of this would have happened if Sophie hadn’t been forced to quit her day job in PR.

‘I worked out I would come home with £100 a month if I’d stayed in my job,’ Sophie says, explaining how she simply couldn’t afford childcare while she was at work, having welcomed Jack, 11, and then Evelyn, now nine.

It’s inspiring for Sophie to have Sir Paul McCartney in her family (Picture: Karla Gowlett)

‘It had all just become a completely pointless venture,’ Sophie says. ‘That’s the state of affairs, childcare in this country especially is abominable.

‘It kind of forced my hand to make me think of other things I could do. I do credit the kids with that, as I don’t think I’d be doing what I’m doing now without them.’

Another push to try and achieve her goals Sophie got was from her unique upbringing. When your dad’s cousin is Sir Paul McCartney, it makes you believe anything is possible.

‘There’s a wealth of talent on that side of our family,’ says Sophie, explaining how they are all in the entertainment industry in some shape or form.

‘I think being able to look at somebody who came from this working class background and has become the most influential music and pop moguls of all time, you can only look at that and go, “What could I achieve?””

She adds with a laugh: ‘But you do also look at it and go, whatever I do, I will never be that successful.’

The family all get together every now and then to watch Sir Paul’s concerts. Sophie reflects: ‘He’s like 82 and packing out arenas, and he goes on for hours as well. It’s just madness.

‘I just think, you know what, I wish I’d be like this when I’m that age. So he’s very, aspirational, and he’s very nice as well. He’s very normal, and he’s very lovely.

The Beatles star just wrapped up his Got Back tour aged 82 (Picture: REUTERS)

‘It does make you think, just go for it. Because the sky is literally the limit, and then you can get to the sky, and you can smash a way through that as well.’

When she first got into stand-up in 2019 before the pandemic halted proceedings, Sophie did three sessions of hypnotherapy to give her the confidence to get up there.

Now that life is back to normal and Nate is old enough, Sophie is getting back to making people laugh on stage.

‘I knew I wasn’t going to take 40 well,’ Sophie says, explaining the premise of her new show, One Foot In The Rave.

‘I’ve spoken to a lot of people about this. There is always this feeling of you’ve hit 40, and then it’s almost like you’re just on the chopping block,’ Sophie says.

‘I’m still kind of trying to work out who I am after the birth of my kids. I’m still in people’s phone as Jack’s mum, Evelyn’s mum, and, you know, I have a name!

‘I’ve come just out of the back of that and then into perimenopause, and that’s going to change me again.

‘The crux of the show is that I’m too old to be young, but then I’m too young to be old. I don’t know where I am in the world, and I don’t know my place.But actually, a lot of us don’t.’

Sophie McCartney is touring One Foot In The Rave in 2025, kicking off in Carlisle in February. Get tickets here.

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