Comedian Rachel Fairburn has revealed that appearing in a documentary about the infamous 1992 BBC Halloween special Ghostwatch was the "best day of my life." The pseudo-documentary, described as "the most frightening television programme ever broadcast," caused such hysteria that it was never shown again.
Childhood Fascination with the Macabre
Fairburn, who was 10 when she watched Ghostwatch, says it was a pivotal moment. "Deep down I knew it wasn't real, but I wanted it to be," she recalls. The show sparked a schoolyard obsession with ghosts, with children inventing hauntings in the music room.
Her interest in the macabre was further fueled by detective magazines her grandfather bought from a flea market, including a book called 'Horrible Murders' filled with sensational stories. Her grandmother disapproved, but her grandfather defended her interest, saying "She likes it."
All Killa No Filla Podcast
For over a decade, Fairburn has co-hosted the acclaimed podcast All Killa No Filla with fellow comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean. The show discusses serial killers with sensitivity, focusing on victims and cultural context. "We'd never make a joke about a murder, or we'd never joke about a victim," she says.
Fairburn criticizes the sensationalism in some true crime podcasts, stating, "We're not in this to get the traffic and the clicks. I think if you are doing true crime, you can't be grubby about it."
From Shy Kid to Stand-Up
Despite her confident stage presence, Fairburn was a shy child who wrote sketches for her mum and gran. Her mum encouraged her to try stand-up, but she initially resisted. She eventually took a comedy course in East Manchester funded by New Labour's New Deal for Communities, and performed her first gig before the course ended.
Balancing day jobs with comedy was tough. She recalls working at a Tourist Information Centre and traveling to gigs, once getting home at 5am after a London show before heading to work again.
Working-Class Representation in Comedy
Fairburn believes comedy has become "gentrified," with many performers having financial safety nets or Oxbridge connections. She took unpaid leave and a loan from her mum to fund her first Edinburgh Fringe appearance, paying her back in installments.
Despite the difficulties, she would recommend comedy to working-class women: "100%. Even though it's really difficult. If you work hard and you are good - and there is a lot of snobbery within the industry - there comes a point where they can't ignore you."
Vexy Beasts at the Fringe
This summer, Fairburn will perform her new show Vexy Beasts at the Edinburgh Fringe, a character-based piece set in a hair salon in the fictional Manchester suburb of Harpervale. "No one wants nice characters, really, do they?" she jokes.
She also records a special episode of All Killa No Filla at The Grand in Edinburgh on August 25.
Manchester Humour and Accent
Fairburn celebrates her Manchester accent, which has led to voiceover work including Tetley Tea. She is less thrilled about the prospect of bad Andy Burnham impressions now he is Prime Minister, predicting people will mimic his accent constantly.
"I don't know how many parodies we'll get of somebody just going: 'Oh, imagine if Liam Gallagher was Prime Minister!' That's coming," she warns.
