Comedian Rosco McLelland has said it feels “incredible” to have won a comedy award chosen by Billy Connolly. McLelland picked up the Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at Glasgow International Comedy Festival’s (GICF) Comedy Gala on Sunday. Advertisement Mr Connolly sent a personalised video message from his home in Florida to announce the winner, making reference to one of McLelland’s jokes about slugs.
He said: “Congratulations to Rosco McClelland – the slug nudger! Well done – I had a good laugh at your thing about the slugs in the bin. “I wish you all the very best, I hope your career goes bouncing from strength to strength and that the Glasgow humour goes bounding from strength to strength, as it will. Congratulations.
” The award is the only one given by GICF, and previous winners are Susie McCabe (2024) and the late Janey Godley (2023). Advertisement Created in 2023 in honour of Mr Connelly, the award aims to reward an individual who most personifies the “Spirit of Glasgow”. McClelland said: “Thank you so much – to join the list of people who have won, Janey and Susie, is incredible.
“To know that the Big Yin has seen me do my silly wee bits ostand-upup is insane, that’s the real prize in this. Just to hear him say my name, I can’t believe this, he’s the best to ever do it. “Thank you to my family, everybody at Glasgow International Comedy Festival, and my agents.
To everybody else who was nominated – they’re fantastic comedia.