GENERAL INTERVIEW

Cally Beaton from Namastee Motherf**kers: Where work, comedy and wellbeing collide

Published on February 2, 2023

Cally Beaton started her working life by driving an ice-cream van around the army barracks of Salisbury Plain when she was sixteen years old, and after working her way to the boardrooms of some of the biggest TV production companies – she pivoted to stand-up when she was 45. Cally was nudged into the sphere of performance by none other than Joan Rivers, and and at the end of 2022, she made her ‘Live at the Apollo’ debut at the age of 53.

In her podcast, Namaste Motherf**kers, she shares the microphone with guests to find out what makes them tick, and what makes them laugh. We asked her some questions about her podcast life…

For people who might not have listened yet, what is your podcast elevator pitch!

Namaste Motherf**kers is the only podcast where the worlds of work, comedy and wellbeing collide; the podcast where the life-changing stuff happens. With the help of a different celebrity guest or expert each week we get to the stories you’ve never heard before – uncovering not your normal life lessons, but some big ones nonetheless. Each episode culminates with our guest identifying three things: their own Namaste Mother**king life-changing moment, their favourite joke, and the life advice they most want our listeners to hear.

Tell us about that name – Why Namaste Motherf**kers?

The name sums up the spirit of what I most love about the combination of my career and life to date – wellbeing, emotional intelligence and self-development combined with humour, fun and irreverence.

Why do you love podcasts?

Having worked in television throughout my adult life I’ve found watching TV a bit of a bus man’s (bus person’s!) holiday so I’ve always loved listening to the spoken word to relax. Until the advent of podcasts it was always the radio, but nowadays it’s audiobooks and podcasts too. It’s rare I don’t have something on in the background during the day and it’s the audio equivalent of people watching. I’m nosy and I can’t get enough of what other people are saying, doing and thinking!

Which podcaster makes you laugh the most?

If there’s one thing they don’t need it’s any more publicity but I really love Parenting Hell; Rob Beckett in particular is a genius. I’m also a big fan of WUYN with Seann Walsh and Paul McCaffrey. Paul is outstanding, onstage and on the podcast. And I love Desert Island Discs which I always listen back to on BBC Sounds.

For listeners of your podcast, what can they expect from your stand-up?

My comedy is, as it says on the tin, purely for laughs – no life lessons required and obviously no-one to interview! It’s observational, intelligent, and feminist and I tell stories about subjects no one else is covering on the circuit. I’m also a big believer in punchlines needing to come thick and fast so there are lots of actual jokes. But don’t take my word for it – come and see for me live!

What exciting things will 2023 bring for Namaste Motherf**kers?

We have some fabulous guests coming up including: Deborah Meaden, Kirsty Wark, Mariella Frostrup, Richard Coles and Philippa Perry. It’s our 100th episode in March which we’ll be marking with a star-studded compilation of our most famous and popular guests’ life-changing moments – big names, telling the stories of their wow moments. We have some live shows planned for later in the year and there’s even a Namaste Motherf**king book in the works! It’s fair to say that 2023 will be our biggest year yet.