Tributes have been paid following the death of Gary Little, who has been described as one of “Scotland’s finest comedians”.
Mr Little, who was in his 60s, rose to prominence in the early 2000s, gaining recognition as a finalist in a stand-up competition hosted by The Stand comedy club.
He went on to perform regularly at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and the Edinburgh Fringe.
The Glee Club in Glasgow, where the comedian was due to perform on Friday, confirmed his death on social media.
It said: “Gary wasn’t just one of Scotland’s finest comedians, he was a true original.
“He had a huge heart, a razor sharp sense of humour, and a knack for making you feel like you’d known him forever.
“He could make an entire room feel like they were sitting with an old friend. He played our opening weekend, and was a permanent fixture at the venue ever since.”
Originally from Springburn in the north of Glasgow, Gary’s material often drew from personal experience—including his time in prison.
In the early 90s he spent time in jail on a drug dealing charge.
Then in 2007, he was briefly jailed for stealing books at a warehouse where he worked as a forklift truck driver, netting £100,000 from selling them on eBay.
His stand-up shows tackled themes of mental health and addiction.
In 2024, he created a four-part stand-up series for BBC Radio 4 called Gary Little: At Large which explored life “before, behind and beyond bars”.
He had been due to tour with fellow comedian Raymond Mears later this year.
A number of Scottish comedians have taken to social media to pay tribute to Mr Little.
Jo Caulfield said: “Gary Little was a great comic and an amazing person to spend time with.
“I will truly miss not seeing you backstage and never hearing that big mischievous laugh.”
Another Glaswegian comedian, Darren Connell said: “Scottish comedy lost a legend today — heart-breaking news. Gary was an absolute powerhouse.
“He hosted my first ever gig when I was 18 years old, and after a shocker of a set, he took me aside and told me to keep my head down, work hard, and not let it get to me.”