Holly's interview in The Guardian

Dec 20 2018

Holly Stoppit
Image credit: Holly as Clown In Residence at Bristol Museum / photographer Joe Rosser

Whoopa! My words made it into The Guardian!

Journalist Ryan Gilbey interviewed me, along with a host of other Clowns to put an end to the myth that clowns are a dying breed. Ryan had read the statistic that's been doing the rounds for a few years, that children party clowns are being replaced by Disney characters, threatening the demise of the clown species. 

Very quickly, Ryan found out there's more to clowning than children's parties and set about discovering the full range of sub-species of clowns. 

He asked great questions and listened very carefully to my answers, as well as recording the interview. 

He probed into my teaching methods and who exactly comes to my classes, he asked about the mental health aspect that my work is becoming synonymous with and he quizzed me on my thoughts about the scary clown epidemic, the use of face-paint and red noses.

I'm quoted as saying: "I don’t use face paint. I’ve got no interest in hiding." Well, I guess I must have said it, sounds like the sort of thing I might say in a disarmed moment. I hope I haven't done other clowns a disservice. I believe all clowns are doing important work. We all have our own ways. But balance rarely sells newspapers!

You can read the full article here:

"Revenge of the clowns: how Bozo and chums put the fun back into fright wigs"


Holly Stoppit menu