Des McLean is a Scottish stand-up comedian,[1] TV and Radio presenter from Glasgow, cited by Billy Connolly as his favourite comedian. He started comedy in 1999 and was a finalist in the BBC New Comedy Awards, in that year he was also a finalist in the Channel 4 programme So You Think You’re Funny.
Des McLean’s Edinburgh Fringe one-man show in 2005 earned a five star review and in that year he also took part in both the Glasgow and New York Comedy Festivals.
In 2006 McLean was sought by Radio Clyde to provide sketches for the Bowie at Breakfast programme on Clyde 1. He soon became the co-host on the breakfast show with George Bowie, with the pair winning Sony Radio Academy Awards in the Best Breakfast and Entertainment Categories. McLean recorded a series of wind-up telephone calls for the programme that became the most talked about feature on the radio station, fooling stars that included Sean Connery, Rod Stewart and Joan Rivers; CD releases of these calls became best-sellers across Scotland.
While still hosting daily radio shows McLean starred in pantomine as The Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz in 2008 and Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio in 2009. The live DVDs of his auditorium stand-up comedy shows were best sellers and in 2010 he headlined the Glasgow Armadillo, with a one-man show, which was made into a television special for STV.
McLean left Radio Clyde in 2010 and has worked since on television as an on-location presenter in Scotland for the One Show on BBC1. He has also hosted various STV programmes including Hogmanay and The Hour. Streetcast, McLean's series of comedy podcasts also have received rave reviews and his many You Tube sketches have between them have notched up over a million views.
In October 2011 Des completed a tour of New Zealand playing venues such as The Vector Arena and Hawkes Bay Opera House.