The comedian discussed the second season of The Change with Radio Times magazine.The comedian discussed the second season of The Change with Radio Times magazine.
In a woodland clearing, a group of women gather in a circle, sharing stories of myth and mayhem. At the heart of it all is the newly crowned Eel Queen, Linda—a woman who has broken free from suburban middle age, trading routine for adventure on her Triumph motorbike in search of something more meaningful. Channel 4’s comedy The Change is feminist, bold, and hilarious—much like its creator, comedian Bridget Christie.
The show has been in the works for eight years. “It took so long, Linda was going through puberty when I started,” laughs Christie, who also plays the menopausal lead. Returning this week for its second season after earning praise in 2023, the series has clearly struck a chord with viewers.
Advertisement A woman sent me a picture. Her friends had made her an Eel Queen headdress, adorned by all things special to her. I found it very moving. People felt seen and heard.
Christie knows the feeling well, having spent years navigating the comedy circuit and struggling with unsuccessful script ideas. The youngest of nine children born to Irish parents in Gloucester, she earned a place at drama school at 18 but couldn’t afford to attend until five years later when she secured a scholarship.
I came from a small town, working class, no contacts, I was working in a post office at the time and I thought, ‘Whatever happens from this point, I was given this opportunity.’ It was the stuff of dreams.
she recalls
Winning the top comedy award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2013 was another turning point, but it followed years of performing to empty rooms and facing harsh reviews. What kept her going? “As a stand-up, conquering fear and failure is what you have to do to keep going. It forces your hand.”
Now 53 and a mother of two children with her ex-husband, fellow comedian Stewart Lee, Christie reflects,
I wouldn’t have wanted to be successful early on. I think all roads have led to here – to this show about the menopause, at the age I am now.
Like Linda, Christie has experienced menopause and rides a motorbike, but she insists that’s where the similarities end.
I’ve been lucky to have this career and this life, I’m not Linda, but I really know who she is. She’s an everywoman who has neglected herself over the last 20 years – like lots of women, who’ve dedicated the best part of their adult lives to supporting their families, then they get to a certain age when they’re not needed.
she says
While creating the show, she noticed this dynamic often.
I saw a lot of that around me, women at parties not being asked about themselves. Men are allowed to be individual beings who go on these journeys in real life and in fiction, and I hadn’t seen it as much as I’d like for women.
Menopause is talked about more now than in the past, but after centuries of silent suffering, can it also be funny? “I believe every subject, no matter how dark, can be funny,” says Christie. “That’s how I navigate the world, and my job is to find that sweet spot between pathos and humour. So I believe it can be devastating, life-changing and also funny.”
The Change is not an anti-man crusade. “Linda’s husband Steve [played by Omid Djalili] isn’t bad, he’s just a bit hopeless,” Christie explains.
He doesn’t think enough about his wife and what’s important to her. I’ve seen this in real life. I know many men who are feminist in theory, but the theory is no good if you’re watching your partner hoover around you while you’re watching TV.
Still, Christie’s real champions are women, both on screen and in real life.
We’re judged so much from puberty to menopause. It’s all to do with being attractive and fertile – it feels like that whole middle section of life is so compromised.
I wanted this show to make menopause a liberating experience that you can come through knowing your true self. I’d like people to be laughing at something hopeful and joyful.
She pauses. “And if it means women get paid for housework, that would be great.”
The Change Season 2 premiered on Tuesday, March 25, on Channel 4.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.