Demystifying Death Awards 2023
We're delighted to announce the shortlist for this year's Demystifying Death Awards, recognising pioneering work that shines a light on death, dying and bereavement in Scotland.
The Awards celebrate those working to make Scotland a place where everyone can help when someone is caring, dying and grieving. Find out more about about the work of the shortlisted candidates below.
Celebrity Champion Winner - Greg Wise
Greg Wise is a British actor and writer. He has appeared in numerous British television programmes and feature films.
He was the main carer for his sister Clare when she was dying of cancer, and together they wrote a blog which later became the book Not that kind of love.
Greg has talked openly about some of the privileges and difficulties faced by informal carers and by people living with and dying from incurable illness. As someone with a high profile, this has helped raise awareness and understanding among new audiences, with his words appearing (for example) in the Guardian, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mail, the Sun, Lorraine, Loose Women and Hello Magazine.
In 2021, Greg appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, which receives viewing figures of around 7 million. He openly shared his and Clare’s experiences, dedicating a dance to her, and openly modelling that grief is part of life and that it is ok to talk about this.
As well as sharing personal experiences of caring for his sister, Greg has also raised important issues such as the UK’s reliance on unpaid carers, the importance of the NHS and need to ensure appropriate support for people at the end of life.
Read about the other Demystifying Death Award nominees here: Demystifying Death Awards Blogs
Celebrity Champion Shortlist - Cariad Lloyd
Cariad Lloyd is a British comedian, actor, writer, and podcaster. She works on a range of radio, TV and live shows, and is a member of the improvisational comedy group Austentatious.
Cariad created and hosts the podcast Griefcast, a series of conversations about death, bereavement, and coping with the loss of a loved one. It has won several awards, including: "Best Entertainment Podcast", "Best Interview Podcast" and "Podcast of the Year" at the British Podcast Awards[23] and an ARIA Award for "Podcast of the Year".
Cariad has written You are not alone, a book that deals with personal grief. The Times's review[7] has described her book as, "A blackly funny, honest, thought-provoking and compassionate book that will be of comfort to all who know loss".
Cariad has used her profile to increase understanding of grief and bereavement and of the support that people need. For example, she has taken part in the Good Grief Festival, a Marie Curie podcast, presented a documentary What we’ve learnt about grief on Radio 4, and her words have appeared for example in the Independent, the Daily Mail, Glamour Magazine and the Guardian.
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
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