Eddie Izzard opens up about her pronouns changing

Speaking this week, the comedian explained that her pronouns changed to 'she/her' when she was asked for her preference during an appearance on the Sky Arts programme Portrait Artist of the Year in 2020.

Viewers were particularly touched by the moment as she explained at the time: “This is the first programme I’ve asked if I can be she and her, a little transition period.”

Izzard sat down with Clive Anderson on the podcast My Seven Wonders where she opened up further about the moment she was asked for her pronouns and explained how she currently identifies.

Izzard said she didn’t intentionally plan to change her pronouns: “My pronouns... I didn’t change my pronouns. I was thinking of changing them.

“I went on a programme called Portrait Artist of the Year, Sky Arts, very nice, go on there.”

Izzard went on to explain that she was asked about her pronouns as if she was being asked if she wanted a coffee.

She now identifies ‘gender fluid’ and is ‘now based as a trans woman’.

“Some young artists painting me, they [asked] me, like a coffee thing, they said, ‘she/her or he/him?’ I was wearing a dress and I’m based as a trans woman now, so she/her, I’ll have a latte – it was that kind of lack of stress.”

The episode aired in December 2020 and Izzard recalled noticing her new pronouns being adopted by the wider public.

“In two days in America and Britain where I’m best known, all my pronouns were changed.

“Which is fantastic, a great honour. I’ve been promoted to she, I see it as a great honour,” she added.

“But I prefer she/her, don’t mind he/him, and I’m going to be relaxed about it. It’s not the time for fighting each other on this.

“The extreme right wing, I’m happy to fight them, because they get up in the morning with hatred, and they push hatred. All the problems in the world seem to start with the extreme right. Even plumbing.’

Izzard is best known for her stand-up comedy tours over the past thirty years, starring in the TV series The Riches and her roles in Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen.