RUTH STEPS OUT AND STANDS UP!
FUNNY GIRL RUTH LEONARD TELLS ALISON COMYN HOW FINDING HER VOICE AS TOTALLY RUTHLESS CHANGED HER LIFE
LORD Byron said, “Always laugh when you can, it is cheap medicine,” and for Drogheda woman Ruth Leonard making others laugh has proved to be the best medicine for her too. In the past year or son, the talented comedian has taken social media by storm with her hilarious rants about weight loss disasters, shopping for skinny jeans, and of course, her popular Prosecco Friday posts.
With thousands of followers, she has taken her unique brand of comedy to the real world, with stand-up shows in McHugh’s and Whelan’s of Dublin.
“It’s just insane the way things have taken off and who would have thought it for a 43 year old wife and mother of two kids,” she says, her infectious chortle filling the room. “I have Jessica whose 15 and Joe whose seven, and I know I mortify them with the videos, and she asks why I can’t just work in supermarket, but sure I love every minute of it!”
But in 2016, her life was anything but funny.
“It was the worst year of my life and I look back now and I say how did I get through it and you just do,” she says, her radiant smile fading momentarily. “My marriage broke down, I had really bad depression and I lost my job, it was just awful.”
Ruth says after her husband Andy moved out (they have since happily reunited), it was just her and the kids, and it got to the stage she couldn’t get out of bed.
“I wouldn’t get up, I wouldn’t get dressed- I remember it was a Tuesday morning and we were still separated and the kids rang Andy and said ‘ there’s something wrong with Mam, you have to come.” says Ruth, her voice cracking with emotion. “He brought the kids to school, dressed me, and put me in the car to Galway! I literally cried the whole way, and by the time I got home, I realised that if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what I would have done.”
Ruth says after that, something clicked and changed.
“I went to counselling for eight
IT MAKES PEOPLE LAUGH, AND NOTHING MAKES ME HAPPIER THAN TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT
weeks, and my doctor put me oon anti-depressants, which I will be on for the rest of my life, which is nothing to be ashamed of, and I feel amazing,” she explains. “I took it day by day, and as soon as I started doing the posts in 2017, I felt better and better, and knew I had found a focus.”
And life couldn’t look any brighter for this born and bred Droghedean, who was born to entertain.
“I’m originally a Fallon from Rathmullen, but everyone knows me now as Totally Ruthless,” she says, her bubbly persona bursting back into life. “Can you believe I used to work for the Government – for the Department of Education and Failte Ireland – but I’m now on a career break, and really want to make a career out of this, as I think I’ve found something I’m good at.”
She says school wasn’t really her strong point, and spent a year in America in 1996, as she knew there was ‘something more out there’.
“I applied as an au pair and had a great time for a year, and just as well, as the day I came home in 1997, was the day I met Andy – 23 years ago!”, she laughs. “I had done panto and stuff like that when I was younger – I was a smashing tap dancer - but had never been the class clown in school or anything, so it wasn’t until I was recovering from depression that I found my comedy voice.” It was her friend Jill who got her started on the road to stardom.
“I had hidden myself away for a while, but she called me one night to cook me dinner, and of course, after a few glasses (bottles) of wine, we downloaded Snapchat and started messing,” she recalls. “I did one with a filter saying how I wanted the perfect HD brows, and Jill was in stitches and she persuaded me to post it, even though I was mortified, and it went crazy.”
Crazy indeed, and before long, it received 15 million views and counting!
“Friends encouraged me to do more, and Totally Ruthless, my alter ego, was born, and I just talk about my life, and it makes people laugh, and nothing makes me happier than to do that.”
Since those first few videos, she has now built up a huge following, with millions enjoying her funny rants on life, even if her mum gives out about her bad language!
“My mum watches them all, and she jokes about my cursing, but I’m Irish, what do you expect!”, she says with a twinkle in her eye. “I don’t want to offend anyone, but it’s just stuff in my life that thousands of others identify with – like I’ve struggled all my life with my weight, so finding skinny jeans is a nightmare!”
Using the filters gave Ruth the confidence to start her new career, but eventually she found the courage to step out from behind them.
“They were really popular, but no one knew it was me, so around the time of World Mental Health Day last October, which is really important to me personally, I did a post as me, going on about how people put up their Christmas trees after Halloween, and it went crazy – getting millions of hits, as just me,” she says, with a grin.
“It gave me the confidence to do more without the filter, and to finally try stand-up, which is terrifying, and if that first joke doesn’t go down well, you know you might be in trouble!”
But far from falling flat, Ruth as Totally Ruthless has been building up a following on stage too, and had regular gigs in McHugh’s in Drogheda and in Whelan’s in Dublin.
“I’ve always wanted to entertain people, and life can be so hard now, I love to see people happy, and can’t believe how my life has changed for the better,” says Ruth, who says the support of Andy and her family means the world. “I love that I get stopped in the street now and people thank me for making them laugh, and say they can’t wait until the next Prosecco Friday video is out - it makes my day.”
But what of the future for this bright talent?
“The plan is to start making more money so it can be my career,” she laughs. “The Credit Union asked me to do their Christmas party, and I launched the new Abbey Travel shop last week, but I have to keep the next big news to myself, but watch this space!”