Gail Porter, 53, made her comedy debut at the festival in 2023 which sold out.
Ex-BBC presenter Gail Porter said she has been “priced out” of attending the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in her hometown.
Porter, 53, who started her career presenting children’s television and later became a model, said “greed” had made it impossible for her to attend the world-famous festival in August.
She made her Fringe debut last year with comedy show Hung, Drawn and Portered which discussed her battles with mental health, alopecia and homelessness, and sold out tickets for 31 performances.
Was so excited to go the @edfringe this year. But I have been priced out by the soaring costs of B&Bs. My home town. I feel so sorry for new young performers that won’t be able to afford accommodation. I’m gutted Edinburgh has done this. Greed is awful.
— Gail Porter (@Gailporter) April 8, 2024
Posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, Porter said she was “gutted” Edinburgh had become so expensive, and voiced her sympathy for aspiring performers who would not be able to attend.
She received a response from the Fringe, which said it was “trying to find solutions”.
The presenter has been asked to clarify whether she was planning to perform at or attend the Fringe.
Porter wrote: “Was so excited to go the @edfringe this year. But I have been priced out by the soaring costs of B&Bs. My home town. I feel so sorry for new young performers that won’t be able to afford accommodation. I’m gutted Edinburgh has done this. Greed is awful.”
A spokesperson for the Fringe responded, posting: “Totally understand your frustration, Gail – please know we’re doing what we can to find solutions, be it through discussions with govt or negotiating affordable options for artists.
“Please give our team a shout via artists@edfringe.com and they’ll do what they can to help.”
Porter added: “Thank you for your response. I just feel for so many people I know that are not coming to my home. Just really upsetting x x”.
Several fans offered Porter the chance to stay in their spare bedrooms.
One person wrote: “I have a spare room! Let’s get drunk and eat snacks together.”
The festival will take place between August 2 and 26 and is in its 77th year, with 1,647 shows so far revealed.
