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Not That I'm Bitter

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Not That I'm Bitter

By: Helen Lederer
Narrated by: Helen Lederer
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About this listen

Updated with new chapters for 2025!

‘Helen Lederer is the third funniest woman in the world’–Dawn French

What was it like as one of a handful of women at the heart of the right-on alternative comedy scene in the 1980s? Piece of cake? Bit of a laugh? Well, yes, and no. It had its ups–but also its downs. Helen Lederer was a regular on the stand-up circuit and new-wave sketch shows in the decade that launched the careers of today’s comedy household names and national treasures.

She shared stages with comedy pioneers like Ben Elton and John Hegley, and TV screens with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Harry Enfield, and many others. From the iconic Absolutely Fabulous, to Bottom, Happy Families, Naked Video, French and Saunders and Girls on Top, it is difficult to think of a comedy show that Helen wasn’t a part of. From writing radio shows, to performing on the West End, her wry, witty perspectives, and her face, are unforgettable. So, plain sailing then? Well, not really.

Not That I’m Bitter, her powerful, frank, moving and characteristically funny memoir, reveals exactly how choppy the waters could be. Even in those ground-breaking, anti-Thatcher days, there was only room at top for so many women. For the rest, it was as much a struggle to be seen and heard in the world of comedy as in any boardroom or workplace, and just as difficult to avoid the predators. This is more than the story of one decade, however. The child of a Jewish-Czech wartime refugee, Helen Lederer was never part of the mainstream. How do you make humour from a lifelong battle against problems with weight and low-self-esteem? Where are the jokes in addictions to diet-pills and steroid injections? How can laughter defeat the darker moments, like a child’s anorexia or PTSD? How do you cope with constant self-sabotage when, despite enormous success, you still feel like a failure? Helen raises an important and open discussion around mental health alongside the evolved attitudes to women today. There’s something in Helen Lederer’s life-story that everyone can relate to.

A genuinely funny memoir with lots of heart (and just the right amount of bitterness!), she pulls no punches, but every blow is wrapped in a laugh of recognition. Revealing, and moving, Not That I’m Bitter is sweet, sour, laugh out loud, and addictive.

See Helen on TV in BBC’s The Pilgrimage!

©2024 Helen Lederer (P)2024 W.F.Howes Ltd
Entertainment & Celebrities Women Comedy Funny Witty Inspiring Thought-Provoking

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All stars
Most relevant  
I’ve always enjoyed Helen Lederer’s performances and often wondered why she wasn’t a bigger star. This honest, thoughtful and funny biography reveals all, dispelling illusions about fame, while showing the determination it takes to maintain a career in comedy, especially for a woman. I’m glad I took the time to get to know this unique comedian better.

An unexpected insight into almost fame

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A great career, that is bang on my ear for watching comedy, brought to life. Properly warts and all, but really really funny.

Brutally funny

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Really enjoyed listening to Helen reciting her life story. She’s so self deprecating, and if you have been aware of her career since the 80’s, you will enjoy listening to her assessment of it.

She’s so honest I found her very brave.
Would have loved to have seen more of her on the tv more regularly over the years, but as she says herself, she was usually ahead of the trend, and perhaps her face didn’t always fit.

Would 100% recommend this.
May listen again!

Loved it

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Always love Helen! This gives an insight into her life both funny and sad, but mainly funny!!

funny!

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I LOVED THIS. Ms Lederer KNOWS HERSELF WELL! She doesn’t try and fool the listener/reader into thinking that she is something she isn’t or who she might like to be regarded. She is so articulate, clever, witty and generous in her tales and admissions especially. I haven’t read a memoir that is so ‘out there’ in revealing that they aren’t perfect, in fact they are quite self damaging to themselves and openly admit that they have unpleasant traits.
I was really impressed by the many stories of how her lesser qualities shall we say,have impeded her, she is keen to admit to some unfortunate behaviour, but she owns it throughout and it is clear she knows exactly who she is and is unapologetic for it, it’s just who she is.
Lots of lovely stories and although I have always liked her on TV, it made me want to really see her do so well and brighten our screens with her great skills. Very self effacing, i found she is too hard on herself though at times, she is clearly talented and likeable, loving and funny. I will enjoy listening to this again, it’s well worth it, don’t hesitate. It’s a BRILLIANT, INTERESTING and TRUTHFUL read! A wonderfully funny, bright and razor sharp British woman!

Brutally honest, very entertaining, superb.

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A truthful account of a career which both sailed & sank.

Helen’s honesty about her successes, misses and self-sabotage are wonderfully entertaining with plenty of laugh out loud moments (apologies to the lady buying haslet in Lincoln).

Also inspiring - how she’s managed to wrap everything together to create an organisation which continues to grow and succeed. I had no idea.

A fabulous, fabulous autobiography.

Fabulously honest mayhem.

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This book is very good indeed, always been a fan of Helen since the early days. This is a moving account of her career, the ups and downs. All very brutally honest, I loved it

Brutally honest

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Having recently read Jenny Eclairs memoir, It seems that their experience has been much the same. A sense of a long slog against the inherent misogyny of society in the kast couple of generations, in particular re comedy and specifically Stand Up. Im certain their assessments of wider society and the comedy scene are accurate, but Helen, rather like Jenny, seems also to have been at the mercy of her own self sabotage career wise. A degree of self awareness doesn’t seem to have led either to better decisions. Helen is likable and funny, indeed she throws in a few brilliant one liners / come backs that o was really impressed with. Like Jenny she has achieved real success as a novelist, and as with Jenny I wonder that she hasn’t twigged that success has come when they weren’t required to collaborate!
A little reflection on that might be worth its weight. Bottom line she writes well and amusingly, ahe cracks some good jokes and i enjoyed her take on the last forty years we shared.

Well she is a bit, but shes funny with it.

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Apologies to all the people I scared by bursting out laughing as I walked past. It was Helen, not you.

Helen Lederer’s memoir Not That I’m Bitter is brilliant. So brilliant that most memoirists will probably be bitter that their own books aren’t as good.

Helen leaves no stones unturned, as she details the adventures of her life (some voluntary, others very much not) in an honest, self-deprecating, often hilarious, sometimes moving way.

I laughed frequently, while at other times I wanted to reach into the book and give her a hug. Helen narrated the book, which makes it even funnier and more poignant.

By writing this memoir, Helen has cemented her role as one of the UK’s finest female comedians. She’s hilarious, humble, human and one hell of a cheerleader for other witty women. I LOVED this book and I love Helen too.

The wittiest memoir I've ever listed to!

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Well worth a listen but prepare to be overwhelmed with questions and expostulations. How? Why? Not again! Bloody Nora! etc. I think you get a real sense of what she is like but not how she copes with being like that or how other people respond to her. I started the book remembering her well from the 80s, was horrified by some of the early goings on but ended the book liking her very much. I envy her ability to push through disorder, her own and that of others, to achieve so much, she must a huge amount of courage and energy. I share her irritation that funny men do not have to push so hard and hope that she can feel satisfied with the career she has forged against the odds, she deserves to.

OMG, what an amazing woman!

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