By STACEY MULLEN

A GLASGOW comedian who left behind his crime family roots for love and comedy is planning to turn making people laugh into a full-time career.

Gary Faulds hopes that he will be a professional comedian this time next year having already built up quite a following in the four years he has been doing the circuit.

With a surname that is known in the North East streets, the 29-year-old funnyman, however, has not had the most traditional starts in life.

"I am from a crime family in Glasgow. My dad had cancer and when I came out of the army, I got involved in the family security business," Gary said.

He added:"I was wasting my life with drink and drugs. I had money and I was seeing different girls.

"I joined the army to get away from that and then I found myself back in it."

Things, however, changed for Gary when he met his wife Ashley who has been credited with making him the man he is today.

"My life has completely changed," he boasted.

The father-of-four, who is due to be a dad again in August, continued: "I met my wife who is a born again Christian. She said to me that is not the life for me. You can love me or go your own way.

"I just loved her so much I thought, do you know what? I am ready to change. I changed everything for her."

Now Gary, who grew up in Sighthill but lives in Springburn, works full-time as a lorry driver and he also "delivers donna kebabs by the hundreds".

His route into comedy four years ago, however, perhaps is the most unconventional.

He admitted: "I actually lied about being a comedian to a girl on the dating website Plenty Of Fish.

"I went on my first date and I had to do a gig because I told her I was a comedian."

He added: "The gig was in the State Bar and lasted 20 seconds before I got booed off.

"We came out the State Bar, and she went straight out to the taxi and left. After that I thought I need to keep doing this and get better."

And getting better is what he has just done with a headline gig lined up at Victoria's Nightclub on Saturday, March 11.

He is also due to play The Stand in Glasgow on April 13 to 15.

With things moving so fast in his early career, Gary believes his brand of comedy is just relatable.

"I am relatable. Couples, families or single people get me. I am really lucky that I write that way."

Unfortunately one of the people who did not get to relate to his comedy is his dad David who passed away.

He said: "I can’t say I get inspired by comedians because I don’t really watch comedy.

"My dad was quite quick humoured and he was always joking so it is something I take off of him."

He added: "It's funny because I seen my dad do a speech at my sister's wedding on a video.

"I hadn’t seen for years I was nearly greetin' because even the way he was doing the punch lines is exactly the same way I do it.

"He never seen me do comedy because he passed away but it is amazing to see I am telling jokes the same way my dad did at the wedding."

His dad always gave Gary a few laughs with his job as the "world's worst bank robber".

Gary said: "The woman in my family brought me up. My dad was always in the jail because he was a rubbish bank robber.

"He was the world’s worst. He says he robbed a bank once. I was asking how did you get caught?

"He explained that he wore two layers of clothes and took one layer off as he ran out the bank.

"I said but how did they catch you? He said he was standing at a chippie trying to blend in but he forgot to take off his balaclava.

"That is the kind of humour he had, he was very funny."

The crime lifestyle has not totally been left behind for Gary as his new found fame has earned him the respect of a certain well-known gangster.

He said: "I actually got a gig last year and I was gigging in front of Eddie Richardson who was a gangland rival of the The Krays.

"I got a tour of London with him as well so that is what came from the crime stuff."

Gary's past has very much made him who he is today but the future is something he can't wait for and he admits he is excited to see what comedy throws at him next.

He said: "My plan is to quit my job from February forward.

"I am going to book small theatres and try do a show once a month.

"Next year I am going to really push myself."

For more information on Gary, visit https://www.garyfaulds.co.uk/