Comedian talks of 'finding her people' in project highlighting disabled community’s most iconic individuals

Inclusive clothing company Kintsugi asked its high-profile customers to open up about when they felt most defeated by society – and how they rallied, adapted and overcame it.

In the first of an interview project entitled #Unbroken, amputee Jackie Hagan, from Skelmersdale, spoke of the mental and physical difficulties she has suffered.

She told Kintsugi’s CEO Emma McClelland how “finding people who were broken and connecting with them” eased her troubles until she found her own way to function in society.

The award-winning writer, who lost her right leg after suffering from blood clots and life-threatening infections, said: “The moment in my life when I was at my absolute lowest, when I was most broken, was when I was a teenager going nuts.

“My dad had just died. I went to a posh university to do philosophy not knowing that I was working class. It had just never come up in my life. I was 19 and full of rage, impotence and vulnerability. So, I really lost it. It was horrible.”

The performer said: “When I was in a psychiatric ward, I started reading poetry, then going to workshops and performing at open mikes. I just kept performing until someone offered me a commission to do a solo show. I got into the career that I’m in now by going nuts.

“I think what got me through day to day was, bit by bit, finding my people. Finding people who were broken and connecting with them. Life is about all the nice bits of people being themselves. I love people with ticks or stutters. People being themselves is brilliant. That’s when you can really connect and engage.

“The idea of perfection is really dangerous. It means people’s needs get pushed so far down because they’re trying to be this default wonderful human. The opposite of perfection in people, is people being honest, which is truth and beauty.”

Reflecting on her proudest moment, she said: “When I had my leg off, I really made a thing of it. You’re supposed to be like, ‘Oh God, everyone is going to judge me on this because it is so ugly,’ and it is ugly. It has got what looks like a mouth on it. So, I drew two eyes on it and henceforth came stump puppetry.”

Jackie, whose tour This Is Not a Safe Space was scheduled to go to Salford’s Lowry Theatre later this month, is an ambassador for Kintsugi, which will publish similar videos with other well-known disability activists.