West Lothian nurse who hit rock bottom after husband died starts burlesque group

A former nurse who worked at St John's Hospital in West Lothian has dedicated her time to empowering women after her husband took his own life.

Karyn Hamilton lost her partner of 11 years Peter suddenly and suffered debilitating anxiety from the shock.

The mum, 46, hit rock bottom, but after receiving help from the Neil’s Hugs Foundation who give support to families and friends affected by suicide, she decided to start her own business to help other women.

Karyn set up the Saltire Burlesque Academy to help ladies of all shapes and sizes gain confidence and 'find their inner diva.'

After launching the burlesque group in 2019, she now boasts more than 300 members aged between 16 and 70.

Karyn, from Broxburn in West Lothian, told the Daily Record: “Before Peter died I was really confident in myself and loved my job as a nurse.

“That all changed when he took his own life at just 52 and my life hit rock bottom. I came across a charity called Neil’s Hugs Foundation in Edinburgh. It helps to raise awareness and support families who have been affected by suicide.

“I’d always been interested in burlesque and after joining a group, I decided to train as an instructor and start up on my own.”

Karyn, who is known as Bustyy Bleu when she is on stage said: “Burlesque allows you to be yourself, to let your inner diva out and to love your own body. It has totally changed my life.”

On Saturday, Saltire members took to the streets to raise money for Neil’s Hugs Foundation. To donate visit https://bit.ly/3nl9INH