Why Netflix Sitcom Star Leanne Morgan Has a Sweet Spot for Western Kentucky

This was originally published on August 4, 2025.

Fall Friday Nights Are for Football and Me Time

Every fall, my husband and daughter love going to high school football games with his parents. It’s their thing. He played on the team and they still go to support the Knights. Each season, I’ll tag along for one or two games if the weather is just right, but Friday nights have become sacred "me time." So much so that I’ve started calling them my Fabulous Friday Nights.

Girls Night or Netflix Comedy? Yes, Please

Sometimes I’ll hang out with my girlfriends. It’s fun to have a night where my family is entertained and not texting me every 15 minutes asking when I’ll be home. Other times, I’ll order in and snuggle up with some not-so-kid-friendly TV. One of my favorite things to do is head to the comedy section on Netflix and find a stand-up special to watch solo.

Remembering the Funny Bone Days

Back in my twenties, my friends and I had the best time at The Funny Bone. We were young and broke, so we’d split an order of breadsticks with cheese and marinara and sip on champagne. Odd combo, I know, but it was our thing. Now, I’ll run by Little Caesars, grab some breadsticks and dipping sauce, pop a bottle of Andre, and find a special that’s not too raunchy. It’s not exactly the same, but it still makes for a solid night in.

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Discovering Leanne Morgan on Netflix

One of my Fab Friday Nights turned out to be especially memorable. I clicked on a special featuring a blonde woman who looked just a little older than me. It was filmed in Lexington, just a hop, skip, and a jump from here. I figured, why not? The best part about watching stand-up on Netflix is that if the comic isn’t funny, you can just move on to the next one.

A Southern Accent That Hit Close to Home

I hit play and immediately noticed her thick Southern accent. She sounded just like my dad’s side of the family from Rumsey. Real Southerners know every region has its own unique drawl, and the more she talked, the more convinced I was that she was local. Naturally, I had to Google her.

Who Is Leanne Morgan?

According to Wikipedia, Leanne Morgan grew up in Adams, Tennessee, just south of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She now lives in Knoxville. I knew she had to be nearby.

It turns out she started her comedy career years ago doing stand-up at small gigs. But everything changed when she hired two young guys to help manage her social media.

A throwback to the viral video clip that started it all in 2019!! After 25 years of trying it I make it in comedy I was about to call it quits and open a hardware store or work at Target . In a last ditch effort, I decided to invest in myself. My whole career I had never really done that. I hired two young boys who did social media and they got to work going through all my videos. I think this was the second clip they posted and my life hasn’t been the same since!!! This clip ended up doing over 30 MILLION VIEWS. Within a week after it was posted people were calling trying to get me into comedy clubs all over the country!!! Invest in yourself and trust God’s timing, that’s my story!

In 2023, her first YouTube special racked up over 5 million views, and her Netflix special, I’m Every Woman, landed in the platform’s Top 10 comedy specials.

From Stand-Up to the Big Screen

Leanne Morgan’s comedy career has taken off, so naturally, she took to the bed. I mean the screen! This year, she stars alongside Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell in the film You’re Cordially Invited and just released her brand-new Netflix series, Leanne, on Friday.

A Local Connection We Didn't See Coming

What makes her story even more fun? Leanne might have grown up in small town in Tennessee, but in October 2024, she shared on Facebook that she not only vacationed right here in the tri-state growing up but was born in the neighboring city of Bowling Green, KY!

After filming her Netflix special in Lexington, she posted this:

“Lexington, y’all were a dream! Thank y’all for always supporting me My first Netflix Special at the beautiful Lexington Opera House to performing at Rupp Arena Thank you @funnymanmikejames for opening for me! You were hilarious!

Fun facts:

1. I was born in Bowling Green, KY

2. My family vacationed in Owensboro, Paducah, and the beautiful KY Lake State Park”

Fun Facts About Leanne Morgan

There it is. She graduated in 1983, so odds are she was roaming around Owensboro in the late '70s and early '80s. I’m not exactly sure what there was to do here back then. Executive Inn? Goldies?  But it was memorable enough that forty years later, she still counts it as a fun fact about herself.

Read More: Original Wesleyan Park Plaza Ads from the '60s and '70s

 Is Leanne Morgan Funny?

Okay, I’ll be honest. She’s not for everyone. My husband probably wouldn’t rush home to watch her show, but my teenage daughter and I loved it. As a woman in my 40s, I don’t always feel seen or represented on screen. But something about her comedy just clicked with me. The new show is light, funny, and still manages to tackle the real stuff without getting too heavy.

And okay, selfishly, I kind of wish she wasn’t so famous and still lived nearby so we could be best friends. If anyone has connections, tell her to reach out! I’d love to know what her family used to do in Owensboro on vacation in the Eighties!