“I love everything about books. I love the content, the way they look and even the lovely way they smell. I think a book collection says something about you as a person, and certainly my books are something I'd want to pass on for future generations.”

English comedian, presenter, actress and writer

Jo Brand is an English comedian, presenter, actress and writer. She began her entertainment career after moving from psychiatric nursing into the alternative comedy stand-up scene, and first appeared on Saturday Live. She went on to appear on The Brain Drain, Channel 4's Jo Brand Through the Cakehole, and Getting On, along with many television guest spots, including regular turns on QI, Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You?. She also appears often on BBC Radio 4 programmes such as The News Quiz and Just a Minute. From 2014 to 2025, she presented The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice. In 2003, The Observer listed her among the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.