“My mum is bright, ambitious, well read, political and very bolshie: when my dad was conscripted into the Army and posted to Libya, she convinced some general to let her go with him. I don't know how she managed it.”

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.