Zoe Lyons

Last updated

Zoe Lyons
Zoe Lyons Cigar Wink High Res.jpg
Birth nameZoe Ann Lyons
Born (1971-10-03) 3 October 1971 (age 52)
Haverfordwest, Wales, UK
MediumStand-up comedy, radio, television
Nationality British
Years active2001–present
Genres Observational comedy
Notable works and roles Mock the Week
Survivor
Website www.zoelyons.co.uk

Zoe Ann Lyons (born 3 October 1971) is a British comedian and TV presenter. [1]

Contents

Early and personal life

Lyons was born to an Irish father and an English mother in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. Her family soon moved to Ireland, where she attended a Catholic primary school in Dunmore East in County Waterford. [2] The family then moved to Clonmel, County Tipperary, [3] to Epsom, Surrey, when Lyons was nine, [4] and then to Glasgow.

Her first job was in a jam factory in Glasgow. [5] [6] [7] Lyons lives in Brighton with her wife Sindy, a nurse, originally from the Netherlands, who is 14 years her senior. The two met around the year 2000 whilst on holiday on the Isle of Lesvos, through mutual friends. [8] [9] [10]

Lyons shared an Instagram post in 2020 about her alopecia in hopes it would help "someone even just a little bit". [11]

Career

Lyons graduated from the University of York in 1992 with a degree in psychology. [12] Soon making the decision to become a performer, she moved to London, and trained at The Poor School, thereafter working as a waitress while seeking acting roles and attending stand-up comedy performances. [3]

She appeared on the ITV reality game show Survivor in 2001, in its first series, placing 6th out of 16 contestants. She left after two members of her Ular tribe alliance (Richard and Jackie) aligned with the eventual winner, Charlotte, to vote against her. She was voted out in a countback tie-breaker - where votes cast during previous episodes come into play. Lyons along with the rest of the Jury of Eliminated players voted for Charlotte to win.

In 2004, Lyons won the Funny Women Awards, beating Anna Crilly and Janie Phayre. [13] Since then, she has toured the UK stand-up circuit, as well as playing regular gigs in London and Brighton. In 2007, her debut solo show, "Fight or Flight", was nominated for the best newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2008, her second solo show, "Mangled Mantra of the Messed up Modern Mind", featured a joke mocking singer Amy Winehouse which was awarded digital television channel Dave's Joke Of The Fringe. [14]

Lyons featured in The Independent 's tenth annual Pink List for 2009, detailing the 101 most influential lesbian and gay people in Britain. Lyons was placed at number 81. [15]

In 2011, as part of her second international tour, Lyons was invited to perform "Clownbusting" at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Australia. Reviews were favourable, with a critic from Australian Stage reporting: "I have renewed faith in stand-up comedy after seeing UK comedian Zoe Lyons. 'Clownbusting' is a magnificently written and delivered show which holds from start to finish". [16]

Television and radio

Lyons holding Amnesty International placards in 2013 Secret Comedy Podcast - 3 August 2013 - 14 (9427745793).jpg
Lyons holding Amnesty International placards in 2013

Lyons' television credits include appearances on Mock the Week , [17] Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow , The Paul O'Grady Show , The Wright Stuff (as a regular guest panellist), Room 101, Dave's One Night Stand and QI .

Her radio appearances have included Clive Anderson's Chat Room (BBC Radio 2), PMQ with Andy Parsons (BBC Radio 4), 4 Stands Up (BBC Radio 4), The Jon Richardson Show (BBC 6 Music), The Christian O'Connell Solution (BBC Radio 5 Live), Jo Caulfield Won't Shut Up (BBC Radio 4) and The Unbelievable Truth (BBC Radio 4).

From 2018, Lyons has appeared in Tui adverts on Sky One, alongside fellow comedian Mark Watson. [18]

In 2021, Lyons hosted her own teatime TV quiz show, Lightning, on BBC Two, [19] as well as Stand Up and Deliver on Channel 4, where she mentored Katie McGlynn. [20]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Carr</span> British-Irish comedian and television presenter

James Anthony Patrick Carr is a British-Irish comedian, presenter, writer and actor. He is known for his rapid-fire deadpan delivery of one-liners which have been known to offend some people. He began his comedy career in 1997, and he has regularly appeared on television as the host of Channel 4 panel shows such as 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and The Big Fat Quiz of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josie Long</span> English comedian (born 1982)

Josie Isabel Long is an English comedian. She started performing as a stand-up at the age of 14 and won the BBC New Comedy Awards at 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Delaney</span> English writer and comedian

Gary Delaney is an English writer and stand-up comedian. His style of humour is one-liners involving puns. He is known for delivering them in a slightly deadpan manner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alun Cochrane</span> British comedian

Alun Cochrane is a British comedian, and actor. He was born in Glasgow and raised in Mirfield, West Yorkshire. He was a co-presenter on The Frank Skinner Show on Absolute Radio (2011–2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Watson</span> British comedian and writer

Mark Andrew Watson is an English comedian, novelist and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Millican</span> English comedian

Sarah Jane Millican is an English comedian, writer and presenter. Millican won the comedy award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In February 2013 she was listed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and in the same year she married fellow comedian Gary Delaney. Her first book, How to Be Champion, was published in 2017. Millican has performed on various tours, mainly across the United Kingdom, over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridget Christie</span> English writer and comedian (born 1971)

Bridget Louise Christie is an English stand-up comedian, actress and writer. She has written and performed 13 solo stand-up shows and several comedy tours, in addition to radio and television work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Pascoe</span> English comedian, presenter and writer

Sara Patricia Pascoe is an English actress, comedian, presenter and writer. She has appeared on television programmes including 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Taskmaster for Channel 4 and QI for BBC Two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aisling Bea</span> Irish comedian, actress, and screenwriter

Aisling Clíodhnadh O'Sullivan, known professionally as Aisling Bea, is an Irish comedian, actress and screenwriter. She created, wrote and starred in the comedy series This Way Up on Channel 4. As a stand-up comedian, she won the So You Think You're Funny award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2012, being only the second woman to win the award in its then-25-year history. She also appears regularly on light entertainment comedy panel shows such as QI and 8 Out of 10 Cats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angela Barnes</span> English comedian

Angela Barnes is an English stand-up comedian, mostly known for her appearances on Mock the Week.

Rosie Wilby is an English comedian and singer songwriter based in South London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jayde Adams</span> British actress and singer (born 1984)

Jayde Pricilla Gail Adams is a British comedian, actress, writer and opera singer from Bristol. She is the winner of the 2014 Funny Women Award.

Ria Lina is a British comedienne, actress and writer. She has appeared on Yesterday, Today & The Day Before, Mock the Week, Steph's Packed Lunch, The Now Show, The News Quiz, Sky News, and Have I Got News for You. In 2003, she won an Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy award for Best Comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivo Graham</span> English stand-up comedian

Ivo Charles Graham is an English stand-up comedian and comedy writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Sanders</span> British stand-up comedian, writer and actress

Lou Sanders is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actress. Since beginning her career in comedy, she has appeared regularly on panel shows and performed on Live at the Apollo. She also appeared as a sidekick on Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable and was a contestant on the sixteenth series of Dancing on Ice.

Rosie Jones is a British comedian, writer and actress. After starting her career as a writer on panel shows, she went on to appear as a guest on The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, QI and Hypothetical. She attended the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo as a roving reporter for The Last Leg.

Catherine Bohart is an Irish stand-up comedian, writer and actor based in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie Duker</span> British stand-up comedian

Sophie Duker is a British stand-up comedian and writer.

Sarah Keyworth is an English stand-up comedian who began a career in comedy in 2012, eventually going full-time in 2018 after being nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Keyworth has appeared on television comedy shows such as Roast Battle, The Now Show, The Dog Ate My Homework, Mock the Week and 8 Out of 10 Cats.

Adam Rowe is an English stand-up comedian and podcaster from Liverpool.

References

  1. "Pop Up Comic". Zoe Lyons. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  2. Lyons, Zoe (26 September 2018). "Past". Zoe Lyons: Passport Paddy. Series 1. Episode 1. BBC. BBC Radio 4 . Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 Ganatra, Shilpa (28 May 2018). "Were we being passport Paddies or was there a level of patriotism?" . Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  4. Fetherston, Sinann (30 May 2019). "Zoe Lyons: "Ireland has had such a transformation"". RTÉ.ie . Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  5. "Happyness 2014: Zoe Lyons". whatsonhighlands. 16 May 2014.
  6. "First Up: Zoe Lyons". Leicester Mercury . 26 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  7. "When Sally Met Sally :: Interview with Zoe Lyons". When Sally Met Sally. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  8. "Zoe Lyons Candid on Partner/ Wife; Lesbian Love at Finest". LIVERAMPUP. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  9. "Comedy Blog: Michael McIntyre and Zoe Lyons". BBC. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  10. "Manchester Pride Meets: Zoe Lyons". Manchester Pride. 10 November 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
  11. "Zoe Lyons on Instagram: "Sharing this in the hope it helps someone even just a little bit. My alopecia has got progressively worse over the course of this…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  12. "Funny Woman". Grapevine (Autumn 2005). Alumni Office, University of York: 2.
  13. Guide, British Comedy (18 April 2016). "Funny Women Awards". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  14. "Festival prize for Winehouse joke". 22 August 2008. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  15. "British gay women make The Pink List". AfterEllen.com. 30 June 2009. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  16. "Clownbusting | Zoe Lyons". Australianstage.com.au. 7 April 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  17. "Mock The Week - The Cast". Mocktheweek.tv. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  18. "TUI Holidays - Discover Your Smile". TUI Holidays - Discover Your Smile.
  19. Cremona, Patrick. "Lightning start date – rules and everything you need to know about new BBC Two quiz show". Radio Times. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  20. Darvill, Josh (4 March 2021). "Stand Up and Deliver celebrity line up and how to watch new Channel 4 show online". TellyMix. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  21. "Dave Award for Funniest Joke of the 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe revealed". Archived from the original on 27 August 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  22. "Festival prize for Winehouse joke". BBC News. 22 August 2008.
  23. "Foster's Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2013 - newcomers". Comedyawards.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  24. "Funny Women 2004 | Funny.co.uk - UK Comedy Site". Funny.co.uk. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
  25. "the UK's largest collection of comedians biogs and photos". comedy cv. Retrieved 4 May 2013.