GINA YASHERE Comedian & tv personality

Winner for Best Female in the Black Comedy Awards

Gina is one of the most energetic young comediennes on the london scene at the moment. She hails from London via Nigeria, and has graced the screens with numerous tv appearances, radio, cinema, even theatre, staring in the west end play The Vagina Monologues.

Gina started out as a lift engineer before gaining a reputation on the Edinburgh scene. Her debut saw her described by the Scotsman newspaper as a British rival to Whoopi Goldberg- lively and exceptionally funny. After many stints as a stand up comedian she got her big break while appearing on the panel of Blouse and Skirts, a BBC2 comedy programme which lasted 3 years.

There hadn't been that many black entertainment programmes by the end of the 90's. The Real mccoy (with it's brand of humour and education) had ended and the short lived Get Up Stand Up (featuring Angie Le Mar and Chris Tummings) didn't make much of an impact. However Gina has never been out of the limelight with TV credits as, 'Live at Jongleurs' for UK Gold, The Comedy store channel 5, Planet Pop channel 4, The I love...series for BBC2, Jo Brand's Hot Potatoes for BBC1, and Up Late with Gina Yashere. Gina had come at just the right time as the doors were flung open for her dynamic style of comedy.