WITH a career that spans four decades, it’s fair to day that Jo Brand has cemented herself as a household name amongst Brits.
The much-loved comedian has enjoyed huge success in her life, which has taken several twists and turns over the years.
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Born in Wandsworth, London, on July 23, 1957, Jo Brand is a comedian, actress, presenter, and author.
After leaving the capital as a child, she grew up in a small village in Kent.
Before embarking on a life in entertainment, Jo worked as a psychiatric nurse for ten years.
In July 2007, Jo was awarded an honorary doctorate for her work as a psychiatric nurse from the University of South Wales.
Becoming a star
In the early 80s, she was persuaded by agent Malcolm Hardee to begin a career in stand-up comedy career, and acquired the stage name “Sea Monster”.
By the 90s, the comedian had transitioned into mainstream TV and became a resident panellist on BBC comedy panel show the Brain Drain.
Over the years, Jo has become well known as regular guest host on BBC quiz Have I Got News For You.
These days, she is best known for being the host of The Great British Bake Off spin-off show on Channel 4, Bake Off: Extra Slice.
Jo is also known for taking part in Taskmaster.
Life as an actress
Over the years, Jo has has written and starred in a number of hugely successful shows.
She won huge praise for her sitcom Getting On, set in an NHS geriatric ward and directed by Peter Capaldi,.
Her comedy-drama Damned, set in a Social Services office, also received rave reviews.
Jo also wrote and starred in the adaptation of her novel The More You Ignore Me, alongside Sheridan Smith and Sheila Hancock.
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Married life
Jo has been married to her husband Bernie Bourke since 1997.
The couple met at a comedy show when Jo was 38 and he was 32.
Bernie works as psychiatric nurse and keeps himself out of the spotlight.
Meet the children
The couple are parents to their two children, Maisie and Eliza.
Proud mum Jo has often chatted about her daughters in interviews.
In a 2024, she revealed she often asks Maisie to advise her on “language and views” which are “no longer acceptable”.
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Speaking to iNews, Jo said: “It’s very helpful to have children as I do stand-up sometimes in front of people who are 40 years younger than me.
“It’s quite weird so I get my daughter’s input on everything.”
Maisie has also forged her own career in the spotlight as a social media star.
Posting under the name Maisi, she covers pop songs and posts videos about her life on TikTok.
The popular star has almost 160K followers and has 8.5M likes (as of October 2024).