Zoe Lyons

Zoe Lyons
Birth nameZoe Ann Lyons
Born (1971-10-03) 3 October 1971 (age 53)
Haverfordwest, Wales, UK
MediumStand-up comedy, radio and television
NationalityBritish
Years active2001–present
GenresObservational comedy
Notable works and rolesMock the Week
Survivor
Websitewww.zoelyons.co.uk

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

Early and personal life

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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 partner 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 the hope that it would help "someone even just a little bit".[11]

Career

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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

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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

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References

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  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. ^ a b 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. ^ "Happiness 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.
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