Jo Brand

Long established for her stand-up comedy, Jo Brand is a leading light of the entertainment world. She regularly appears on panel shows and undertakes a range of challenges from Question Time to Mock the Week.

Jo began her career working in a Dr Barnardo’s home for children in Kent after which she moved to London and trained as a psychiatric nurse – a subject which often features in her comedy.

As a nurse, Jo dealt with drug addicts, alcohol abuse and the clinically depressed on a daily basis. She quickly discovered that it was her sense of humour that kept her going.

Eventually, spurred on by a comedy agent, Jo took the brave step and started her stand-up career in London’s alternative comedy clubs. It wasn’t long before Jo became firmly established on the comedy circuit and has since gone on to become one of the most memorable British female comics ever.

Jo’s first brush with television came in the 90s on Saturday Live before making it into mainstream viewing with her award-winning series Through The Cakehole.

Although Jo is predominantly thought of as a comedienne, she is in fact a diverse performer. Her more recent television appearances include the BBC’s QI, Mock The Week and Question Time. She also made an unforgettable appearance on BBC One's Let's Dance for Comic Relief. More recently, Jo fronted a moving documentary about World War I nurse Vera Brittain. On radio, she regularly guest hosts the Jonathan Ross Show on BBC Radio 2. Jo also narrated Laughter & Tears, a documentary tribute to Les Dawson.

Jo is an accomplished writer of fiction and has penned three novels: Sorting Out Billy and It’s Different For Girls; The More You Ignore Me, her third novel, is due out in early 2009.

As one of The Speaker Judges, Jo’s input centres naturally upon self-knowledge and humour. At the heart of humour lies the ability to observe the human condition and to reflect it faithfully back to one’s audience. Humour is about light and shade and honesty - and it is these very qualities that make a good comic and an effective communicator. Jo Brand is an irreverent, intuitive, compassionate and entertaining Judge.

This is the first time she has acted as a Judge and she will be drawing on all her performance experience to seek out those young Speakers who have a talent for getting their message across and who really connect with their audience.