Gina Yashere

Gina Obedapo Iyashere is a British comedian who has made many appearances on British and American television.

 Early life 
Yashere was born and raised in London, to Nigerian parents. Before becoming a comedian, she worked as a lift maintenance technician and engineer (all of which she mentions in her stand-up routine).

She uses the surname "Yashere" due to encountering common mispronunciation of her original surname. at The New York TimesArthur, Tim. Interview  at Time Out London, 28 May 2008.

 Career 
Yashere was a finalist in the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition in 1996. She has appeared in a number of television programmes, including in the comedy series The Lenny Henry Show, where she played Tanya and Mrs Omokorede, the pushy Mum. She voiced Keisha on the animated series Bromwell High. In 2005, she appeared in the reality television series Comic Relief does Fame Academy, in aid of Comic Relief, and she co-hosted the 2006 and 2007 MOBO Awards alongside 2Baba and Coolio. She has made numerous appearances on Mock the Week, and appears on the CBBC show Gina's Laughing Gear.

In 2007, Yashere was featured on the reality show Last Comic Standing, auditioning in Sydney. She was among the ten finalists, but on 1 August 2007, she and Dante were the first two finalists eliminated.

In 2008, she became the first Briton to perform on Def Comedy Jam. On 3 September 2009, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and performed a stand-up comedy routine. On 24 December, she appeared on Live at the Apollo. She appeared twice on the short-lived primetime show The Jay Leno Show: on 21 October 2009, a video of Yashere showed her giving free fortune-telling readings to passers-by, and on 25 November 2009, she operated a walk-in psychic booth. Since 2010, she has appeared semi-regularly on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, in a sketch comedy series called Madame Yashere: The Surly Psychic. In the sketches, she continues to give fake psychic readings to unsuspecting people on the street.

In 2010, Yashere appeared as Flo in several episodes of the ITV drama Married Single Other.Married Single Other  at ITV.com In April 2010, Yashere's one-hour comedy special, Skinny B*tch, premiered on Showtime, a US cable channel. She appeared on Watch TV show Scream If You Know the Answer with contestant Emily Green from Portsmouth. She helped Emily win the show with a prize fund of £2,000. In 2013, Yashere appeared in an advert for Tesco Mobile. In 2015, Yashere was featured as a selected comic on Gotham Comedy Live, which airs on AXS TV (season 4-Judah Friedlander). On 8 January 2016, she appeared on The Nasty Show with Artie Lange, which aired on Showtime.

Starting on 16 March 2017, Yashere became the newest British Correspondent for The Daily Show.

In September 2019, Yashere appears in a supporting role on the 2019 Chuck Lorre CBS sitcom, Bob Hearts Abishola, which Lorre created with Yashere. Yashere writes for the show and plays Folake Olowofoyeku's character Abishola's best friend, Kemi. Bob Hearts Abishola is the first American sitcom to feature a Nigerian family.

 Personal life 
Yashere is a lesbian. She currently lives in North Hollywood, California, with her partner.Leijon, Erik. "Colon comedy" , Montreal Mirror, Vol. 25 No. 5, 16–22 July 2009.Pool, Hannah. "Question time", The Guardian, 15 May 2008."Loose Ends", BBC Radio 4, October 2013.

 Filmography 
Below is an incomplete filmography:

 Movie 
YearTitleRoleNotes2001Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang)Polythene PamMr In-BetweenDancing Woman2008The Time of the EndThe MessiahShort film2016The Comedian's Guide to SurvivalHerself2018Early ManGravelleVoice

 Television 
YearTitleRoleNotes1996–2000Blouse and SkirtHerself21 episodes1999The Richard Blackwood Show—Writer2000Lenny Henry in Pieces—2005–2015The Wright StuffHerself / Guest Panelist4 episodes2005The CrouchesMrs. UbakemaEpisode: "No Place Like Home"Bromwell HighKeisha Marie (voice)13 episodes2008Brits Abroad: Gina's Got the TicketHostTV movieDef Comedy JamWriterEpisode: "Episode #8.1"Gina Yashere: Skinny B*tchHerselfStand-up special, Showtime2009Just for LaughsWriterEpisode: "Martin Short"Live at the ApolloHerselfEpisode: "Episode #5.5"2010Married Single OtherFlo4 episodes1st Amendment Stand UpWriterEpisode: "Darren Carter/Gina Yashere/Damon Williams"2013–14Gotham Comedy LiveHerself2 episodes2014Gina Yashere: Laughing To AmericaHerselfStand-up special, StarzComics UnleashedHerself2 episodes2015–2017@midnightHerself5 episodes; representing the United Kingdom2015The Nightly Show with Larry WilmoreHerself / Panelist2 episodesJust for Laughs: All-AccessHerselfEpisode: "Episode #3.9"The Nasty Show Hosted by Artie LangeHerself2016Sir Patrick Stewart: A Knight of ComedyHerselfGo 8 BitHerselfEpisode: "Episode #1.2"Debate WarsHerselfEpisode: "Babies Vs. Old People"Black Is the New BlackHerselfLive at the ApolloHerself / HostEpisode: "Episode #12.3"2017–18The Daily Show with Trevor NoahCommentator4 episodes2017CrashingGinaEpisode: "Artie Lange"Celebrity ChaseContestantEpisode: "Episode #7.7"What's Your F@#King Deal?!HerselfEpisode: "Dante Nero, Gina Yashere and Eddie Pepitone"2018The Standups with Gina YashereHerselfStand-up special, NetflixWest:WordHerselfEpisode: "Vanishing Point"2019–presentBob Hearts AbisholaKemi38 episodes; Also co-creator, executive producer and writer2021–presentThe Barbarian and the TrollAxe12 episodes

 Related pages 
 List of gay, lesbian or bisexual people: W–Z

 References 

 Other websites 






Category:Living people
Category:English comedians
Category:Black British people
Category:English movie actors
Category:British stand-up comedians
Category:English television actors
Category:Lesbians
Category:LGBT comedians
Category:1973 births