Gina Yashere
Encyclopedia
Gina Obedapo Yashere is a British comedian
of Nigeria
n descent.
, London
, England
. Her mother was an immigrant from Nigeria
. Before becoming a comedian, she worked as a lift
(elevator) maintenance technician.
competition in 1996.
She has appeared in many television programmes. She may be best known for appearing in the comedy series The Lenny Henry Show
, where she played Tanya and Mrs. Omokorede, the pushy Mum. She voiced Keisha on 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 Akon
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
, Australia
. She was among the ten finalists, but on 1 August 2007, she and Dante
were the first two finalists eliminated.
She was the first-ever British
person to be on Def Comedy Jam
, performing in 2008. On 3 September 2009, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
and performed a stand-up comedy routine. On 24 December 2009, 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 passersby, and on 25 November 2009, she operated a walk-in psychic booth. Since 2010, she has appeared semi-regularly on the 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, she appeared as Flo in several episodes of the ITV drama Married Single Other
. In April 2010 Gina's one-hour comedy special
, Skinny B*tch, premiered on Showtime, a US cable channel.
. She has stated that she feels there are far more opportunities for black performers to succeed in the United States
than Great Britain
.
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
of Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n descent.
Early life
Yashere was born in Bethnal GreenBethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Her mother was an immigrant from Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. Before becoming a comedian, she worked as a lift
Elevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
(elevator) maintenance technician.
Career as performer
Yashere was a finalist in the Hackney Empire New Act of the YearHackney Empire New Act of the Year
The Hackney Empire New Act of the Year was a long-running annual competition that ran at the Hackney Empire theatre in London in order to encourage, discover and promote new stand-up comedy and New Variety talent...
competition in 1996.
She has appeared in many television programmes. She may be best known for appearing in the comedy series The Lenny Henry Show
The Lenny Henry Show
The Lenny Henry Show is a comedy sketch show featuring Lenny Henry. In its first incarnation it ran for two seasons on BBC 1, in 1984 and 1985. Each season had six episodes. A 40-minute special was aired in December 1987...
, where she played Tanya and Mrs. Omokorede, the pushy Mum. She voiced Keisha on Bromwell High
Bromwell High
Bromwell High is an animated series about a British high school in South London. It first aired on Teletoon in Canada and Channel 4 in the UK . It is a co-production between Hat Trick Productions in the UK and DHX Media in Canada. According to the Website , it was originally to be entitled...
. In 2005, she appeared in the reality television series, Comic Relief does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
, in aid of Comic Relief, and she co-hosted the 2006 and 2007 MOBO Awards
MOBO Awards
The Music of Black Origin Awards, established in 1995 by Kanya King MBE and Andy Ruffell, are held annually in the United Kingdom to recognise artists of any ethnicity or nationality performing black music....
alongside Akon
Akon
Aliaune Damala Badara Thiam, better known as simply Akon , is a Senegalese American R&B recording artist and songwriter.According to Forbes, Akon grossed $21 million in 2010, $20 million in 2009 and $12 million in 2008. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up", the first...
and Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
. She has made numerous appearances on Mock the Week
Mock the Week
Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
, and appears on the CBBC show Gina's Laughing Gear
Gina's Laughing Gear
Gina's Laughing Gear was a special programming slot which was presented by Gina Yashere. It was shown on Friday afternoons on BBC One and repeated on Saturday on the CBBC Channel. The purpose was to showcase new CBBC comedy at the time....
.
In 2007, Yashere was featured on the reality show Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing
Last Comic Standing is an American reality television talent show that has aired from 2003 through 2010.The goal of the program is to select a comedian from a group, who will receive a development contract with the NBC network, and a television special first to air on the cable-TV network Comedy...
, auditioning in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. She was among the ten finalists, but on 1 August 2007, she and Dante
Dante (comedian)
Dante is an American comedian from near Ridgecrest, California. He was born at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.Dante starred in the short-lived 1996 BET sitcom The Blackberry Inn...
were the first two finalists eliminated.
She was the first-ever British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
person to be on Def Comedy Jam
Def Comedy Jam
Def Comedy Jam is a HBO television series produced by Russell Simmons. The series had its original run from July 1, 1992 to January 1, 1997. The show returned on HBO's fall lineup in 2006. Def Comedy Jam helped to launch the careers of several African-American stand-up comedians...
, performing in 2008. On 3 September 2009, she appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show that featured Conan O'Brien as host from June 1, 2009 to January 22, 2010 as part of NBC's long-running Tonight Show franchise...
and performed a stand-up comedy routine. On 24 December 2009, she appeared on Live at the Apollo. She appeared twice on the short-lived primetime show The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show
The Jay Leno Show is an American comedy show created by and starring Jay Leno, that aired from September 14, 2009 to February 9, 2010 on NBC following the May 29, 2009 conclusion of Leno's first tenure as host of The Tonight Show...
: on 21 October 2009, a video of Yashere showed her giving free fortune telling readings to passersby, and on 25 November 2009, she operated a walk-in psychic booth. Since 2010, she has appeared semi-regularly on the The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that initially aired from May 25, 1992 to May 29, 2009, and resumed production on March 1, 2010. The fourth incarnation of the Tonight Show franchise made its debut on May 25, 1992, three days following Johnny...
, 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, she appeared as Flo in several episodes of the ITV drama Married Single Other
Married Single Other
Married Single Other is a British television drama created and written by Peter Souter. The series is based on the lives of group of people who are either married, single or "other", other being defined as in a relationship. It began airing on Monday 22 February 2010 at on ITV1 and UTV...
. In April 2010 Gina's one-hour comedy special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
, Skinny B*tch, premiered on Showtime, a US cable channel.
Personal life
Yashere resides in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. She has stated that she feels there are far more opportunities for black performers to succeed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
than Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
.