Gina Yashere
Date Of Birth: 06/04/1974
Born in Bethnal Green, East London, to a Nigerian family, Gina Yashere turned to comedy after working as a lift engineer.
She made her Edinburgh debut in 1995, and in 2000 completed her first stand-up tour, and has been regularly on the road ever since.
Her first TV exposure was as a regular on the BBC Two comedy show Blouse and Skirt (originally called The A Force) in 1996. Other TV credits Live at Jongleurs, The Comedy Store, Jo Brand's Hot Potatoes and talking heads shows such as the I Love...series for BBC Two. In 2001, she briefly hosted a BBC Choice chat show, Up Late With Gina Yashere and she provided the voice of Keisha Marie in the Channel 4 animated series Bromwell High
In 2007, she took part in the NBC reality show Last Comic Standing, giving her a foothold in the US. In 2008, she became the first British comic to appear on the influential black stand-up show Def Comedy Jam.
She has also branched out into acting, appearing in the films Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Mr In-Between, as well as in the West End show The Vagina Monologues.
She was named best female at the Black Comedy Awards in 2002, and nominated as best female stand-up in the Chortle awards the same year.
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Gina Yashere: Brighton Comedy Festival
Note: This review is from 2009
SHE'S five stone lighter and lives in the States now, but Gina Yashere's brand of comedy remains resolutely unchanged.
Posturing cheerfully in a pulled-up hoodie, she spits out her greetings like a pumped up performance poet before launching into a string of typical Yashere anecdotes: rap stars think they are so street but then they have chandeliers in their ‘cribs’, colonic irrigation is brilliant but – ew – so disgusting, black women don't like getting their hair wet. The audience relaxes in familiar territory.
Yashere is a shrewd entertainer and knows exactly what buttons to press to keep her audiences happy. With a little bit of politics, a little bit of the personal and a good smattering of knob gags, her pick 'n' mix material has something for everyone.
read more of this review …
It's not hard to see why she has retained her position as ‘that woman off the telly’ or why she keeps getting flown to war zones to perform gigs for Our Boys. She is a formidable presence on stage, with a self-aware swagger that nips heckles in the bud. It certainly takes a confident performer to break from routine to confiscate an audience member's bleeping mobile phone and shove it down her pants.
All very slick but not exactly innovative. There is no doubt Yashere is capable of better - she hints at it now and then with a genuinely incisive observation or a flash of ad-libbed genius - but too often she falls back on the safe pay-offs, the middle-of-the-road material disguised as something more daring, those bloody impressions of her mum.
When the formula is so well received, it's not hard to see why she would be loathe to meddle with it, but it's a depressingly calculated approach to comedy.
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Gina Yashere Dates
Sat 19 Oct 2013
- West Bromwich The Public
- 20:00
- £17.50 (£15 in advance)
- Gina Yashere
Represented by
Janette Linden
PBJ Management
22 Rathbone Street
London
W1T 1LG
contact by email
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Older Comments
James - 11/08/2012
She's awful. Never changes her routine. Eventually you'll get tired of the same "Nigerian parents" routine.... that's all she has to offer, and it sucks.
Tom D - 26/12/2011
Saw her a few years ago. Extremely racist material against white people and I'm no shrinking violet. If the jokes were switched to a white comedian's point of view then there would be uproar. Doesn't sit well with her cuddly media image...
ns - 11/09/2008
Brash and hilarious. Brilliant stage presence.
Samragi - 24/05/2008
Saw Gina in Derby a few days ago - she blew my mind! She made me laugh so hard, I was sweating! We were sat on the front row - and as I hadn't seen/heard of Gina before, I went in completely blind to her obvious talents! Thrilling life affirming sense of comic timing - and knows just how much to push, and when to let go of her audience. I am sorry she has moved to the US - I would love to see her again. You go girl!
Danielle Merton - 10/11/2007
I was at the taping of Def Comedy Jam in LA. Gina was the best! Different perspective, different energy, and she didn't have to resort to cussing and filth to get laughs. She will be the next Ricky Gervais.
Kyle Fernandez - 10/10/2007
I saw Gina at the Laugh Factory here in Los Angeles, and she was hilarious! You guys have lost an amazing talent, as I have no doubt that America is going to keep her!
Billy - 07/08/2007
Loud is not the same as charismatic. No material, no technique. no insight. Just plain awful.
Phil - 08/06/2007
Saw her last night and sorry to say she was dire. A thirtysomething crowd are a bit beyond poo jokes.
Max - 26/03/2007
Was at Gina's gig last night at the Sydney Comedy Store. The girl rocked! I woke up with a red mark on my leg today from two hours of uncontrollable, thigh-slapping laughter (at least I think that's what it is from :D). Absolute GOLD - please come back soon.
Lauren James - 08/03/2007
Saw Gina at the Cracker festival Gala in Sydney. I'd never seen her before, but I will definitely see her again. They really saved the best till last. She stole the show from the likes of Tommy Dean and Danny Bhoy. Well Done girl! I'm coming to see you again at the Comedy Store.
Luiesha - 27/09/2006
Gina Yashere was fantastic on the Saturday night in Birmingham, untill I went home to tell my brother and his baby mother about the show they said that the jokes she made were the same from last year. But all in all they were good
Clive Manyard - 14/09/2006
I was at her show in Manchester last night and Gina was fantastic. so funny that even the vicar in the front row was pissing himself! Gina brought both black and white people together, and nobody was uncomfortable as everyone got it equally! go see this woman, she's truly amazing
Tom Bradford - 07/08/2006
Absolute genius! The funniest comic on the night, in fact the funniest comic I've ever seen! This girl should have a chat show crowd were in pieces.
Tracy Mitchell - 06/08/2006
Did not stop laughing. Funny as hell – could relate to all her jokes.
Tina Haynes - 22/07/2006
Saw Gina in Montreal on the Bitcom show. She was magnificent! Absolutely stole the show. Very different from the sea of samey US comics. I would definitely like to see her do longer. Well done girl
Adelina - 13/07/2006
Saw Gina at the Newbury Comedy Festival last night and she was brilliant. SHe doesn't try to be clever, because she is simply naturally entertaining and funny - everything she said came across so natural and unrehearsed, and she looked like she was really enjoying herself with a big grin from ear to ear the whole way through. SHe obviously was because she overran by 15 minutes and the audience didn't want her to stop
Nicki - 07/07/2006
Saw Gina at Soho this week. She stormed it and the audience really related to her material. You know it's a good gig when the audience rock backwards and forwards with laughter
Terry - 06/07/2006
Saw her Monday night at Soho and she stormed the place. Really sharp stuff, she's obviously written a whole lot of new gags and we were all killing ourselves
Melissa - 19/06/2006
As funny as having cancer
Paul White - 14/01/2006
I'm a squaddie in Iraq, and she did a show for us and was fuckin fantastic. How many namby pamby middle class comics could come out here and make a group of paras laugh? And if she only did stuff about being black she would have got no laughs, as she was the only one in the room! She's great.
Janine Williams - 14/01/2006
Why is it than when black comics talk about their origins, they are lambasted as hacks? This really smacks of racism. Northern comics go on about their roots, as do Irish, even ginger comics. Gina simply covers some of her upbringing in her act as well as other observastional stuff. If it wasn't funny, she wouldnt be selling out huge theatres, to both black and white people the way she does.
Tim - 14/01/2006
One of the funniest acts I have ever seen. Easily the best set of the night.
Fraser - 05/01/2006
While appreciating that an edited five minute set on the radio does few comics justice, what I've just heard on BBC 7 has prompted me (for the first time ever) to seek to confirm my own opinions via the Internet. It's not just the fact that she's a bad comedian but, having done the same schtick for the last ten or so years, she's a lazy one. Formulaic, repetative, needlessly aggressive and lazy. Which could all, of course, be forgiven if she was remotely amusing.
Nikki - 02/01/2006
What can I say? I watched Miss Yashere and the only conclusion I came to was that she's made very little go a long way. As others have said Chris Rock, Richard Pryor etc made a career out of "being black" but that was because they were innovative, clever and absolutely hilarious. Gina's act is rubbish, trying to stand on the shoulders of giants. I note that certain pc tv shows have used her as the black space filler in order to satisfy racial quotas. It's not enough. Quality, not quantity. The black talent is out there but to rush through the nearest black comedian to hand is counterproductive. None of this is Gina's fault of course, but sorry gal - you haven't got what it takes.
Kelvin - 25/10/2005
Very very funny
Christine Stokes - 06/10/2005
Hilarious - would pay see her again
Tom Crosby - 25/09/2005
Gina is another in a long line of massivly overated comics to be given spots on TV ahead of the vastly more talented.
John - 24/09/2005
For God sake enough is enough, Gina is not a funny comedian. Just the same old cliched run of the mill humour based on her skin colour. Seen her in the Comedy Store and spent the night talking shit about black nannies minding kids. Nothing personal against her just tired of black comics doing the "Poor growing up routine." Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock are the only comics who dealt with this topic properly, i.e they were funny.
Roland - 10/09/2005
If she wasn't on the Lenny Henry Show - I wouldn't watch it. I've recorded just her bits - she's great
Iain - 27/06/2005
Simply unfunny, cliched "Look at me I is a feisty black woman yeah, holla white-boy!" dross!
Pierre - 21/06/2005
Gina is amazingly talented. I love her comedy. It's original, exciting and she has me in stitches. She's very expressive. As soon as her eyes start to crinkle, I know she is going to burst into a big laugh, then a few jokes will follow shortly afterwards. I would love to see Gina with her own chat show and possibly in a few comedy movies. Keep up the good work Gina, you are good at making people laugh.
Charles Thomson - 25/05/2005
A naturally funny and witty girl, as was displayed during her wonderful stint on Jo Brand's Hot Potatoes. It's only a shame her pre-written gig material isn't on par. Maybe Miss Yashere should go Ross Noble on us, she's certainly funnier unscripted.
Liam - 13/05/2005
Breathtakingly bad. How hasn't someone heckled the confidence out of her yet? `
Adam - 29/04/2005
She was awesome last night at the Red Card comedy club in Norwich - had everyone from the second she stood on the stage to the moment she left. Top of the bill and well worth the tenner
DeeDee - 24/04/2005
Gina is fantastic, fresh and ballsy - absolutely hilarious
Suzi Hailey - 09/03/2005
The absolute best thing on Celebrity Fame Academy. Hilarious! Absolutely gutted when she left
Curt - 24/02/2005
As funny as a death in the family
Thomas Cole - 13/02/2005
Gina is a uniquely engaging talent. She's locked into the 'Marmite factor': you either love her or hate her. Either way, she has made a big impact on the British comedy scene and has a long, successful career ahead of her.
The Steve - 21/01/2005
This woman is not funny. She wheels out predictable formulas and is generally a woefully inept performer
Marcos Alen - 07/01/2005
I think she is hilarious. can't wait for her to get her own show.
Sue Morgan - 07/01/2005
Saw her at the Comedy Store in Australia. She was brilliant. Did a load of stuff just about what she'd been doing while in Sydney. Absolute class.
Fungus - 05/01/2005
Has nothing interesting or particularly amusing to say.
Tim - 26/10/2004
Relies a bit too much on exploiting her background, colour and plight, but hey - what stand-up comic doesn't? Think Irish, Jewish, Iranian, Muslim. She was definitely the best of the bunch at Jongleurs last Saturday and had the crowd in stitches, unlike the two males that preceded her.
Daryl - 05/10/2004
Racially cliched crap
Stella James - 22/09/2004
I queued for nearly an hour on Friday to see gina's show at the Hackney Rmpire, and she was worth it. Awesome. She did songs, sketches, and stand up comedy, and I would pay double to see her again, and judging by the noise of the other 1,500 or so people in there, so would they.
Monica Simpson - 17/08/2004
Gina is queen of comedy she makes me laugh every time especially on the Lenny Henry show its one of the reasons I watch the show . Always have tissues at hand as she always makes you cry with laughter.
Claire - 08/07/2004
Saw her at Jongleurs in Glasgow ages ago and she just wasn't funny - it was embarrassing to watch.
Ricky Walka - 27/06/2004
Absolutely brilliant. the best thing on the Lenny Henry show by far, and fantastic live. A great all round entertainer.
Spiky Mike - 16/04/2004
The most generous review I've ever seen on Chortle. Possibly the worst headliner I've ever had the misfortune to witness. Lower than the very lowest common denominator. Braindead comedy for drunken retards on hen nights. When she asked the audience, "How long have I done?" someone shouted "Too long". That was the case after 3 seconds
Emily - 11/03/2004
I think she's brilliant - I'd like to see her have her own chat-show.
Mark Hill - 08/03/2004
Absolutely fuckin hilarious.
Jason Holdcroft - 25/01/2004
I don't know how this woman got to where she is - she certainly doesn't offer anything new or refreshing. Saw her at Jongleurs - as is so often the case the acts should have been in reverse order, because she was a uniquely disappointing headline. With each act she opens another out of date can of cliches.
Chris Grant - 21/01/2004
I thought she was ace when she closed in Jongleurs Southampton. WhileI like clever material, amusing observations and surrealism, the most important thing is that someone makes me laugh. I can't really remember anything about Gina's set other than the fact that I and everyone else was in hysterics the entire time.