A graduate of The Poor School drama college, Lyons first came to public attention in the 2001 ITV reality show Survivor, making the last four.

She then turned to stand-up, winning the Funny Women title in 2004 and being nominated for best newcomer for her debut one-woman show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2007. The following year she won Dave’s Joke Of The Fringe with a one-liner that now seems in poor taste: ‘I can't believe Amy Winehouse self-harms. She's so irritating she must be able to find someone to do it for her’ 

Lyons’s TV appearances include Mock the Week, Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow, Room 101, Live At The Apollo and QI. And in 2021 she hosted the teatime TV quiz show, Lightning, on BBC Two.