British stand-up comedian Gina Yashere was born on April 6, 1973 in Finsbury Park, England. She is one of the top 10 finalists competing in the NBC reality talent show Last Comic Standing. A Londoner of Nigerian descent, before she pursued a career in comedy, she worked as a lift maintenance engineer. In 1996, she was a finalist in the long-running annual Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition. She has worked on a number of television productions, such as Mock the Week, Lenny Henny in Pieces, Jo Brand’s Hot Potatoes, and Gina’s Laughing Gear. She also voices Keisha in the animated series Bromwell High.

Another reality television show she participated in was Comic Relief does Fame Academy, in order to support the charity organization Comic Relief. Yashere co-hosted the 2006 MOBO Awards alongside Grammy Award-winning rapper Coolio. She can also be heard on her own BBC Radio London show, as well as The Powder Room on Radio 2. She worked on the feature films Mr. In-Between and Kiss Kiss, along with acting onstage in a West End production of The Vagina Monologues. She has also written a number of plays for BBC Radio 4, as well as sketches for Richard Blackwood’s Channel 4 series.