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Francesca Martinez

Comedian, actress
Francesca Martinez

Francesca is a comedian, writer, actress and speaker who has toured the globe with her award-winning stand-up shows. Her comedy career started in 2000 when she became the first and only woman to win the Open Mic Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. She has performed in many countries, including alongside Emma Thompson at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

From 2011 onwards, she toured her award-winning show What The **** Is Normal?! around the world, clocking up 140 dates. In 2016, she supported Frankie Boyle on his sell-out UK tour and was commissioned to write a new comedy show Francesca Martinez’s Wobbly Manifesto for performance at museums around the UK. Francesca has cerebral palsy but much prefers the word ‘wobbly’.

Since starring in five series of BBC’s Grange Hill in the 1990s, Francesca has made numerous TV appearances including BBC2’s Extras opposite Kate Winslet and Ricky Gervais. She has also appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show, Loose Women and Question Time.

A regular commentator on TV and radio, Francesca delivers motivational and after-dinner speeches across the globe. In 2005, she was nominated for the Motivator of the Year Award along with Sir Bob Geldof. Francesca has recorded a popular Tedx talk and received a standing ovation from the Cambridge Union.

She has an Honorary Doctorate from the Open University “for making Britain a more compassionate and fairer society”, and a second honorary doctorate from Bradford University “for her contributions to equality, inclusive thought and social commentary”.

 

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Francesca Martinez

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