The Stand Comedy Club

FRANCESCA MARTINEZ
BIOGRAPHY

Francesca Martinez first came to the public's attention in 1994, playing Rachel Burns in the BAFTA award-winning children's drama Grange Hill . Francesca appeared in over 60 episodes until 1999 and was the show's first main disabled character.

Winning the prestigious Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award in 2000 - the first female comic to do so - cemented her move into the world of stand-up. The same year, she was already performing at major venues such as The Comedy Store, being invited onto ITV's Barrymore and being profiled in a BBC Radio 4 documentary No Tragedy, No Triumph .

Performances at Montreal's famous Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and The Melbourne International Comedy Festival followed. In 2001, Francesca returned to the Fringe to star in The Comedy Zone and in 2002 she wowed Edinburgh with her first solo show, the 100% sell out, I'MPERFECT. She has also performed her comedy at the Dorchester as part of a gala event alongside Nelson Mandela and Cherie Blair, and at Dublin Castle for the 2004 and 2005 02 Ability Awards where she got the better of Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern.

Francesca is in demand as an actress and presenter. Her appearances include starring in the Award winning Extras , Holby City and Doctors . She has also guested on ITV's The Frank Skinner Show , Channel 4's The World's Most Offensive Joke and The New Ten Commandments, Sky 1's Politically Incorrect , and presented the two part series Should We Be Laughing? for BBC Radio 4.

In 2003 Francesca was voted one of 'Britain's 50 Funniest Comedians' by The Observer and in 2005 she was nominated for the UK Motivator Of The Year Award. In 2007 Francesca was featured on Channel 4's The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups . Francesca is currently working on her own BBC sitcom pilot with the producer of Extras.

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Updated on 06/08/07