Sophie Willan

1987-10-21 · Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK

Sophie Willan is a British stand up comedian, actress and writer. Willan was born in Bolton in 1987 to a heroin addicted mother. Her early life was difficult and she spent time in care. She later worked as an escort, and sex work is chronicled in her show one-woman stand up show, Branded. She became the recipient of the first ever Caroline Aherne Bursary award from the BBC for 2017-'18 and has won several awards for her stand up, including Edinburgh's Best Newcomer in 2017. She narrates Channel 4 reality gameshow The Circle and is a regular in BBC1 sitcom Still Open All Hours, as well as appearing in festive comedy Click and Collect alongside Stephen Merchant and Asim Chaudhry. In 2021, BBC2 broadcast the first series of her BAFTA-winning semi-autobiographical sitcom Alma's Not Normal to critical and commercial acclaim. A second and seemingly final series was aired in 2024.