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Award-winning Shazia Mirza is a popular, much-loved stand-up comedian, actress and writer.
Known for her television appearances as much as her comedy, she can often be seen on QI (2020), Have I Got News For You (2001), and Would I Lie To (2023), as well as quiz shows including Eggheads (2018) and Pointless (2020-2021).
With an international fanbase – and an online following of over 100,000 – Shazia is the perfect choice to host corporate events, moderate conferences, present award ceremonies, provide after-dinner talks, and, of course, perform her hilarious comedy routines.
Born in Birmingham, Shazia Mirza initially studied biochemistry at the University of Manchester before achieving a postgraduate certificate in Education. She became a science teacher, once teaching the boy who would grow up to become Dizzee Rascal. Whilst teaching, she took on a part-time acting course at the Rose Bruford College before stepping into stand-up comedy in 2000.
Shazia started performing stand-up comedy in 2000, quickly becoming a one-to-watch comedian, selling out shows up and down the country, including at the Edinburgh Fringe Festivals.
Just two years after her debut, Shazia won the London Comedy Festival & Hackney Empire New Act of the Year. She has since been named among the London Evening Standard’s 1,000 most influential people in London, and The Observer’s 50 funniest acts in British Comedy. Nominated for Channel 4’s National Comedy Awards, Shazia has performed several stand-up tours across the UK, USA, Sweden, France and Ireland, her most well-known and beloved being ‘The Kardashians Made Me Do It’ in 2015.
Her rise to comedy fame has also made Shazia a familiar face on our television screens. She has made guest appearances on The Jonathan Ross Show (2016), Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains (2021), Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls (2017), Travel Man (2018), The One Show (2018), Child Genius (2018), Loose Women (2016), The Wright Stuff (2011-2018) and Jeremy Vine (2018). She has also appeared as a contestant on Richard Osman’s House of Games (2021), The Hit List (2021), and Tipping Point (2020). In 2009, Shazia participated in the show F*** Off I’m a Hairy Woman for BBC Three, looking at whether she could learn to love her natural body hair.
As well as performing on stage and appearing on television, Shazia is a popular voice on radio shows, such as The Graham Norton Show, My Teenage Diary, Loose Ends, The Museum of Curiosity, Steve Wright in the Afternoon, The Now Show, Woman’s Hour, Pause For Thought, and The Frank Skinner Show. She has also been a guest on podcasts, including Pale, Male and Stale, Frothby City, A South Asian Woman, and On Childhood.
Shazia has been contributing writings to several publications throughout her career, including The New Statesman (winning the 2008 Columnist of the Year award), The Guardian, The Financial Times, The Daily Mail, Time Out, The Big Issue, Woman’s Weekly, and Radio Times.
Whilst more known for her stand-up, Shazia has acted in a number of TV series, including What the Frick (2020), The Vessel (2012), and Beautiful People (2009).
Now a hugely popular star, Shazia is often booked to host corporate events, moderate conferences, present awards, and perform a comedy gig. Clients include Barclays, the BBC, HP, Huffpost, Lloyds of London, NHS, One World Media, Shell, and Transport for London.
Shazia Mirza is provoking laughter and large intakes of breath once again. Brave and urgent.
The Telegraph
Vital, deftly handled, rammed with provocation. As brave a piece of comedy as you’ll see.
Mail on Sunday
Wonderful – razor-sharp observational wit, humanity, humility, hilarity in abundance and our crowd were frequently wiping tears from their eyes and guffawing uncontrollably. A perfect combination – your hosting set the perfect tone.
Peter Holbrook, CEO, Social Enterprise UK Awards
“Of course I’d give you testimony – I thought you were wonderful – razor-sharp observational wit, humanity, humility, hilarity in abundance and our crowd were frequently wiping tears from their eyes and guffawing uncontrollably. A perfect combination – your hosting set the perfect tone. – thank you.”
Social Enterprise UK
“Shazia is ever the consummate professional and can always be trusted to deliver a class act comedy performance. Most recently she headlined at the sell-out Stand Up With Women event at 21Soho in London and she didn’t disappoint with her topical, fearless and hilarious material. She also happily agreed to give media interviews in support of the event as well as actively promoting it across her social media channels which we hugely appreciated.
I highly recommend Shazia as a host and to perform at any gig as she is incredibly easy to work with, reliable and most of all a very funny woman. We can’t wait to work with her again.”
Interim Head of Media | ActionAid UK