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Shazia Mirza

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Shazia Mirza
Mirza in 2010
Born
Birmingham, West Midlands, England
EducationUniversity of Manchester (Bachelor of Science BSc.Hons Biochemistry)
Goldsmiths, University of London (PGCE)
Rose Bruford College
Comedy career
Years active2005[1]–present
MediumComedian, actor, writer, columnist
GenreObservational comedy
SubjectsSocial commentary, family
Websitewww.shazia-mirza.com Edit this at Wikidata

Shazia Mirza is a British comedian, actor and writer. She is best known for her ground breaking stand-up comedy, acting roles and her articles in British newspapers The Guardian, New Statesman, The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times [2][3][4]

Early life and education

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Mirza was born in Birmingham, England, the eldest daughter of Punjabi Pakistani parents who moved to Birmingham, England in the 1970s.[5][6][7]

Mirza read Biochemistry at the University of Manchester and achieved a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Goldsmiths, University of London.[8] Before beginning her career in comedy Mirza was a science teacher at Langdon Park School, where she taught Dylan Mills, now known as the grime pioneer Dizzee Rascal.[9][10][11] She also taught in Dagenham and Enfield and taught for 14 years. She later attended Rose Bruford College, where she studied acting.

Stand-up

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Her comedy is said to push barriers and, as a comedian, she is often referred to as 'brave', and ground breaking. She has been described by The New York Times as an Iconoclast producing Iconic stand up comedy routines [2][3][4][12]

Writing

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Mirza was a columnist for The Guardian between 2008 and 2010.[13] and also writes feature pieces for the Financial Times. She also had a column in The New Statesman[14] for which she won Columnist of the Year at the PPA Awards and also had a column in Dawn[15] newspaper.

Television and radio

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She has appeared on many British TV comedy shows and also TV shows abroad including Travel Man, the BBC Panel Show Would I Lie to You? The Jonathan Ross Show, The Apprentice (British TV series)Have I Got News for You, Celebrity Mastermind, MasterChef (British TV series), The Late Late Show (Irish talk show) Loose Women, Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Pilgrimage (TV series), Ricky, Sue and a Trip or Two with Ricky Tomlinson and Sue Johnston, Sorry, I Didn't Know appearing in every single series.

In 2025 she made her debut as Dr.Ayub in EastEnders (BBC One) playing a paediatrician for which she received rave reviews. /[16]

Was a regular panelist on the Channel 5 topical discussion series The Wright Stuff,[17] as well as appearing on other TV shows[18] n April 2007, she presented a documentary on BBC Three called F*** Off, I'm a Hairy Woman.[19] Mirza has also appeared in reality game shows Celebrity The Island with Bear Grylls on Channel 4 (2017), and in 2018, the Channel 5 show Celebs in Solitary.[20] In 2024 she appeared in SAS: Who Dares Wins. In Sweden in 2024 appeared on the Carina Bergfeldt Show, and also appeared on Tout le monde en parle (French talk show) with Thierry Ardisson. She has also been profiled on CBS 60 Minutes in the US and interviewed by Ed Bradley

Recognition

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She was recognised as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013.[21] The Telegraph named her as one of the 50 funniest acts of the 21st century in British Comedy

References

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  1. ↑ "Rose Bruford College Appoints its first President – Rose Bruford College". Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Edinburgh 2015: Shazia Mirza, A Work in Progress, The Stand, review: 'brave and urgent'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Shazia Mirza, comedy review: nothing if not brave". London Evening Standard. 25 September 2015. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. 1 2 "Laughs in the face of terror | Tribune". www.tribunemagazine.org. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  5. ↑ Mckeown, Jack (27 May 2016). "Shazia Mirza: The Kardashians Made Me Do It". The Courier. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ↑ Shazia Mirza (12 April 2010). "Halal comedy? You might as well ask for halal bacon". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  7. ↑ Mirza, Shazia (3 August 2008). "What I know about men". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  8. ↑ Iziren, Interview by Adeline (1 February 2003). "What happened next?". the Guardian. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Time Out London: Shazia Mirza: interview Archived 19 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine 17 June 2008
  10. ↑ Shazia Mirza: Diary of a disappointing daughter Archived 2 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine Shazia Mirza's weekend column 22 May 2010
  11. ↑ Interview: Shazia Mirza Archived 27 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 23 June 2010
  12. ↑ "REVIEW: Shazia Mirza – The Kardashians Made Me Do It at Exeter Corn Exchange". Exeter Express and Echo. 3 May 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.[permanent dead link]
  13. ↑ "Profile: Shazia Mirza". London: The Guardian UK. 23 July 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  14. ↑ "Shazia Mirza on the culture of hate: "Once we blamed Yoko Ono. Now we blame refugees"". 16 September 2016.
  15. ↑ "News stories for Shazia Mirza - DAWN.COM". www.dawn.com.
  16. ↑ "This EastEnders guest star was rejected by the BBC soap 37 years ago". Yahoo News UK. 10 July 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  17. ↑ Wright, Matthew; Johnson, Eric; Duffy, Kirsty (11 September 2000), The Wright Stuff, archived from the original on 19 January 2017, retrieved 8 December 2016
  18. ↑ "Shazia Mirza". IMDb.
  19. ↑ "BBC Three - Body Image, Series 2, F*** off I'm a Hairy Woman".
  20. ↑ "My5". www.channel5.com.
  21. ↑ "100 Women: Who took part?". BBC News. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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