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Emma Kennedy (born Elizabeth Emma Williams on 28 May 1967) is an English actress, lawyer, comedian, and travel writer, comedian, television presenter and author.


Early life and education

The daughter of teachers,"Focus: Comedy Chameleon"
''The Stage'', n.d. she was educated at
Hitchin Girls' School Hitchin Girls' School (HGS) is a secondary school with academy status in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England. The school has 1079 students and is in a consortium for sixth form teaching with Hitchin Boys' School and The Priory School. It gained ac ...
, and
St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall (sometimes known as The Hall or informally as Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any universit ...
. At Oxford in 1987, she worked with (among others)
Richard Herring Richard Keith Herring (born 12 July 1967) is an English stand-up comedian and writer, whose early work includes the comedy double act Lee and Herring (alongside Stewart Lee). He is described by ''The British Theatre Guide'' as "one of the lead ...
and
Stewart Lee Stewart Graham Lee (born 5 April 1968) is an English comedian, screenwriter, and television director. His stand-up routine is characterised by repetition, internal reference, deadpan delivery, and consistent breaking of the fourth wall. Lee b ...
in comedy troupes the
Seven Raymonds The Seven Raymonds were a comic revue troupe founded in 1987 by Oxford University undergraduates. The Seven Raymonds were Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, Emma Kennedy, Michael Cosgrave, Richard Canning, and Jo Renshaw. They supported The Oxford ...
and
The Oxford Revue The Oxford Revue is a comedy group primarily featuring students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, England. Founded in the early 1950s, The Oxford Revue has produced many prominent comedians, actors and satirists. The Revue wr ...
. After graduating she trained and practised as a solicitor, including work in corporate law, human rights law, and intellectual property law.


Acting career

Kennedy first met close friend
Mel Giedroyc Melanie Clare Sophie Giedroyc (; , born 5 June 1968) is a British actress, comedian and television presenter. With Sue Perkins, she has co-hosted series including ''Light Lunch'' for Channel 4, ''The Great British Bake Off'' for the BBC and c ...
, who was appearing with the
Cambridge Footlights Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...
, at the
Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
in 1988.Adam Jacque
"How We Met: Mel Giedroyc & Emma Kennedy"
''The Independent'', 7 September 2008 Later she became a script editor for Giedroyc's double act with Sue Perkins, and worked as a writer for the
Mel and Sue Mel Giedroyc (born 5 June 1968) and Sue Perkins (born 22 September 1969), known collectively as Mel and Sue, are an English comedy double act. They are known for hosting the BAFTA Award-winning BBC One cookery series ''The Great British Bake ...
series '' Late Lunch''. Kennedy presented the last series of ''The Real Holiday Show'' on
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in 2000. She has since made appearances in TV comedies '' Goodness Gracious Me'', '' This Morning With Richard Not Judy'' (with
Lee and Herring Lee and Herring were a British standup comedy double act consisting of the comedians Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. They were most famous for their work on television, most notably ''Fist of Fun'' and '' This Morning with Richard Not Judy'' ...
), ''
Jonathan Creek ''Jonathan Creek'' is a long-running British mystery crime drama series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. It stars Alan Davies as the titular character, who works as a creative consultant to a stage magician while also solvi ...
'' alongside
Alan Davies Alan Roger Davies (; born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer, actor and TV presenter. He is best known for his portrayal of the title role in the BBC mystery drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (1997–2016) and as the only perm ...
and Caroline Quentin, '' People Like Us'' (with
Chris Langham Christopher Langham (born 14 April 1949) is an English writer, actor, and comedian. He is known for playing the cabinet minister Hugh Abbot in the BBC sitcom '' The Thick of It'', and as presenter Roy Mallard in '' People Like Us'', first on B ...
) and hit
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
comedy ''
The Smoking Room ''The Smoking Room'' is a British television sitcom written by Brian Dooley, who won a BAFTA for the series in 2005. The first series, consisting of eight episodes, was originally transmitted on BBC Three between 29 June and 17 August 2004. Th ...
'', along with appearing in several of ''
The Mark Steel Lectures ''The Mark Steel Lectures'' are a series of radio and television programmes. Written and delivered by Mark Steel, each scripted lecture presents arguments for the importance of a historical figure. History The lectures were originally broadcas ...
'', as well as in several
plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...
and
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
shows. She was also a movie reviewer on
Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
's ''Terry and Gaby Show''. In addition to this, she has made several appearances on ''
Big Brother's Little Brother This is a complete list of shows about and relating to '' Big Brother UK'' and '' Celebrity Big Brother''. The civilian edition ran from 2000 to 2018 and the celebrity edition ran from 2001 to 2018. ''Big Brother'' ''Big Brother'' was a daily s ...
''. She has appeared in comedy shows on the BBC's radio network, Radio 4. Among these was The Sunday Format (a parody of Sunday newspaper supplements) in which she played characters including an effete lifestyle writer India Spagoe. She provided voices for ''
The Comic Side of 7 Days ''The Comic Side of 7 Days'' is a British television programme shown from 2005 on BBC Three. It is a topical comedy programme which shows the satirical side of the past 7 days of news. It was broadcast weekly on a Friday, with several repeats duri ...
'' and was a regular on the
BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
comedy '' That Was Then, This Is Now'' with Richard Herring. She had a minor role in the film ''
Notes on a Scandal ''Notes on a Scandal'' (''What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal'' in the U.S.) is a 2003 novel by Zoë Heller. It is about a female teacher at a London comprehensive school who begins an affair with an underage pupil. Heller said to ''The Ob ...
'' and also appeared in the
Five 5 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 5, five or number 5 may also refer to: * AD 5, the fifth year of the AD era * 5 BC, the fifth year before the AD era Literature * ''5'' (visual novel), a 2008 visual novel by Ram * ''5'' (comics), an awa ...
series '' Suburban Shootout'' and ''Suburban Shootout 2: Clackers at Dawn''. She appeared as a regular on the popular podcast '' As It Occurs To Me'' until June 2011, when the series ended. Active in
Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
, Kennedy, with
Emma Freud Emma Vallencey Freud (born 25 January 1962) is an English broadcaster and cultural commentator. Early life Freud was born in London on 25 January 1962 and is the daughter of politician and broadcaster Sir Clement Freud (1924–2009) and June ...
, was involved in setting up the kazoo orchestra concert at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
, on 14 March 2011, which broke the
Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for the largest such ensemble. She also acts the voice of Becky Butters on the
CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...
programme '' Strange Hill High'', a series that utilised Japanese vinyl puppets and CGI; that programme was in production during 2013 and 2014. In July 2012, she posed for ''
Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...
'' in their "Out and Proud - Seven of London's smartest and loveliest lesbians" photoshoot. She has also appeared in television advertisements for products including ''Heat'' magazine, Sainsbury's supermarkets (with John Cleese), Actimel pro biotic drink, TV show ''Five Steps to a New You'' (Living TV) and Utterly Butterly (spread).


Writing career

Kennedy has written for radio, television and the
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
. Her first book, ''How To Bring Up Your Parents'', loosely based on her blog, came out in August 2007. Her second book, ''The Tent, The Bucket and Me'', recounting her childhood camping experiences, was published in April 2009. This was adapted by Kennedy as writer of the six-part BBC TV series '' The Kennedys'', starring
Katherine Parkinson Katherine Jane Parkinson (born 9 March 1978) is an English actress. She appeared in Channel 4's '' The IT Crowd'' comedy series as Jen Barber, for which she received a British Comedy Best TV Actress Award in 2009 and 2014, and was nominated twice ...
,
Dan Skinner Daniel Renton Skinner (born 25 January 1973) is an English actor and comedy writer, working in stage, film and television. Skinner often performs as the character Angelos Epithemiou and is also one half of the Brian and Roger podcast. Early li ...
, Harry Peacock and
Emma Pierson Emma Jane Pierson (born 30 April 1981) is an English actress. Her appearances in television programmes include the role of Anna Thornton-Wilton in the BBC television drama '' Hotel Babylon'', and ''SunTrap'', '' Days Like These'', '' Beast'' ...
, first broadcast on 2 October 2015. The comedy centres on a family living in Stevenage New Town in the 1970s, "when suburbia discovered sophistication". Her latest memoir, ''Letters from Brenda'', was published in May 2022. Kennedy has also written children's books. Three books in the Wilma Tenderfoot series have appeared: ''Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Frozen Hearts'' (published July 2009), ''Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Putrid Poison'' (July 2010) and ''Wilma Tenderfoot and the Case of the Fatal Phantom'' (November 2010). ''I Left My Tent In San Francisco'', the follow-up to ''The Tent, The Bucket and Me'', appeared in May 2011. She has also written a guide to TV series '' The Killing''.


Cookery

Kennedy took part in ''
Celebrity MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. In the UK, it is produced by the BBC. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 2 ...
'' in 2012, winning the final after a week of cookery-based tasks, in which ex-footballer
Danny Mills Daniel John Mills (born 18 May 1977) is an English former professional footballer best known for his time at Leeds United. His main position was right-back, though he could also play as a centre-back. On 7 August 2009, he announced his retirem ...
and TV presenter
Michael Underwood Michael Paul Underwood (born 26 October 1975) is an English television presenter, best known as a children's TV presenter on CBBC and CITV. He can be seen as a fifteen-year-old in an episode of '' The Crystal Maze'', then presented by Richa ...
also participated.


Other television

Between 2001 and 2003, she narrated the Channel 4 house relocation property series Home from Home. In Autumn 2020 Emma was a member of the Walruses in Series 16 of the
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
quiz show Only Connect alongside musical satirist
Mitch Benn Mitchell John Benn (born 20 January 1970) is an English comedian, author and musician known for his comedy rock songs performed on BBC radio. He was, until 2016, a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's satirical programme '' The Now Show'', and h ...
and Mastermind finalist Dan Adler. Her team reached the quarter-final round, but were eliminated in the 17th episode of the series broadcast on 11 January 2021.


Politics

Kennedy has been a member of the Liberal Democrats since 2010, becoming increasingly politically active by the end of the decade, using her Twitter account to express opposition to
Brexit Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
. In September 2019, she stood in hustings to be the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for
Surrey Heath Surrey Heath is a local government district with borough status in Surrey, England. Its council is based in Camberley. Much of the area is within the Metropolitan Green Belt. History The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local ...
, coming second (by three votes) to Alasdair Pinkerton. Kennedy is a member of
Chobham Chobham is a village and civil parish in the Borough of Surrey Heath in Surrey, England. The village has a small high street area, specialising in traditional trades and motor trades. The River Bourne and its northern tributary, the Hale, ...
parish council as of May 2021.


Personal life

On 20 January 2014, Kennedy announced her engagement to girlfriend Georgie Gibbon on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. They were married on 25 July 2015.


Published works

* * * * * * *


References


External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kennedy, Emma 1967 births 21st-century English comedians 21st-century English writers 21st-century English women writers Living people Alumni of St Edmund Hall, Oxford English film actresses English lesbian actresses English radio writers English television actresses English women comedians English women novelists English lesbian writers LGBT actors from England Liberal Democrats (UK) people People from Corby Reality cooking competition winners Women radio writers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people