Josephine Caulfield (born 26 September 1965) is a British actress, writer and comedian.

Biography

Born in

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

to Irish parents, she was brought up in

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

and Leicestershire, England. At 17, Caulfield moved to London. For two years she lived in a squat in Kilburn Park, West London, and played drums in a

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

band. Heavily influenced by

The Cramps The Cramps were an American rock band formed in 1976 and active until 2006. Their lineup rotated frequently during their existence, with the husband-and-wife duo of singer Lux Interior and guitarist Poison Ivy the only ever-present members. ...

and The Fleshtones the band went nowhere fast due to their "lack of songs, musical ability and talent. But we did wear nice clothes" (Jo Caulfield, Radio 4 interview).

Career

Deciding she wanted to get into comedy, Caulfield worked as a

waitress Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending ...

during the day, saved up her tips, bought a small microphone and amplifier, and opened her own comedy club. After meeting her partner, the couple agreed a two-year plan to either make it or give up. Caulfield was soon writing for

Graham Norton Graham William Walker (born 4 April 1963), better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comed ...

, getting her own gigs and doing a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

show.

Writer/comedian

In 2010, Jo Caulfield was nominated as 'Funniest Woman 2010' (LAFTA Awards). She has previously been nominated as 'Best Female Comedian 2002' (

Chortle Awards The Chortle Awards were set up in 2002 by the comedy website Chortle to honour the best of established stand-up comics currently working in the UK. A panel of reviewers draw up a shortlist, which is presented for public vote at the Chortle websit ...

), 'Best Compere 2004' (Chortle Awards) and one of 'The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups' (

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

). She has appeared at major comedy clubs, both in the UK and overseas, and has completed two solo nationwide tours, and a further three as support act of Graham Norton,

Puppetry of the Penis ''Puppetry of the Penis'' is a comedic live performance-art show featuring a series of genital contortions. The show was initially conceived as the title of a highbrow art calendar released by Australian Simon Morley in 1996. The calendar show ...

and

Rory Bremner Roderick Keith Ogilvy "Rory" Bremner,"Rory Bremner". '' Who Do You Think You Are?''. Wall to Wall for BBC One. 2 February 2009. No. 1, series 6. (born 6 April 1961) is a Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political sati ...

. For the last nine years, Caulfield has taken a new solo comedy show to the

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

. Caulfield was Comedy Writer/Programme Consultant for all five series of the BAFTA Award-winning ''

So Graham Norton ''So Graham Norton'' is a British television chat show hosted by Irish personality Graham Norton. It aired on Channel 4 from 3 July 1998 to 1 March 2002. Theme The show was primarily adult-oriented, with host Norton dishing out many sexual in ...

''. She was also head writer on both

Ruby Wax Ruby Wax (; born 19 April 1953) is an American-British actress, comedian, writer, television personality, and mental health campaigner. A classically-trained actress, Wax was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for five years and co-starred on t ...

's ''Waiting Game'' and Zoe Ball's 'Strictly Dance Fever' (BBC3). Caulfield has also written for Joan Rivers, Anne Robinson, Denise Van Outen and Ant & Dec among others. Caulfield's first CD, ''Thinking Bad Thoughts'', was released via iTunes in October 2012. She currently hosts a regular spoken word/comedy evening at the

Scottish Storytelling Centre The Scottish Storytelling Centre, the world's first purpose-built modern centre for live storytelling, is located on the High Street in Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was formally opened on 1 June 2006 by Patricia Fergus ...

in Edinburgh called ''The Speakeasy''. She was joint winner of the 2021 Circuit Comedian of the Year.

Television

Caulfield's TV appearances include ''

Never Mind The Buzzcocks ''Never Mind the Buzzcocks'' is a British comedy panel game show with a pop music theme. It has aired on Sky Max since September 2021, having originally aired between November 1996 and January 2015 on BBC Two. The original series was first hos ...

'', ''

Mock the Week ''Mock the Week'' is a British topical satirical celebrity panel show, created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson. It was produced by Angst Productions for BBC Two, and was broadcast from 5 June 2005 to 4 November 2022. The programme was present ...

'', ''The Stand-up Show'', ''

The Comedy Store The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California. History The Comedy S ...

'', ''The World Stands Up'', '' Have I Got News For You'', ''

Argumental ''Argumental'' (working title ''Whose Side Are You On?'') is a British improvised comedy panel game hosted originally by John Sergeant and later Sean Lock, alongside two teams captained by Marcus Brigstocke and Rufus Hound, followed by Robert W ...

'', ''

The Politics Show ''Politics Show'' is an hour-long BBC One television political programme which was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sundays between 2003 and 2011, broadcasting usually at midday. ''Politics Show'' was superseded by ''Sunday Politics'', a weeke ...

'' and ''

Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow ''Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow'' is a British stand-up comedy television series hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre from different venues around the United Kingdom and Ireland. The first series was broadcast with six episodes in 2009. Each ...

''. In November 2008 Caulfield presented a video piece for BBC1's ''

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...

'' about

Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended ...

. Caulfield visited the Darwin exhibition at the

Natural History Museum A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...

to see what Darwin thought were the pros and cons of marriage. In March 2010 Caulfield had her set at London's Comedy Store filmed for the up-and-coming ''The Comedy Store'' series on ''Comedy Central''. In April 2010 Caulfield presented a piece for BBC1's ''

''. Filmed at the Harrogate Theatre during her 'Won't Shut Up' tour Caulfield canvassed the audience about their views on politics, politicians and the 2010 election campaign. She is also a TV warm-up artist, and is the regular warm-up for '' Have I Got News for You'' (with two appearances as a contestant). Other TV shows she regularly worked on include ''

V Graham Norton ''V Graham Norton'' is a British chat show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom starring Graham Norton, broadcast every weeknight as a successor to the weekly ''So Graham Norton''. It aired from 6 May 2002 to 28 December 2003. It featur ...

'', '' Alistair McGowan's Big Impression'', ''

Bremner, Bird and Fortune ''Bremner, Bird and Fortune'' is a satirical British television programme produced by Vera Productions for Channel Four, uniting the longstanding satirical team of John Bird and John Fortune ("the Two Johns") with the satirical impressionist Ro ...

'', '' Gimme Gimme Gimme'', ''

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps ''Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps'' is a British sitcom that ran from 26 February 2001 to 24 May 2011. First broadcast on BBC Two, it starred Sheridan Smith, Will Mellor, Natalie Casey, Ralf Little, Kathryn Drysdale and Luke Gell. ...

'', and '' Perfect World''. Acting credits include ''

Family Affairs ''Family Affairs'' is a British soap opera that aired on Channel 5. It debuted on 30 March 1997, the day of the launch of said channel and was the first programme broadcast on the channel. It was screened as five thirty-minute episodes per w ...

'', '' Days Like These'', '' Beast'', and '' Get Real''.

Radio

She has been a regular guest on many radio shows: '' It's Been a Bad Week'', ''The Fred MacAulay Show'', ''The Motion Show'', '' Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Section'', '' Quote... Unquote'', ''The Sunday Programme'' (LBC Radio), ''

The Now Show ''The Now Show'' is a British radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, which satirises the week's news. The show is a mixture of stand-up, sketches and songs hosted by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis. The show used to feature regular appearances b ...

'' and ''Twenty Twenty''. In January 2006 Caulfield recorded her own Radio 4 comedy series
''It's That Jo Caulfield Again''
to much critical acclaim. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'', ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'', ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the ...

'', ''

The Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after bei ...

'' and ''

Heat In thermodynamics, heat is defined as the form of energy crossing the boundary of a thermodynamic system by virtue of a temperature difference across the boundary. A thermodynamic system does not ''contain'' heat. Nevertheless, the term is ...

'' Magazine all made the show their "Pick of the Day". The series was primarily written by Caulfield, and featured regular cast members Vicky Pepperdine, Dave Mounfield and Simon Greenall. A second series, featuring Sharon Horgan, Alan Francis and Simon Greenall, went out in June 2007. In December 2007 the third series of ''It's That Jo Caulfield Again'' was broadcast. The cast: Zoe Lyons, Marian Pashley, Moray Hunter and Simon Greenall. In November 2009 a new series, ''Jo Caulfield Won't Shut Up!'', went out in the 6.30pm comedy slot on Radio 4. The series was primarily written by Jo Caulfield, and featured regular cast members Zoe Lyons, Nick Revel and Simon Greenall. The first show was recorded live at the Edinburgh Festival, with special guest Paul Sneedon. In June 2010 ''Jo Caulfield Won't Shut Up!'' was repeated in the 11 o'clock slot on Radio 4. In July/August 2012 Jo presented ''Laughing In All The Right Places'' for BBC Scotland.

Live shows

;2001: :Jo Caulfield – It's Not That Important (Pleasance Dome/Edinburgh Festival) ;2002: :Jo Caulfield – Live (Pleasance Upstairs/Edinburgh Festival) ;2003: :Jo Caulfield – It's That Jo Caulfield Again (Pleasance Cabaret Bar/Edinburgh Festival ;2004: :Jo Caulfield – Role Model (Pleasance Queen Dome/Edinburgh Festival) ;2005: :Jo Caulfield – Who Are You? (Pleasance Cavern/Edinburgh Festival) ;2006: :Jo Caulfield – Emotional Warfare (Pleasance Queen Dome/Edinburgh Festival) ;2007: :Jo Caulfield – Goes To Hell (Assembly Rooms/Edinburgh Festival) ;2008: :Jo Caulfield – Two-Faced Bitch? (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2009: :Jo Caulfield – Won't Shut Up! (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2010: :Jo Caulfield – Cruel To Be Kind (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2012: :Jo Caulfield – Thinking Bad Thoughts (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2014: :Jo Caulfield – Cancel My Subscription (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2015: :Jo Caulfield – Awkward Conversations (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2016: :Jo Caulfield – Pretending To Care (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2017: :Jo Caulfield – Older Wiser Smarter Meaner (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2018: :Jo Caulfield – Killing Time (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;2019: :Jo Caulfield – Voodoo Doll (Stand Comedy Club/Edinburgh Festival) ;UK tours: :2006 Jo Caulfield Live: :2008 Jo Caulfield Goes To Hell: :2010 Jo Caulfield Won't Shut Up :2012 Better The Devil You Know

References

External links

Official siteJo Caulfield BlogJo Caulfield Radio Show
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caulfield, Jo 1965 births Living people English people of Irish descent English stand-up comedians English women comedians Squatters People from Derbyshire People from Leicestershire 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians