Jessica Amy Knappett is an English comedian, actress, and writer. She is the creator, writer, executive producer, and star of the E4 sitcom Drifters, and appeared as Lisa in The Inbetweeners Movie.
Jessica Knappett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jessica Amy Knappett 9 April 1984[1] Bradford, West Yorkshire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian, actress, writer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Height | 177[2] cm (5 ft 10 in) |
| Spouse |
Dan Crane (m. 2016) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life
editJessica Amy Knappett was born in the Bingley district of Bradford West Yorkshire. She attended Woodhouse Grove School in nearby Apperley Bridge before studying Drama and English at the University of Manchester.[3][4][5] She was a co-founder of Lady Garden, a sketch comedy group formed in Manchester in 2005.[6] The group performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2008, 2009, and 2010. They also toured throughout England, performing at comedy festivals in Sheffield, Manchester, and Brighton in 2008. They were Hackney New Act & Laughing Horse finalists in 2009.
Career
editKnappett was the creator, writer, executive producer, and star of the E4 sitcom Drifters, in which she played Meg.[7] She described the show as a semi-autobiographical and therapeutic re-writing of her own history.[8] It was repeated on Channel 4. and commissioned for a further three seasons.
Knappett played Lisa in The Inbetweeners Movie and appeared in the Alan Partridge Movie Alpha Papa and the TV film Irreversible. Other credits include Drunk History for Comedy Central, Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge for Sky One, Twenty Twelve for BBC Two, Meet the Parents for E4, and How Not to Live Your Life and Lunch Monkeys for BBC Three. She also played Carly in the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Shedtown alongside Johnny Vegas. She has recorded a string of pilot episodes, including Everything Happens for No Reason written by Richard Herring, alongside Noel Fielding.[9]
Knappett appearances on panel shows include 8 Out of 10 Cats, Hypothetical, and The Last Leg. She has written for The Guardian.[10] She was a contestant on the seventh season of Dave's comedy gameshow Taskmaster, falling off the stage during a task in one episode.[11] The stage extension was later named The Knappett in her honour.
Personal life
editKnappett married Dan Crane in September 2016.[5][12] They have two children and live in Ilkley.[13]
Jessica's brother, Ben Knappett, is a television producer who also worked on Drifters as a writer.[14]
Filmography
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Would I Lie to You? | Herself | Series 17, Episode 8 |
| Celebrity Mastermind | Series 22, Episode 9 | ||
| 2023 | Richard Osman's Festive House of Games | Series 7, Episodes 56–60 | |
| 2022, 2024 | Avoidance | Claire | Series 1, Episodes 1–6, and Series 2, Episodes 1–6 |
| 2022 | Dodger | The Countess | Series 1, Episode 10: "Revenge" |
| The Weakest Link | Herself | Series 2, Episode 8: "New Year's Eve Special" | |
| Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable | Series 2, Episode 8 | ||
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Series 22, Episode 4 | ||
| Meet the Richardsons | Series 3, Episode 4 | ||
| 2021 | Series 2, Episode 3 | ||
| Question Team | Series 1, Episode 8 | ||
| Outsiders | Series 1, Episodes 1–6 | ||
| Rob Beckett's Undeniable | Series 1, Episodes 1–6 | ||
| Complaints Welcome | Series 1, Episodes 1–3 | ||
| Hypothetical | Series 3, Episode 2 | ||
| Paul Sinha's TV Showdown | Series 1, Episode 4 | ||
| Hitmen | Caroline | Series 2, Episode 2: "Sniper" | |
| Ghosts | Lucy | Series 3, Episodes 2, 4 & 6 | |
| 2020 | Richard Osman's House of Games | Herself | Series 4, Episodes 41–45 |
| Don't Hate the Playaz | Series 3, Episode 7 | ||
| 8 Out of 10 Cats | Series 22, Episode 6 | ||
| Channel Hopping with Jon Richardson | Series 1, Episode 4 | ||
| Guessable | Series 1, Episode 2: "Alan and Lincoln's Wooden Teeth" | ||
| Aunty Donna's Big Ol' House of Fun | English Lady at Bar | Series 1, Episode 5: "Night-Time!" | |
| 2019 | Zone of Champions | Nicky Brimble | Series 1, Episodes 1–6 |
| Judge Romesh | Court Clerk | Series 2, Episodes 1–12 | |
| Hypothetical | Herself | Series 1, Episode 1 | |
| The Russell Howard Hour | Series 2, Episode 8 | ||
| Dave Gorman: Terms and Conditions Apply | Series 1, Episode: "Udder Fudge" | ||
| The Inbetweeners: Fwends Reunited | Television Special | ||
| The Last Leg | Series 18, Episode 8 | ||
| 2018 | Series 16, Episode 11: "The Last Leg of the Year 2018" | ||
| Taskmaster | Series 7, Episodes 1–10 | ||
| Travel Man | Series 7, Episode 2: "48 Hours in Ibiza" | ||
| Sunday Brunch | Series 7, Episode 30 | ||
| 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Series 15, Episode 1, and Series 16, Episode 6 | ||
| Go 8 Bit | Series 3, Episode 3 | ||
| 2017 | Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled | Series 5, Episode 4: "Frank Bruno Was the Original Bus Driver" | |
| Halloween Comedy Shorts | Kelly | Series 2, Episode 3: "It Should Have Been Me" | |
| Drunk History: UK | Drunken Storyteller | Series 3, Episode 2: "Billy the Kid / Elizabeth I" | |
| The Educatoror | Charlotte Baines | Mini-series, Episodes 1–3 | |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats | Herself | Series 20, Episodes 3 & 5 | |
| 2016 | Series 19, Episode 4 | ||
| Celebrity Advice Bureau | Mini-series, Episodes 1–3 | ||
| My Worst Job | Mini-series, Episodes 1 & 2 | ||
| Drunk History: UK | Drunken Storyteller | Series 2, Episode 4: "Richard III / Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" | |
| Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge | Caller (voice) | Series 2, Episode 6: "Grundy + Snow" | |
| 2015 | Drunk History: UK | Florence Nightingale | Series 1, Episode 8: "Baden Powell / Florence Nightingale / Worst Zoo Ever" |
| 2014 | Irreversible | Sarah | Television film |
| Daily Brunch with Ocado | Herself - Guest | Series 1, Episode 21 | |
| 2013–2016 | Drifters | Meg | Series 1–4, 24 episodes. Main role and creator |
| 2013 | Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa | WPC Ruth | Film |
| 2012 | Comedy Showcase | PC Kelly Mink | Series 3, Episode 6: "The Function Room" |
| Twenty Twelve | Carey Taylor | Series 2, Episode 6: "Inclusivity Day" | |
| Live at the Electric | Addition cast (segment 'The Van') | Series 1, Episodes 1–4 | |
| 2011 | The Inbetweeners Movie | Lisa | Film |
| Dick and Dom's Funny Business | Herself - Guest | Series 1, Episode 2: "The Rider with Gordon Kennedy" | |
| Coming of Age | Alice | Series 3, Episode 8: "Fear Itself" | |
| Lunch Monkeys | Becky | Series 2, Episode 4: "Dream a Little Dream" | |
| Meet the Parents | Sister / Russian Cleaner | Series 1, Episodes 1–5 | |
| 2010 | How Not to Live Your Life | Harriet | Series 3, Episode 3: "Don's Posh Weekend" |
References
edit- ^ "As I announced on Sunday Brunch I am turning 40 tomorrow" - Jessica Knappett on Instagram
- ^ "Are you worried Alex is in love with you?". Taskmaster: The People's Podcast. Season 1. Episode 18. 12 August 2023. 13 minutes in. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
- ^ Huddleston, Yvette (24 October 2013). "My Life: Jessica Knappett". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ Hannah Begbie. "Jessica Knappett CV". United Artists. Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ a b Harriet Gibsone (10 October 2016). "Drifters' Jessica Knappett on turning her wilderness years into a TV smash". The Guardian.
- ^ Stuart Husband; Horatia Harrod (27 October 2010). "Britain's Funniest Women". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 October 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
- ^ "Drifters – All 4". www.channel4.com. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Jessica Knappett interview – Drifters". British Comedy Guide. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Richard Herring films multiple universe sitcom pilot for Channel 4". British Comedy Guide. 28 January 2017. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Jessica Knappett". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "Taskmaster – Series 7, Episode 7 | Full Episode | 'The perfect stuff'". YouTube.
- ^ Jessica Knappett (26 March 2017). "The Guardian – Life and Style – How I married a world-champion air guitarist who turned up on my doorstep". The Guardian.
- ^ Jessica Knappett (16 April 2017). "The Guardian – Life and Style – Nothing prepared me for pregnancy, apart from the never-ending hangover of my 20s". The Guardian.
- ^ Ben Knappett at IMDb