Rachel Sarah Parris (born 1984)[1][2] is an English comedian, musician, actress and presenter. She hosts the satirical news show Late Night Mash (formerly The Mash Report).[3][4]

Rachel Parris
Parris in 2008 as an Eggheads contestant
Born
Rachel Sarah Parris

1984 (age 39–40)
Leicester, England
EducationSt Hilda's College, Oxford (BA)
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (MA)
Years active2007–present
Spouse
(m. 2019)
Children1
Websitewww.rachelontour.com

Early life

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Parris attended Loughborough High School.[5] She holds an upper second-class (2:1) Music BA from St Hilda's College, Oxford and a master's degree from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama for acting.[6]

Career

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Parris's stand-up comedy has been featured on Live at the Apollo,[7] and she has performed solo shows at the Edinburgh Fringe,[8] including It's Fun To Pretend, which was expanded into a UK tour for 2018/19.[9]

She presented the fourth series of the Game of Thrones spin-off show Thronecast,[10] and A Girl's Guide to TV, a comic guide to how women can get ahead in television, which first aired on BBC2 on 10 June 2018.[11]

As an actor, Parris was cast in the BBC show Murder in Successville,[12] and also appeared on The IT Crowd, Plebs and Count Arthur Strong.[13]

She has been a panellist on QI, I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Would I Lie to You? and Mock the Week. In 2017 she was a guest on Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast, in 2018 she was a guest on Pappy's Flatshare Slamdown podcast,[14][15] and in 2019 Richard Osman's House of Games.

Parris is a regular guest co-host on the podcast The Guilty Feminist.[16]

Parris was in one episode of Apple TV+'s Trying.[17]

Parris wrote a book published in 2022, Advice from Strangers: Everything I Know from People I Don't Know.

Improvisational comedy

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Rachel Parris performing at her Musical Comedy Club show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2018

Parris began improv comedy in 2007 with The Oxford Imps and musical comedy in 2010.[18][19] As part of the Austentatious improv group,[20] she has performed in Edinburgh, London, and on a UK tour,[21] beginning a run at the Fortune Theatre in London from 18 February 2019.[22]

In 2014, Austentatious won the Chortle Award for Best Character, Improv or Sketch Act,[23] and DVDs of their live shows were released by Gofasterstripe in 2015 and 2018.[24]

Awards

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In 2019, she was nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance for her work on The Mash Report.

In 2019, Parris won the Chortle Award for Best Music and Variety Act.[25]

In 2018, Parris was named Female First's Comedian of the Year, beating Tiffany Haddish, Amy Schumer and Ellen DeGeneres to the prize.[26]

She won runner-up placing in the annual Musical Comedy Awards competition in 2012, and has since headlined shows of theirs each year.[27]

Personal life

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Parris lives in south-west London and is married to fellow comedian Marcus Brigstocke.[28] The couple have a son, Billy.[29]

Television and radio credits

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  • Richard Osman's House of Games, Champions Week, Series 7, BBC 2, 2024
  • Sunday Brunch, Channel 4, 2023[30]
  • The Hit List, BBC One, 2022[31]
  • Question Team, Dave, 2021
  • Late Night Mash, Dave, 2021 – present
  • Trying, Apple TV+, 2020
  • Richard Osman's House of Games, BBC 2, 2019, 2024
  • I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, BBC Radio 4, 2019 – present
  • QI, BBC Two, 2019
  • Would I Lie To You?, BBC One, 2019
  • Hypothetical, Dave, 2019
  • Private Passions, BBC Radio 3, 2019
  • Live at the Apollo, BBC One, 2018
  • Plebs, ITV2, 2018
  • QI, BBC Two, 2018
  • Mock the Week, BBC Two, 2018
  • A Girl's Guide to TV, BBC Two, 2018
  • The Mash Report, BBC Two, 2017–2020
  • Austentatious, BBC Radio 4, 2017
  • The Now Show, BBC Radio 4, 2016
  • Murder In Successville, BBC Three, 2015-2016
  • Thronecast, Sky Atlantic, 2014
  • The IT Crowd, Channel 4, 2013
  • Count Arthur Strong, BBC One, 2013
  • Eggheads, BBC Two, 2009

References

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  1. ^ "On my radar: Rachel Parris on her cultural highlights". the Guardian. 4 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  2. ^ "Rachel Parris". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. ^ "This sketch destroys the idea that sexual harassment is complicated". indy100. The Independent. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Interview: Rachel Parris on The Mash Report, Thirty Christmases & Her London – To Do List". To Do List. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  5. ^ Godsall, David (23 March 2018). "Celebrating Loughborough High School alumni". Loughborough Echo.
  6. ^ "Rachel Parris - LinkedIn". LinkedIn. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  7. ^ "BBC Two Live at the Apollo, Series 14, Episode 4". bbc.co.uk. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  8. ^ "Rachel Parris, comedian: tour dates Chorle: The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  9. ^ "Rachel Parris Tickets, Rachel Parris Tour Dates * Concerts". LiveNation. 12 March 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2019.,
  10. ^ "Rachel Parris exclusive interview". femalefirst.co.uk. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  11. ^ "BBC Two - A Girl's Guide to TV". BBC. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  12. ^ "Dead, Rich and Famous, Series 1, Murder in Successville – BBC Three". BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  13. ^ "Rachel Parris - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  14. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "RHLSTP 153 - Rachel Parris - RHLSTP with Richard Herring". British Comedy Guide.
  15. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Series 8, Episode 7 (Change The Fuse) - Pappy's Flatshare Slamdown". British Comedy Guide.
  16. ^ Salinsky, Tom. "Episodes".
  17. ^ "Someone Else's Kids on Apple TV+". Apple TV. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  18. ^ "If Only I'd Known: Rachel Parris". ideastap.com. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  19. ^ "Rachel Parris: The Commission". Comedy Blogedy. 30 May 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  20. ^ "Austentatious – BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
  21. ^ "Forthcoming Dates, Austentatious". Austentatious. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  22. ^ "News, Austentatious". Austentatious. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  23. ^ "Chortle Awards 2014: Best character, improv or sketch group: Austentatious" – via YouTube.
  24. ^ "DVD review: Austentatiouse". www.chortle.co.uk. 15 January 2015.
  25. ^ Bennett, Steve. "Who won the 2019 Chortle Awards". www.chortle.co.uk.
  26. ^ "The Female First Awards 2018: Comedian of the Year". Female First. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  27. ^ "About the Musical Comedy Awards". Musical Comedy Awards. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  28. ^ Leahy, Kate (14 February 2021). "Rachel Parris and Marcus Brigstocke on addiction, stepchildren and online gigs". The Times. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  29. ^ Parris, Rachel (13 March 2022). "Rachel Parris: There is no grave. No baby photos. I only have my story". You Magazine. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  30. ^ "Sunday Brunch". radiotimes.com. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
  31. ^ "The Hit List". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
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