Baroness Uddin

Baroness Uddin has led and organised many women centred projects  including the Jagonari Centre

In the second of our series of programmes from London Shiulie meets Baroness Uddin, and talks to Sandi Toksvig and Shazia Mirza about the challenges of stand-up comedy.

Baroness Uddin is a tireless campaigner for women and local government. She left Bangladesh as a teenager in the 1970s and arrived in the East End of London, where she began her professional career and where she still lives. She has led and organised many women-centred projects which continue to serve the community in East London, including the Jagonari Centre, the UK’s first purpose-built Asian women’s training centre.

Baroness Uddin entered the House of Lords in 1998; the first Asian Muslim woman to be invited there. She currently serves on the select committee on European Affairs. She is a board member of Autism Speak UK and is a patron of Orbis International, Student Partnership Worldwide, Bethnal Green and Victoria Park Housing Association, Women’s Housing Forum, Women’s Aid, Brit-Bangla and The Dame Vera Lynn Trust. 

She caught up with Shiulie in her neighbourhood in East London.

Funny Women Awards

Everywoman went to meet stand-up comedien   Andi Osho

Every year, female comediennes compete for the prize of the Funny Women Award, a prize awarded to that year’s most promising stand-up comedy act from the UK. This year, the prize went to Andi Osho.

Everywoman’s Sue Ellicott went to meet her.

Can Women Make You Laugh?

Shiulie is at the Comedy Store in London’s West End to talk to Sandi Toksvig and Shazia Mirza, two female stand-up comedians, about the daily challenges of performing comedy.

Sandi Toksvig performed at the very first night the Comedy Store opened and is an old hand at comedy. Not to say that she is old, of course.

Andi Osho competed and won the prize for the Funny Women Awards

She started this funny business at Cambridge University where she wrote and performed in the first all-woman show at the Cambridge Footlights.

Since then her career has spanned TV, radio and print. She is a well known voice and face of British comedy. Good work for a Dane.

Shazia Mirza grew up in an Asian Muslim household and makes jokes about suicide bombers, amongst other things. Before she was a stand up, she was a science teacher. But which is worse?

They talk to Shiulie about the trials and tribulations of being on the road, gigging late at night and making people giggle.

Watch part one of Everywoman on YouTube

Watch part two of Everywoman on YouTube

This episode of Everywoman aired from Friday December 21, 2007 at the following times GMT:

Friday: 1130, 2230
Saturday: 0830
Sunday: 0630
Monday: 0930, 1930
Tuesday: 0530
Wednesday: 0230, 0730
Friday: 0600   

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