Sophie Willan
Born: 1987-10-21 in Bolton, Lancashire, England, UK
Known For: Acting
Biography
Sophie Willan is a British stand up comedian, actress and writer. Willan was born in Bolton in 1987 to a heroin addicted mother. Her early life was difficult and she spent time in care. She later worked as an escort, and sex work is chronicled in her show one-woman stand up show, Branded. She became the recipient of the first ever Caroline Aherne Bursary award from the BBC for 2017-'18 and has won several awards for her stand up, including Edinburgh's Best Newcomer in 2017. She narrates Channel 4 reality gameshow The Circle and is a regular in BBC1 sitcom Still Open All Hours, as well as appearing in festive comedy Click and Collect alongside Stephen Merchant and Asim Chaudhry. In 2021, BBC2 broadcast the first series of her BAFTA-winning semi-autobiographical sitcom Alma's Not Normal to critical and commercial acclaim. A second and seemingly final series was aired in 2024.
Filmography
2024
- Ludwig as Holly Pinder
- The Traitors: Uncloaked as Self
2023
- Late Night Lycett as Self - Guest
2021
- The Weakest Link as Self
- Time as Maeve Riley
- Never Mind the Buzzcocks as Self - Guest Team Captain
- This Is My House as Narrator
- The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer as Self - Narrator
2020
- Michael McIntyre's The Wheel as Self - Expert
- Alma's Not Normal as Alma
- Victoria Wood: The Secret List as Self
2019
- RuPaul's Drag Race UK as Self - Guest Judge
2018
- The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer as Self - Guest
- Click & Collect as Jessie
- The Circle as Self - Narrator
2017
- Richard Osman's House of Games as Self - Panellist
- The Russell Howard Hour as Self
2015
- Taskmaster as Self
2014
- Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled as Self
- Still Open All Hours as Ruby
2013
- The Last Leg as Self