Sophie Willan

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.

Known For

Taskmaster

The Last Leg

Richard Osman's House of Games

RuPaul's Drag Race UK

The Weakest Link

Ludwig

Michael McIntyre's The Wheel

The Russell Howard Hour

All Movies (1)

• Click & Collect2018 · as Jessie

All TV Shows (24)

• Small Prophets2026 · as Bev
• Ludwig2024 · as Holly Pinder
• The Traitors: Uncloaked2024 · as Self
• Late Night Lycett2023 · as Self - Guest
• The Weakest Link2021 · as Self
• Blankety Blank2021 · as Self - Panellist
• Never Mind the Buzzcocks2021 · as Self - Guest Team Captain
• Never Mind the Buzzcocks2021 · as Self - Team Captain
• Time2021 · as Maeve Riley
• This Is My House2021 · as Narrator
• The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to Cancer2021 · as Self - Narrator
• Victoria Wood: The Secret List2020 · as Self
• Michael McIntyre's The Wheel2020 · as Self - Expert
• Alma's Not Normal2020 · as Alma
• RuPaul's Drag Race UK2019 · as Self - Guest Judge
• The Circle2018 · as Self - Narrator
• The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer2018 · as Self - Guest
• The Russell Howard Hour2017 · as Self
• Richard Osman's House of Games2017 · as Self - Panellist
• Taskmaster2015 · as Self
• Still Open All Hours2014 · as Ruby
• Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled2014 · as Self
• The Last Leg2013 · as Self
• Comedy Central at the Comedy Store2010 · as Self