Sophie Willan
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.
Acting
- 2026Live from the Lycett ArmsSelf / Pub Manager1 ep.
- 2026UnacceptableSelf - Guest1 ep.
- 2026Small ProphetsBev6 ep.
- 2024LudwigHolly Pinder6 ep.
- 2024The Traitors: UncloakedSelf1 ep.
- 2023Late Night LycettSelf - Guest1 ep.
- 2021Blankety BlankSelf - Panellist1 ep.
- 2021Never Mind the BuzzcocksSelf - Team Captain10 ep.
- 2021TimeMaeve Riley3 ep.
- 2021This Is My HouseNarrator10 ep.
- 2021The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up to CancerSelf - Narrator6 ep.
- 2020Victoria Wood: The Secret ListSelf2 ep.
- 2020Alma's Not NormalAlma12 ep.
- 2018The CircleSelf - Narrator62 ep.
- 2018The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To CancerSelf - Guest1 ep.
- 2017The Russell Howard HourSelf1 ep.
- 2015TaskmasterSelf10 ep.
- 2014Still Open All HoursRuby7 ep.
- 2014Alan Davies: As Yet UntitledSelf1 ep.
- 2013The Great British Sewing BeeSelf - Presenter10 ep.
- 2010Comedy Central at the Comedy StoreSelf2 ep.
Behind the camera
- 2020Alma's Not NormalExecutive Producer, Writer12 ep.
- 2013The Great British Sewing BeePresenter10 ep.