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Jocelyn Jee Esien | |
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| Born | 7 May 1974 |
| Nationality | British |
| Television | 3 Non-Blondes Little Miss Jocelyn |
Jocelyn Jee Esien (born 7 May 1974) is a British comedian, actress and writer of Nigerian origin. [1] She stars in the hidden-camera show 3 Non-Blondes , her own comedy sketch show series, Little Miss Jocelyn , and the comedy-drama series Beauty of Britain. [2]
Esien was born on 2 March 1979 in Hackney, London, [3] [1] to Nigerian parents. She attended Raine's Foundation School, [4] and initially studied law before giving up to study drama, graduating from Guildhall School of Music and Drama. [1]
In 2000, Esien won the Best Newcomer award at the Black International Comedy Awards, [5] and went on to win a New Talent Award in the Women in Film and Television Awards 2006. [6]
In 2003, Esien came to prominence as one of the 3 Non-Blondes in the BBC hidden-camera comedy show, having also appeared in other television series such as sketch comedy The Fast Show and the police procedural series, The Bill . [6]
In 2006, she wrote and starred in her own comedy sketch show called Little Miss Jocelyn , a second series of which aired in January 2008. This show marks the first time in the history of television – in either the US or the UK – that a black woman has been given her own solo comedy sketch show. [7] In 2007, Esien featured in Girls Aloud and Sugababes' Comic Relief video for "Walk This Way", [8] where she puts a parking ticket on Ewen Macintosh, a reference to the character Jiffy from the show Little Miss Jocelyn. On 11 June 2009, it was stated that Little Miss Jocelyn would not be brought back for a third series.
From 2009 to 2012, Esien starred in all three series of Beauty of Britain, a comedy-drama on BBC Radio 4 written by Christopher Douglas and Nicola Sanderson, portraying a Nigerian-born agency careworker, Beauty Olonga, newly-arrived in the UK and coming to grips with the country while working in the decrepit British care system. [9]
In November 2009, Esien played the part of waitress Cindie Smith in the ITV series Collision . She appeared in the second series of The Sarah Jane Adventures as Clyde Langer's mother, Carla. [10] In 2010, Esien reprised the role in two further episodes of the show, titled The Empty Planet and aired on 1 and 2 November 2010, as well as in the fifth series story, The Curse of Clyde Langer , which aired on 10 and 11 October 2011.
Esien appeared in the 2010 film StreetDance 3D and wrote an episode of the American reality TV show Jon & Kate Plus 8 . [11]
On 22 September 2010, Esien returned to BBC Three for One Non-Blonde: Down Under, an eight-part comedy stunt show with new character creations. She plays characters such as a hermaphrodite rapper and a socialite, touring New Zealand. [12] She also appeared alongside famous British comedians in BBC One's Ronnie Corbett Christmas special, The One Ronnie .
In 2011, Esien appeared as Tasha in British comedy Anuvahood . [13] and also in the BBC Three coming-of-age comedy series Some Girls . [14]
She has also made numerous stage appearances. [15] In January and February 2013, she appeared in One Monkey Don't Stop No Show by the American playwright Don Evans, [2] at the Tricycle Theatre, a London premiere for the play, [16] [17] and thereafter toured with the play nationally. [18]
In 2013, Esien appeared in Gangsta Granny as Kelly. She also appeared in the BBC comedy Big School as Daphne, the personal assistant and secretary to headmistress Ms Baron (Frances de la Tour) from 2013 to 2014.
Esien's other television appearances include:
Esien appeared in a cameo role as a PCSO in the long running BBC sitcom "Not Going Out" on 15 April 2022.
| Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie | Nigerian TV Presenter | 2016 |
| Anuvahood | Tasha | 2011 |
| StreetDance 3D | Delilah (Shawna's boss) | 2010 |
| The Hustle | Other Chloe (a pub girl) | (2019) |
| Title | Role | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr Big Stuff | Jazmine | 2024 | |
| Not Going Out | Police Woman | 2022 | |
| Death in Paradise | Zelda Moncrief | 2021 | Christmas special episode |
| Turn Up Charlie | Aunty Lydia | 2019 | |
| The Midnight Gang | Tootsie | 2018 | BBC adaptation of David Walliams's book of the same name. |
| Upstart Crow | Lucy | 2017-2018 | series regular |
| Big School | Daphne | 2013-2014 | series regular |
| Gangsta Granny | Kelly | 2013 | television film |
| The Revolting World of Stanley Brown | Olivia | 2012 | series regular |
| Some Girls | Martine | 2012, 2014 |
|
| The Sarah Jane Adventures | Carla Langer | 2008-2011 | 5 episodes |
| The One Ronnie | Restaurant Diner | 2010 | television film |
| 1 Non Blonde | Didio/Titchy/Pammy | 2010 | Writer/director/producer |
| Collision | Cindie Smith | 2009 | television mini-series |
| Uncle Max | Diva | 2008 | episode: "Uncle Max Goes to the Opera" |
| Jon & Kate Plus 8 | Herself | 2008 | Writer, episode: "Potty Training the Boys" |
| Little Miss Jocelyn | Various | 2006-2008 | Writer |
| After You've Gone | Lucy | 2007 | episode: "Stuck in the Middle with You" |
| Strictly Confidential | Chantelle Rimmington | 2006 | series 1, episode 2 |
| Holby City | Trace Smith | 2005 | episode: "No Pain No Gain" |
| The Lenny Henry Show | Herself | 2004 | Writer |
| 3 Non-Blondes | Various | 2003 | Series 1 (only series) |
| In the Name of Love | Rachel | 1999 | television film |
| Babymother | Yvette | 1998 | |
| The Bill | Millie Densmore | 1998 | episode: "One of the Gang" |
| The Fast Show | Jocelyn Esien | 1997 | series 3, episode 6 |
It's taken 50 years of telly, and finally it's happened: Jocelyn Jee Esien has become the first black woman, in either the UK or the US, to have her own sketch show on the small screen.
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