Jenny Eclair has become synonymous with Grumpy Old Women Live, having co-written the show and starred in every performance to date. Following much critical acclaim this theatre phenomenon has, over the course of two sell-out UK tours, a hugely successful West End residency and tour of Australia, sold in excess of 150,000 tickets. Last autumn Jenny toured with the ‘Because I Forgot To Get A Pension’ show, which saw her return to her stand-up roots.
Jenny became the first woman ever to win stand-up’s highest accolade, the Perrier Award, with her 1995 Edinburgh show Prozac and Tantrums and is still one of only two female winners. Also a highly-regarded novelist, Jenny has written ‘The Book of Bad Behaviour’, published in 1994, followed by ‘Camberwell Beauty’ in 2000 and ‘Having a Lovely Time’ in 2005. In addition to writing she is a respected critic and was on the judging panel for the 2006 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Jenny performed and co-wrote (with JULIE BALLOO) ‘The Andy Warhol Syndrome’ – a play about celebrity – at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival, London’s Fringe and on tour around the UK. As an actress, she has also starred in a number of West End productions including ‘Steaming’, ‘Mum’s The Word’ and ‘The Vagina Monologues.
enny’s television appearances include Grumpy Old Women, The Grumpy Guides To … and Grumpy Old Holidays (BBC 2), The Bill (ITV1), Dawn French’s Girls Who Do: Comedy (BBC1), The Culture Show (BBC 1), Empire’s Children (Channel 4) The ONE Show, It’s Grim Up North (BBC 2), My Childhood (BBC 3) and Graham Norton’s Bigger Picture (BBC 1). She was a memorable contestant on Celebrity Fame Academy (BBC 1) and has also participated in Room 101 (BBC TWO), So Graham Norton (Channel 4), The Joan Rivers Position (five), Celebrity Weakest Link (BBC 1) and Call my Bluff (BBC 1).
Previously, Jenny has also hosted The British Comedy Awards Aftershow Party (ITV2), Eurovision Song Contest (BBC 3), The BBC New Comedy Awards (BBC 1) and The Perrier Awards (Channel 4). She currently hosts her own show on LBC radio in addition to making regular contributions to shows such as BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Banter and Just a Minute.