2012 – Jo Brand
20th January 2012
After successfully hosting the South Shields Annual Lecture for the last three years at Harton Technology College, we were delighted to be asked by the Rt Hon David Miliband to host it once again this year. The guest speaker for the 10th Annual Lecture was Jo Brand.
Josephine Grace “Jo” Brand is the ever funny comedienne who made her name on the alternative comedy scene appearing in such programmes as Saturday Live, The Brain Drain and in her own series ‘Jo Brand Through the Cakehole’. She can be regularly seen on Mock the Week, QI, has had a role in the ‘Dictionary Corner’ on Countdown and will never be forgotten for her dance routine in Lets Dance for Comic Relief!
As a Bafta winning comedian, famous for her fast, cutting wit, she thrills audiences across the country with her observational comedy. She is also an actress, comedy writer and novelist.
Jo was educated at Tunbridge Wells Grammar School, Bexhill College and Brunel University. She started her career as a nurse, specialising in Psychiatric nursing and worked in hospitals in South London and Swansea where she collected a number of valuable life experiences that have helped shape her views.
She is a staunch supporter of the Labour Party and is a patron of a number of charities. She married in 1997 and has 2 children.
This was another event where tickets were hard to come by! Everyone wanted to see this wonderful comedienne as she talked us through her life and her links with the political scene whilst creating laughter across the audience with her humorous reflections.
Jo was inspiring, amusing and thought provoking on issues prevalent in our society, but above all, she was a really nice person and we were glad to welcome her into our school.
Sir Ken Gibson (Executive Headteacher)