{{short description|British comedian (born 1973)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Use British English|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox comedian <!-- for individuals – see Template:Infobox comedian for usage --> | name = Andi Osho | image = Andi Osho (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = Osho in 2013 | pseudonym = | birth_name = Yewande Morenike Osho | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1973|1|27}} | birth_place = Plaistow, London, England | death_date = | death_place = | medium = television, film, podcast | active = 2003–present | genre = | subject = | influences = | influenced = | spouse = | domesticpartner = | notable_work = | signature = | website = {{URL|AndiOsho.co.uk}} | footnotes = | module = }} '''Yewande''' "'''Andi'''" '''Osho''' (born 27 January 1973) is a British actress, writer, and blogger<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.andiosho.co.uk/blog/comedian-was-then-this-is-now/| title= Comedian was then, this is now |date=3 April 2021 | access-date= 28 September 2024}}</ref> who had previously been a stand-up comedian and television presenter.<ref>{{cite web|title=Biog|url=http://www.andiosho.co.uk/about-me/biog/|work=Andi Osho|access-date=7 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106043740/http://www.andiosho.co.uk/about-me/biog/|archive-date=6 January 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Life and career == Osho was born in Plaistow, East London,<ref name="macauley">In an interview for BBC Radio 4 Extra's ''MacAuley & Co'' in 2011 at the Edinburgh Festival, broadcast on 16 August 2011, Osho confirmed her age to be 38 on several occasions.</ref> to Nigerian parents.
After working in television production, Osho turned to acting in 2003. By 2006, she decided to go into stand-up comedy.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2007/jul/06/comedy.gender | title = Interview: Andi Osho from the Guardian | date = 6 July 2007 | access-date = 25 January 2009 | newspaper=The Guardian | location=London | first=Julie | last=Bindel| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20090307211044/http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2007/jul/06/comedy.gender| archivedate= 7 March 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> Osho spent a number of years working as a receptionist by day, while improving her stand-up comedy routines in the evenings.
In 2006, Osho starred as Alma in American playwright Dael Orlandersmith's drama ''Yellowman'' at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre. Other theatre work includes a performance in the title role of ''Medea'' (Barons Court Theatre, 2005), Amanda in ''Cigarettes, Coffee and Paranoia'' (King's Head Theatre, 2005) and Zimbabwean exile Faith in the devised piece ''Qabuka'' (Oval House Theatre, 2005).
Osho's television roles include Lin Colvin in ''Casualty'', Adeola Brooker in ''Doctors'', Dr Rogers in ''Footballers' Wives: Extra Time'' and Angela Parker in ''Sea of Souls''. She has also appeared in ''Waking the Dead'', ''EastEnders'', Comedy Central's ''@midnight'', ''Night and Day'', ''Kiri'', and ''Russell Brand and Friends'' for Channel 4.<ref name="Andi Osho: Karushi Management">{{cite web|url=http://www.karushi.com/karushi/artists_andi_osho.php |title=Andi Osho: Karushi Management |access-date=25 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090611124502/http://karushi.com/karushi/artists_andi_osho.php |archivedate=11 June 2009 }}</ref> In 2020 she appeared in ''Death in Paradise''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2020/02/27/death-in-paradise-season-9-episode-8-cast-guest-stars/?amp|access-date=1 July 2020 |first=Christopher |last=Weston|title=DEATH IN PARADISE SEASON 9 EPISODE 8 CAST: GUEST STARS FRANCES TOMELTY, ANDI OSHO AND PETER DE JERSEY|work=HITC |date=27 February 2020 }}</ref>
Osho is also a playwright and one of the founding members of the London writers' group, Vowel Movement. She has contributed to ''News Review'' at London's Canal Cafe Theatre and in 2008, she co-devised a scratch performance of the stage play ''Up the Café de Paris'' for the Pulse Fringe Festival. In 2007, Osho wrote the comedy ''CSI: Nigeria'', in production for BBC Three.
Osho has performed at various comedy clubs and festivals across Britain, including Jongleurs, the Comedy Store, the Reading Festival, the Pleasance Dome, the Chuckle Club, the Leicester Festival (Summer Sundae), the Comedy Café, the Shoreditch Comedy Festival, Comedy Camp and the Hackney Empire.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.comedycv.co.uk/andiosho/index.html| title = Andi Osho: Comedy CV | access-date = 25 January 2009| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20081226071008/http://www.comedycv.co.uk/andiosho/index.html| archivedate= 26 December 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref>
Osho won the 2007 Nivea Funny Women award.<ref>{{cite news|last=Whiting|first=Kate|title=Digital girl stands up to be counted|url=http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2169948|access-date=11 March 2011|newspaper=The Press and Journal|date=10 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Guide |first=British Comedy |date=2016-04-18 |title=Funny Women Awards |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/feature/funny_woman_awards/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=British Comedy Guide |language=en}}</ref>
Osho co-hosted ''Tonightly'' on Channel 4 and appeared in an E4 pilot, ''The Andi O Show''.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.comedy.org.uk/guide/tv/andi_osho_show| title = British Comedy Guide: The Andi Osho Show| access-date = 25 January 2009}}</ref> She has also appeared on ''Mock the Week'', ''Ask Rhod Gilbert'', and is a regular performer on ''Stand Up for the Week''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Channel 4 lines up topical standup show hosted by Patrick Kielty|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/jun/14/channel-4-standup-show-patrick-kielty|newspaper=The Guardian|first=Mark|last=Sweney|date=14 June 2010|access-date=3 July 2010| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20100618150558/http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/jun/14/channel-4-standup-show-patrick-kielty| archivedate= 18 June 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>
On 26 February 2011, Osho participated in ''Let's Dance for Comic Relief'', performing a dance routine to Michael Jackson's "Bad". Despite positive comments from the judges, she did not progress to the final round after a public vote.<ref>{{cite web|title=Let's Dance for Comic Relief|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z8891|work=BBC One|access-date=7 July 2013}}</ref>
Osho has won two episodes of ''Celebrity Mastermind''. In 2011, she won the Comic Relief episode with ''The Matrix'' trilogy as her specialist subject and then in 2012, she took part in a regular episode choosing host John Humphrys as her specialist subject. Osho also takes an occasional presenting role for the comedy club section on BBC Radio 4 Extra.
On 19 June 2012, Osho made her debut in the BBC television medical drama ''Holby City'' as medical student Barbara Alcock for three episodes. In July 2014, she appeared in ''Finding Carter'' as Susan Sherman. Between 2016 and 2018 she presented ''Supershoppers'' with Anna Richardson on Channel 4, being replaced with Sabrina Grant. She took part and won £7,000 for charity in a celebrity edition of ''The Chase'' on ITV.<ref name="instagram">{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BWbAt3fBlee/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BWbAt3fBlee |archive-date=24 December 2021 |url-access=registration|website=instagram.com|title=Andi Osho on Instagram: "If you like drama I would strooooongly advise you watch the ep of The Chase that we taped tonight. It was INSANE. Great work by my cohorts…"|access-date=26 March 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
Osho appears in David F. Sandberg's ''Lights Out'' and ''Shazam!'' as the same character, a social worker named Emma Glover.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.cbr.com/shazam-lights-out-share-same-cinematic-universe/ |title= 'Shazam!' & Horror Flick 'Lights Out' Share Same Cinematic Universe, Apparently |website= cbr.com |date= 9 June 2018 |language= en-US |access-date= 7 December 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180617165139/https://www.cbr.com/shazam-lights-out-share-same-cinematic-universe/ |archive-date= 17 June 2018 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.andiosho.co.uk/credits/ |title=Credits {{!}} Andi Osho |date=29 August 2018 |language=en-US |access-date= 2 November 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/DC_Cinematic/comments/b9o0b4/discussion_was_shazam_not_set_to_feature_a/ek6usiv|title=r/DC_Cinematic – Comment by u/dauid on 'DISCUSSION: Was "Shazam!" not set to feature a character from "Lights Out" in an Easter Egg Cameo Appearance?'|website=reddit|date=5 April 2019|access-date=21 June 2020}}</ref>
In 2021, Osho appeared in the sixth series of the police procedural drama series ''Line of Duty'' as journalist and investigative reporter Gail Vella, a murder victim whose case is supervised by DCI Joanne Davidson (Kelly Macdonald).<ref>{{cite web |title=Line of Duty on BBC One: Who plays murder victim Gail Vella? Comedian Andi Osho! |url=https://www.entertainmentdaily.co.uk/tv/line-of-duty-on-bbc-one-who-plays-murder-victim-gail-vella-comedian-andi-osho/ |website=Entertainment Daily |date=22 March 2021 |access-date=26 March 2021}}</ref>
Osho's debut novel, ''Asking for a Friend'', was first published in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.harpercollins.ca/9780008245795/asking-for-a-friend/|title=Asking for a Friend – Andi Osho – Paperback}}</ref>
== Filmography == {| class="wikitable" |+Key | style="background:#FFFFCC;"| {{dagger|alt=Denotes projects that have not yet been released}} | Denotes projects that have not yet been released |}
=== Film === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- | 2003 | ''The N7'' | Jemma | Short film |- | 2009 | ''U Be Dead'' | FSS Scientist | TV film |- | 2011 | ''Swinging with the Finkels'' | Nurse Franklin | |- | 2013 | ''Scenes from Django Unchained'' | Django | Short film |- | rowspan="2"|2015 | ''The Grid'' | Anna Pascal | Short film |- | ''That's Me Mr. Fantastic'' | Sally | Short film |- | 2016 | ''Lights Out'' | Emma | |- | 2017 | ''Daipool'' | Doctor Rhiannon Llewellyn Jones | Short film |- | rowspan="2"|2019 | ''Shazam!'' | Ms E.B. Glover | |- | ''Jane'' | | Short film |- | 2020 | ''Max Cloud'' | Sofia | |- | 2021 | ''A Castle for Christmas'' | Maisie | |- | 2022 | ''The Stranger in Our Bed'' | Paula | |- |}
=== Television === {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Notes |- | 2002 | ''Night and Day'' | Jo Radcliffe | Episode: ''"Black Flowers"'' |- | 2003 | ''40'' | Caller | Mini-series |- | 2004 | ''Waking the Dead'' | Policewoman | Episode: ''"In Sight of the Lord"'' |- | rowspan="3"|2005 | ''Sea of Souls'' | Angela Parker | Episode: ''"Omen"'' |- | ''Doctors'' | Adeola Brooker | Episode: ''"In Custody"'' |- | ''Footballers' Wives: Extra Time'' | Doctor Rogers | Episode: ''"Series 1, Episode 1"'' |- | 2006 | ''Casualty'' | Lin Colvin | Episode: ''"Out of the Past"'' |- | rowspan="3"|2007 | ''Lewis'' | Receptionist | Episode: ''"Whom the Gods Would Destroy"'' |- | ''Comedy Lab'' | Various roles | Episode: ''"Ain't It Funny Being Coloured"'' |- | ''EastEnders'' | Midwife | 3 episodes |- | 2008 | ''True Heroes'' | Jackie | Episode: ''"Grain Rescue"'' |- | rowspan="2"|2009 | ''Big Top'' | Mother | Episode: ''"Boyfriend"'' |- | ''Paradox'' | Sonia | Mini-series |- | 2010 | ''Ladies of Letters'' | Agabatha | Episode: ''"Series 2, Episode 10"'' |- | rowspan="2"|2011 | ''Psychoville'' | Registrar | Episode: ''"Dinner Party"'' |- | ''Life of Riley'' | Sumi | Episode: ''"The Bug"'' |- | 2012 | ''Holby City'' | Barbara Alcock | Recurring role, 3 episodes |- | 2014 | ''Finding Carter'' | Susan Sherman | Episode: ''"Pilot"'' |- | rowspan="2"|2015 | ''Uncle'' | DJ | Episode: ''"Series 2, Episode 6"'' |- | ''Breaking Hollywood: One Actor at a Time'' | Claridia Fortune | Series regular |- | 2016 | ''Grime Town'' | Chivonne/Mardi | |- | 2017 | ''Halloween Comedy Shorts'' | Kehide/Taiwo | Episode: ''"Twin Thing"'' |- | 2018 | ''Kiri'' | Rochelle Akindele | Series regular |- | rowspan="2"|2019 | ''Curfew'' | Jenny Donahue | Series regular |- | ''Pandora'' | Rosa | Episode: ''"Hurricane"'' |- | rowspan="3"|2020 | ''Death in Paradise'' | Precious Abellard | Episode: ''"Now You See Him, Now You Don't"'' |- | ''On the Edge'' | Bisi | Episode: ''"BBW"'' |- | ''I May Destroy You'' | Carrie | Recurring role, 2 episodes |- | rowspan="2"|2021 | ''Line of Duty'' | Gail Vella | Recurring role, 3 episodes |- | ''Stay Close'' | Simona | Mini-series |- | 2022 | ''The Sandman'' | Miranda Walker | Recurring role |- | rowspan="4" |2023 |''Blue Lights'' |PS Sandra Cliff |Recurring role |- |''Sex Education'' |Nicky Bowman |Recurring role |- |''Good Omens'' |Sitis |Episode: "The Clue" |- |''Payback'' |DI Jean Royce |8 episodes |- | 2025 | ''Midsomer Murders'' | Kimonie Bullit | Episode: "Death Strikes Three |-" |}
== Awards and nominations == {| class="wikitable sortable" ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Nominated work ! Result |- | 2011 | Screen Nation Award | Best Comedy Performance | ''Live at the Apollo'' | {{win}} |- | rowspan="4"|2014 | Aesthetica Short Film Festival Prize | Best Short Film <small>(with Adam Recht)</small> | ''Brit.i.am'' | {{nom}} |- | Other Venice Film Festival Award | Abbot Award <small>(with Adam Recht)</small> | ''Brit.i.am'' | {{win}} |- | Red Dirt International Film Festival Award | Best Experimental/Art Film <small>(with Adam Recht)</small> | ''Brit.i.am'' | {{win}} |- | Seoul International Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival | Crazy Cell Phone <small>(with Adam Recht)</small> | ''Brit.i.am'' | {{nom}} |- |}
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[http://www.andiosho.co.uk/ Official website] *{{IMDb name|1450877}} *{{British Comedy Guide|people|andi_osho}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osho, Andi}} Category:1973 births Category:Alumni of the Academy Drama School Category:Black British actresses Category:Black British women comedians Category:British women comedians Category:Black British comedians Category:Black British television personalities Category:English dramatists and playwrights Category:English soap opera actresses Category:English stage actresses Category:Actors from the London Borough of Newham Category:English people of Yoruba descent Category:21st-century English actresses Category:Comedians from the London Borough of Newham Category:Actresses from London Category:Living people Category:People from Plaistow, Newham