{{Short description|British comedian}}{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}} {{Infobox comedian | name = London Hughes | image = London Hughes in 2015.jpg | image_size = 180 | caption = Hughes in 2015 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1989|06|07|df=y}}<ref name=aftermidnight>{{cite episode | title= April 4, 2024| series = After Midnight | network=CBS}}</ref> | birth_name =London Dionne Micha Stacey Stephanie Estina Knibbs-Hughes | birth_place = Thornton Heath, London, England | death_date = | death_place = | medium = Television | active = 2010–present | genre = | subject = | influences = | influenced = | spouse = | domesticpartner = | notable_work = | signature = | website = | footnotes = | module = }}
'''London Hughes'''<ref name="bigzuu"/> (born 7 June 1989<ref name="aftermidnight"/>) is a British comedian, television writer and presenter.<ref name="BBC Online">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clips/p004r20k/funny_women_finals_2009_miss_london/ |title=BBC - Comedy - Funny Women Finals 2009 - Miss London |work=BBC Online |access-date=14 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110915124120/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/clips/p004r20k/funny_women_finals_2009_miss_london/ |archivedate=15 September 2011 }}</ref> She wrote and starred in ''Laughter Shock'', a comedy for the BBC which piloted in 2010.<ref name="British Comedy Guide">{{cite web |url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/laughter_shock/ |title=Laughter Shock - BBC3 Sketch Show - British Comedy Guide|work=British Comedy Guide|publisher=British Comedy Guide |access-date=14 December 2010}}</ref>
==Early life== London Dionne Micha Stacey Stephanie Estina Knibbs-Hughes was born in Thornton Heath, South London in England.<ref name="bigzuu"/><ref name=argus>{{cite web |last1=Rhoden-Paul|first1=Andre|title=Meet the up-and-coming TV presenter, actress and comedian from Peacehaven |url=http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/14813146.Meet_the_up_and_coming_TV_presenter__actress_and_comedian_from_Peacehaven/|website=The Argus|date=20 October 2016|access-date=26 January 2017|language=en}}</ref> Her mother is of Jamaican and Cuban ancestry, while her father is of Puerto Rican, Spanish and Nigerian ancestry.<ref name="bigzuu">{{cite episode|title=London Hughes|series=Big Zuu's Big Eats|series-link=Big Zuu's Big Eats|airdate=3 July 2020|network=Dave}}</ref> Her great grandfather was Enos Knibbs, a cricket umpire. When she was younger, she spent most of her spare time working on new routines with a dance crew. Her family moved to Brighton when she was aged 14.<ref name=argus/>
==Career== Hughes started her television career presenting daytime shows on adult TV station ''Babestation'', before moving on to presenting the morning show for CBBC for almost two years. In that time she also presented live links on BBC One and BBC Two and made regular appearances on ''Blue Peter'' and had a presenter role in children's show ''All Over the Place'' alongside Ed Petrie as well as voicing characters for CBBC's comedy, ''Big Babies''.<ref name=brit>{{cite web |title=London Hughes The British Blacklist |url=http://www.thebritishblacklist.com/thebritishblacklist/london-hughes/ |website=www.thebritishblacklist.com|access-date=26 January 2017}}</ref> As a comedian, she initially used the stage name ''"Miss London"'', changing it to ''"Miss London Hughes"'' and eventually to ''"London Hughes"'' to avoid confusion with the regional beauty pageant ''Miss London''.<ref name=RHLSTP>{{cite web |title=RHLSTP - London Hughes - 209|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1K0uJdTZLk|website=YouTube | date=May 2019 |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>
Hughes won the 2009 Funny Women Award at the Comedy Store (London),<ref name=argus/> against competition from Eve Webster and Jo Selby.<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> She has appeared on children's television such as Series 1–5 of CITV's weekend breakfast show, ''Scrambled!'' Pre-recorded, ''Scrambled!'' is a mixture of chat, games and comedy sketches with the presenters interlinking between shows in the CITV schedule.<ref name=brit/> Hughes departed the show in 2018, and the series proper came to an end in 2021, after 7 years.
Hughes had her first feature film role in comedy ''It's a Lot'', written and directed by Femi Oyeniran, released nationwide in 2013. London improvised a lot of the comedy material for her scenes and choreographed the numerous dance routines used throughout the film.<ref name=brit/>
Hughes made her BBC Radio 4 debut in August 2013 by writing and starring in her own sitcom pilot named ''28 Dates Later''. Loosely based on her life, the sitcom was about two girls that work in a cinema with a love of romantic comedies, but can't seem to make their own love lives match up to the ones in the movies. She has also featured in comedy entertainment show ''Life: An Idiot's Guide'' and satirical sketch show ''Newsjack'', both for BBC Radio 4.<ref name=brit/>
In 2016, she appeared as a sex shop worker in an episode of the first season of ''Fleabag''.
Hughes launched her own YouTube comedy series ''No Filter'' in 2016, written by and starring herself based on her real-life experiences in friendship and dating.<ref name=brit/><ref>{{cite web |title=London Hughes |url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_JsLdJlFIiQV8QJC8HQM1w |website=YouTube |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>
Hughes has also featured on the ''Drunk Women Solving Crime'' podcast with writer/comedian hosts Hannah George, Catie Wilkins and Taylor Glenn,<ref>{{cite web|title=Drunk Women Solving Crime|url=https://play.acast.com/s/drunkwomen|website=acast.com|access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref> as well as on ''Richard Herring's Leicester Square Theatre Podcast'', RHLSTP.<ref>{{cite web |title=RHLSTP with Richard Herring - British Comedy Guide|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_lst_podcast/ |work=British Comedy Guide|publisher=British Comedy Guide|access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>
She was a contestant on ITV's ''All Star Musical 2019'' and also appeared on ''The Stand Up Sketch Show'' on ITV2 and BBC Two's ''Mock the Week''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Crumlish|first1=Callum|url=https://www.express.co.uk/showbiz/tv-radio/1101109all-star-musicals-kevin-clifton-strictly-london-hughes-karen-clifton-itv-john-barrowman|title=All Star Musicals: Kevin Clifton left RED FACED as star flirts with him after performance| work=express.com | date=16 March 2019 |access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mock The Week - British Comedy Guide|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/mock_the_week/episodes/17/2/|work=British Comedy Guide|publisher=British Comedy Guide|access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>
In 2018, Hughes was working on developing a comedian travel show that would feature herself and Whoopi Goldberg. However, despite Goldberg having agreed to do the show, no TV channel was interested and the show did not get made.<ref name=RHLSTP/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Khan|first1=Coco|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/22/comedy-travel-shows-are-a-huge-tv-trend-so-why-cant-whoopi-goldberg-get-commissioned|title=Comedy travel shows are a huge TV trend. So why can't Whoopi Goldberg get commissioned?| work=The Guardian| date=22 January 2019 | access-date=1 May 2019}}</ref>
Hughes' first Edinburgh Festival Fringe show was ''London Hughes: Superstar (it's just nobody's realised it)'', in 2017.<ref name="i">{{cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/london-hughes-edinburgh-2019-interview-podcast-328683|title=London Hughes: 'If I was a white dude, would I be at the Edinburgh Fringe or would I be selling out arenas?'|work=i |last=Jones |first=Alice |date=21 August 2019|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref> In 2019, she performed ''London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck'' to critical acclaim, becoming the first black nominee in the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show. The routine was adapted into a 2020 Netflix special.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/fringe/2019/features/best_reviewed_edinburgh_fringe_shows_2019/ |title=Best-reviewed Edinburgh Fringe shows 2019 |work=British Comedy Guide|date=5 September 2019|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comedyawards.co.uk/best-comedy-show/2019/london-hughes|title=2019 Nominee – London Hughes|publisher=Edinburgh Comedy Awards|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref><ref name="Vulture">{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/12/trailer-london-hughes-to-catch-a-d-ck-netflix-special.html|title=London Hughes Knows Why Male Comedians Are 'Treated Like Gods'|work=Vulture|last=Wright|first=Megh|date=11 December 2020|access-date=13 February 2021}}</ref>
Hughes is scheduled to star in an upcoming ''Perfect Strangers'' reboot for HBO Max alongside Robin Thede.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/robin-thede-london-hughes-perfect-strangers-reboot-hbo-max-1234967419/|title=Robin Thede, London Hughes to Star in 'Perfect Strangers' Reboot for HBO Max|work=The Hollywood Reporter|last=Goldberg|first=Lesley|date=14 June 2021|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/perfect-strangers-reboot-robin-thede-london-hughes-hbo-max-1234996113/|title='Perfect Strangers' Reboot With Robin Thede, London Hughes in the Works at HBO Max|work=Variety|last=Otterson|first=Joe|date=14 June 2021|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2021/06/14/48629/us_sitcom_deal_for_london_hughes|title=US sitcom deal for London Hughes |work=Chortle|date=14 June 2021|access-date=16 June 2021}}</ref>
==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role |- | 2014 | ''Space Ark'' | Candy |- | 2014–2018 | ''Scrambled!'' | Presenter |- | rowspan="2" | 2015 | ''I Live with Models'' | Beautician |- | ''Venus vs. Mars'' | Tamara |- | 2016 | ''Fleabag'' | Sex Shop Worker |- | 2016–2018 | ''Damned'' | Phone Caller |- | rowspan="2" | 2017 | ''Celebs Go Dating'' | Regular (as herself) |- | ''The Rebel'' | Bank Customer Advisor |- | rowspan="3" | 2019 | ''All Star Musical'' | Contestant (as herself) |- | ''Mock the Week'' | Guest (as herself) |- | ''The Stand Up Sketch Show'' | Guest (as herself) |- | rowspan="2" | 2020 | ''London Hughes: To Catch a D*ck'' | Herself |- | ''The Netflix Afterparty'' | Regular Guest |- | rowspan="2" | 2021 | ''History of Swear Words'' | Herself |- | ''The Last Leg'' | Guest (as herself) |- | 2021–2022 | ''To Tell the Truth'' | Herself |- | 2022 | ''The Russell Howard Hour'' | Herself |- | rowspan="2"| 2023 | ''Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled'' | Guest (as herself) |- | ''Sumotherhood'' | Rowanda |- |2025 |''Bat-Fam'' |Alicia Pennyworth (voice)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/2025/09/prime-videos-bat-fam-unmasks-voice-cast-heroes-and-villains//|title=Prime Video’s ‘Bat-Fam’ Unmasks Voice Cast Heroes and Villains|first=Mercedes|last=Milligan|date=September 18, 2025}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|4518604}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, London}} Category:1989 births Category:Living people Category:Black British women comedians Category:British women comedians Category:Black British comedians Category:English stand-up comedians Category:English comedy writers Category:English television actresses Category:English voice actresses Category:English women television presenters Category:English web series actresses Category:Actresses from London Category:People from Thornton Heath Category:Alumni of Kingston University Category:21st-century English comedians Category:Comedians from the London Borough of Croydon Category:English people of Jamaican descent Category:English people of Cuban descent Category:English people of Puerto Rican descent Category:English people of Spanish descent Category:English people of Nigerian descent Category:21st-century English women Category:Actors from the London Borough of Croydon