{{short description|British comedian and writer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox comedian | name = Laura Lexx | medium = Stand-up, television, radio, podcast, YouTube | genre = Storytelling, political satire, observational comedy | website = https://www.lauralexx.co.uk/ | birth_place = Taunton, Somerset, England | education = University of Kent | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|9|28|df=y}} | years_active = 2009–present | notable_works = Klopp Actually: (Imaginary) Life with Football's Most Sensible Heartthrob |spouse=Tom Livingstone (m. 2015)}}
'''Laura Lexx''' (born 28 September 1986) is an English comedian and writer originally from Somerset.
==Early life and education== Laura Lexx was brought up in Taunton, where her mother was a primary school teacher before her retirement in 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Phil |date=2023-06-23 |title=Top comedian Laura Lexx to perform at village primary school near Taunton |url=https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/23609603.laura-lexx-brings-comedy-act-trull-primary-school/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=Somerset County Gazette |language=en}}</ref> She attended Bishop Fox’s School<ref name=swf>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Sam |date=2014-11-06 |title=Laura Lexx returns to Somerset for comedy laughs |url=https://www.southwestfarmer.co.uk/news/11585818.laura-lexx-returns-somerset-comedy-laughs/ |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=South West Farmer |language=en}}</ref> before studying drama at the University of Kent from 2005 to 2009, graduating with a master's degree. Lexx performed comedy during a spell working as a search engine optimiser before turning to comedy full-time in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/leisure/arts_and_theatre/17308594.catch-the-laughs-with-laura-lexx-from-taunton-live-at-the-apollo-this-weekend/|title=Taunton comedian Laura Lexx is Live at the Apollo this weekend|website=Somerset County Gazette|date=21 December 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thelatest.co.uk/brighton/2014/06/17/comedy-laura-lexx/|title=Comedy: Laura Lexx|date=June 17, 2014|website=Latest Bars Ltd}}</ref>
==Career== Laura performed ''Tyrannosaurus Lexx'' at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016 and was a finalist at the 2016 Amused Moose Comedy Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amusedmoose.com/amused-moose-comedy-awards/amused-moose-comedy-award-2016/|title=AmusedMoose | Comedy Awards | Stand-up Comedy Soho Kings Cross Awards Courses|website=www.amusedmoose.com}}</ref> Lexx's profile rose in 2016 when her on-stage putdowns of a sexist heckler went viral online.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/showbiz/celebrity-news/comedienne-laura-lexx-takes-down-sexist-heckler-with-witty-comebacks-a3207176.html|title=Comedienne Laura Lexx takes down sexist heckler with witty comebacks|date=March 18, 2016|website=Evening Standard}}</ref> Lexx was nominated for Best Compere at the 2016<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/arts-news/2016/02/17/alumni-laura-lexx-and-tom-parry-nominated-for-chortle-awards/|title=Alumni Laura Lexx and Tom Parry nominated for Chortle Awards – School of Arts / News|date=17 February 2016 |accessdate=Jun 14, 2021}}</ref> and 2017 Chortle Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/news/2505/chortle_awards_2017_winners/|title=Chortle Awards 2017 winners|first=British Comedy|last=Guide|date=March 20, 2017|website=British Comedy Guide}}</ref> Her 2018 Edinburgh show, ''Trying'', discussed her attempts at starting a family and the effects on her mental health.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/06/25/laura-lexx-talks-babies-breakdowns-mentally-7657858/|title=Laura Lexx talks babies and breakdowns on Mentally Yours|first=Ellen|last=Scott|date=25 June 2018 }}</ref> She hoped her honesty would help lift the stigma around these issues.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theargus.co.uk/uk_national_entertainment/16339928.amp/|title=Laura Lexx: Trying, in the most difficult year of her life | The Argus|website=www.theargus.co.uk}}</ref>
Laura won Best Performer in the Comedian's Choice Awards and was in the top 10 of the Funniest Joke of the Fringe 2018. The show transferred from the Edinburgh Festival for a successful run at London's Soho Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://honestmum.com/comedian-laura-lexx-shares-the-story-behind-her-show-trying/|title=Comedian Laura Lexx Shares the Story behind her show, 'Trying'|accessdate=Jun 14, 2021}}</ref> Lexx's 2019 Edinburgh show was called ''Knee Jerk'' and dealt with political topics associated with the fallout from the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://funnywomen.com/2019/08/20/laura-lexx-knee-jerk/|title=Laura Lexx: Knee Jerk|date=August 20, 2019}}</ref> Lexx won the Comedians' Choice award at the 2019 Chortle Awards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2019/08/22/44138/joz_norris_and_laura_lexx_win_comedians_choice_awards|title=Joz Norris and Laura Lexx win Comedians' Choice Awards|date=22 August 2019|first=Steve|last=Bennett|website=www.chortle.co.uk}}</ref>
Her television appearances have included ''Roast Battle'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/roast_battle/episodes/4/|title=Roast Battle Series 4 episode guide|first=British Comedy|last=Guide|website=British Comedy Guide}}</ref> ''Hypothetical'', ''Live at the Apollo'' and ''Mock the Week''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bx6vh6|title=BBC Two - Live at the Apollo, Series 14, Christmas Special|website=BBC}}</ref> Lexx landed a book deal after a series of tweets during the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic imagining life with Liverpool F.C. manager Jürgen Klopp went viral online, amassing over 5.6 million views. The idea was expanded into the book ''Klopp Actually: (Imaginary) Life with Football's Most Sensible Heartthrob'', released in autumn 2020. The company, Two Roads, also bought the rights to a second story, ''Pivot'', a novel about an amateur women's netball team, which they released in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2020/05/11/46070/jurgen_klopp_tweets_land_laura_lexx_a_book_deal|title=Jurgen Klopp tweets land Laura Lexx a book deal : News 2020 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|first=Steve|last=Bennett|website=www.chortle.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/8475/laura-lexx-klopp|title=News: Comedian's Jurgen Klopp Fantasy Goes Viral|date=March 14, 2020|website=Beyond The Joke}}</ref> This led to guest appearances on ''The Football Ramble''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stak.london/shows/football-ramble-presents|title=Football Ramble Presents | Stakhanov|website=stak.london|accessdate=Jun 14, 2021|archive-date=14 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614025543/https://stak.london/shows/football-ramble-presents/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''The Anfield Wrap'' podcasts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theanfieldwrap.com/2020/03/weekender-coronavirus-klopp/|title=The Weekender: Coronavirus, Klopp & The Season So Far | The Anfield Wrap|first=The Anfield|last=Wrap|date=20 March 2020 }}</ref> Other podcast appearances have included ''RHLSTP with Richard Herrin''g and Sarah Millican’s ''Standard Issue'' podcast.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_lst_podcast/rhlstp_edinburgh_2019_1/|title=Edinburgh 2019 - Laura Lexx and Tony Law - RHLSTP with Richard Herring|website=British Comedy Guide}}</ref>
Lexx is very active on social media, with thousands of followers on Twitter and [https://www.youtube.com/user/LauraLexxComedy/ YouTube]. During lockdown in 2020 she created frequent YouTube series, including "As We Know It Day",<ref>{{Cite web|title=Laura Lexx - As We Know It Day 1 - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJY8TgNV-SE&list=PLT7dPezmzTPv4u5E8TXrgVCLGB5PGG5ZX|access-date=2020-12-18|website=www.youtube.com| date=17 March 2020 }}</ref> "The Lockdown Book Club"<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Twelve Days of Kloppmas - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT7dPezmzTPve0CiNd0jhsoTQZmiHn9oi|access-date=2020-12-18|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> and "The Twelve Days of Kloppmas".<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Twelve Days of Kloppmas... Day One - YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jriBOGOljE4&list=PLT7dPezmzTPve0CiNd0jhsoTQZmiHn9oi|access-date=2020-12-18|website=www.youtube.com| date=2 December 2020 }}</ref>
==Personal life== Lexx married fellow comedian Tom Livingstone in Somerset in 2015.<ref name=swf/> She has supported the Green Party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.londontheatre1.com/reviews/laura-lexx-knee-jerk-at-edinburgh-fringe-review/|title=Laura Lexx: Knee Jerk at Edinburgh Fringe | Review|date=22 August 2019}}</ref>
==References== <references />
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lexx, Laura}} Category:Living people Category:Comedians from Somerset Category:People from Taunton Category:Alumni of the University of Kent Category:British women podcasters Category:Comedians from Brighton and Hove Category:English podcasters Category:English women comedians Category:1986 births Category:21st-century English comedians Category:English stand-up comedians