Ava Beverley Vidal (/ˈeɪvə vɪˈdɑːl/; born 1976 in Lambeth, London)[1] is an English comedian. She has taken part in E4's Kings of Comedy.[2] Her career in comedy began on the BBC's Urban Sketch Show.[3]
| Ava Vidal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Birth name | Ava Beverley Vidal |
| Born | 1976 (age 47–48) Lambeth, London, England |
| Medium |
|
| Nationality | British |
| Genres | |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | www |
Life and career
In 1996,[4] Vidal began working as a prison officer at HM Prison Pentonville in Barnsbury, North London.[5] She was inspired to go into the field by her mother, who worked at HM Prison Holloway.[4] Vidal decided to quit the prison profession in 2001 to go to university and study law. Around this time, she also began writing comedy material.[4]
Vidal appeared in 28 Acts in 28 Minutes and The Comic Side of 7 Days in 2005. She has also been involved in other BBC shows including The Last Laugh, The Sack Race and The Crouches. Vidal was a housemate in Kings of Comedy on E4, and Channel 4 made a documentary about her called From the Top, a half-hour show explaining her journey in comedy so far and how she became a comedian.
Vidal was on the line-up of Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow in Swansea that aired on 27 June 2009,[6] BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz in February and October 2010, and appeared four times on BBC Two's Mock the Week between 2011 and 2013.[7] In July 2012, she appeared on Is Football Racist? on BBC Three.[8]
On BBC Three's Free Speech, she suggested armed drug dealers should be helped rather than sent to prison.[9]
In 2016, along with numerous other celebrities, Vidal toured the UK to support Jeremy Corbyn's bid to become Prime Minister.[10][11] Vidal presents her own YouTube podcast named Black Woman's Hour.[12]
Personal life
Vidal has three children, two daughters and a son. Her eldest daughter, Shaquelle, died in April 2018.[13]