Based: Kenya

Before joining the show (Chruchill), I worked for EPZ for five years and it was there that colleagues pressured me to audition.

I attended the show as part of the audience twice and the third time, I was convinced I had what it takes and quit my job and auditioned.

At the auditions, the director was convinced but I learnt the hard way that there is a difference between making your friends at home laugh and comedy.

For the next four months, I never got a chance to perform at the show despite attending all practice sessions but I never lost hope even as most of my colleagues did.

So when was your big break?

There is a segment of the show that they don’t show on TV that happens in between Churchill Raw and the main show where anyone in the audience who thinks he or she is funny is invited to perform and then the winners are awarded.

There is a day I was part of the audience and I volunteered. I was the only lady against three guys and I was declared the winner. Three weeks later, I got my first show.

Do you feel intimidated being the only woman in a male dominated field?

The industry does not care whether you are a man or a woman. It only cares if you have what it takes. My tough upbringing has taught me to fight for everything that is worth fighting for and despite what many people may think, I don’t get any special favours.

In fact, the men treat me as an equal.

Why is it that unlike other sectors in the entertainment industry, it is only comedy where women don’t prosper as much as men?

You need an iron heart to survive as a comedian. There are days when you come on stage and the audience just stares at you without laughing.

When this happens, most women, I have seen, will run backstage and cry saying they will never step on stage again and give up.

No one wants to rehearse for a week and be in that situation but when it happens to me, I use it as a learning experience and don’t let it go to me.

A lot of new comedians fizzle out after making it big but the old ones manage to maintain relevance. Are we expecting the same from you?

Sometimes things happen so fast. One week you are struggling to get recognition and the other you are suddenly famous. Many comedians are unable to handle the pressure that comes with being a sudden celebrity. I always try not to get it into my head and I am very religious.

How has comedy changed your life?

As I told you earlier, my family was living in Korogocho slum before I joined Churchill and by being a comedian I have managed to pull them out of the slums.

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