imagine...: Season 35, Episode 2

35 - 2: Jo Brand: No Holds Barred

Alan Yentob looks into the life of comedian Jo Brand. Brand burst on to the nation's largely male stand-up comedy scene in the 1980s. In doing so, she revolutionised what women could be - and say - on stage. From her working-class roots in south London, through her teenage tearaway years in Hastings to the decade that she spent as a psychiatric nurse, Jo's journey into comedy has not been an easy one. imagine... goes behind the scenes with Jo as she presents HIGNFY and The News Quiz on Radio 4 and accompanies her on the book tour circuit as she promotes her latest book. Brand has been a trailblazer for women on screen. Not only has she broken through into the tough world of stand-up comedy, but she has demonstrated enormous diversity, including acting, writing and performing, factual, drama and comedy. Contributors include Peter Capaldi; Alan Davies, Victoria Coren Mitchell, Mark Thomas, Mary Beard, Morwenna Banks and Ian Hislop.