Deirdre O'Kane

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| name = Deirdre O'Kane

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| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|25 March 1968}}

| birth_place = Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland

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| alma_mater = Loreto Abbey, Rathfarnham, Dublin

| occupation = Comedian, actress

| years_active = 1993–present

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| spouse = Stephen Bradley

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| children = 2 - 1 daughter (Holly), 1 son (Daniel)

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| awards = 1 IFTA

| website = {{URL|deirdreokane.net}}

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Deirdre O'Kane ({{IPAc-en|'|d|i:|r|d|r|@|_|o:|'|k|ei|n}}; born 25 March 1968){{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/i-lied-about-my-age-for-20-years-says-deirdre-okane-as-she-reveals-she-turns-50-on-day-of-dwts-final-36653164.html|title='I lied about my age for 20 years' says Deirdre O'Kane as she reveals she turns 50 on day of DWTS final - Independent.ie|work=Independent.ie|access-date=2018-03-02|language=en}} is an Irish stand-up comedian and actress.

Biography

Originally from Drogheda, County Louth,"I am from Drogheda even if Wikipedia says I'm from Dundalk", Deirdre O'Kane in interview with Miriam O'Callaghan, 27 August 2016, RTÉ 1. O'Kane is married to writer and director Stephen Bradley; they have two children.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsvplive.ie/news/celebs/deirdre-okane-children-son-daughter-12344058|title=Deirdre O'Kane makes rare appearance with children Holly and Daniel|first=Emma|last=Costello|date=11 April 2018|website=RSVP Live}}{{cite news| url= http://www.evoke.ie/showbiz/deirdre-okane-admits-that-married-life-is-a-circus/|work=evoke.ie | title= Deirdre O’Kane admits that married life is a ‘circus’| date= 18 September 2015}}{{cite news| url= https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/first-encounters-1.497287/|work=irishtimes.com | title= First encounters: Deirdre O’Kane In conversation with Frances O'Rourke | date= 7 April 2012}}[https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2019/1019/1084403-okane-stand-up-saved-me-amid-husbands-cancer-scare/ Deirdre O'Kane: Stand-up 'saved me' amid husband's cancer diagnosis]. RTÉ, 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019. She attended Loreto High School Beaufort, an all-girls Catholic boarding school in Rathfarnham, Dublin.{{Cite web|url=https://presspack.rte.ie/2007/07/13/class-clowns-last-in-series/|title=CLASS CLOWNS ***Last in Series*** | RTÉ Presspack|website=presspack.rte.ie}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/life-lessons-with-deirdre-okane-getting-older-is-crap-31609716.html|title=Life lessons with Deirdre O'Kane: 'Getting older is crap'|website=independent}}

Career

=Stand-up comic=

O'Kane became a stand-up comic in 1996 and got into the finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards of that year. She has played at the Edinburgh Festival every year since including 2001 where she not only performed her own solo show, Deirdre O'Kane is Crystallized, but also the two-hander Tis Pity She's Anonymous. She has also played The Melbourne, Adelaide and Kilkenny Cat Laughs Festivals and has toured the Middle East, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Prague, Brussels and London.

=Theatre=

O'Kane began her career as an actress and has played every major theatre in Ireland as well as touring in Australia, Canada and the UK. Leading roles include Mary in Juno and the Paycock (National Theatre), Miss Funny in At the Black Pig's Dyke (Druid Theatre Co.) and Daphne in Present Laughter (Gate Theatre).

=Movies=

She portrayed the role of Noeleen in the 2003 motion picture Intermission, directed by John Crowley.[http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/2008/0213/deirdreokane544.html Deirdre O' Kane - Her Brilliant Career!]. RTÉ, 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2008.

She played the lead role in the 2014 biopic Noble as Christina Noble, a children's rights campaigner, charity worker and writer, who founded the Christina Noble Children's Foundation in 1989.

=Television=

Television credits include hosting the ten-part TV series of stand-up comedy and sketches called The Lounge (RTÉ) which included guests such as Rich Hall, Adam Hills, Jeff Green and Dara Ó Briain. She also played the role of Fiona in Owen O'Neill's sit-com The Fitz (BBC).

In 2001, O'Kane (described in The Sunday Times as "absolutely superb"){{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130505042308/http://www.nyt.co.uk/deirdreokane.htm Deirdre O'Kane]}}. nyt.co.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2008. played the leading role of Helen in Paths to Freedom, a six-part spoof-documentary for RTÉ/BBC Choice and starred in the RTÉ comedy series Fergus's Wedding.

In 2012, she took on the part of Debra Moone, in Sky's comedy Moone Boy.

In 2016, she made a guest appearance on the British TV show As Yet Untitled and told an anecdote about her car being double clamped by over-efficient clampers to whom she was rude over the phone. Alan Davies liked her stories enough to consider naming the episode after one of her quotes: "Would you ever fuck off?".

O'Kane is one of the narrators of the Irish version of Gogglebox, alongside Rory Cowan, which started in 2016 on TV3.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/i-do-think-were-funnier-host-deirdre-okane-says-irish-gogglebox-will-be-better-than-uk-version-35066535.html|title='I do think we're funnier' - Host Deirdre O'Kane says Irish Gogglebox will be better than UK version - Independent.ie|date=21 September 2016|work=Irish Independent|accessdate=1 December 2016}} In 2018, she was a runner-up on the second series of the Irish version of Dancing With The Stars.

In October 2021, The Deirdre O'Kane Show launched on Sky Max. The five-part series features Bill Bailey, Ardal O’Hanlon, Joanne McNally, Jason Byrne, Reginald D. Hunter, Neil Delamere, Emma Doran, Des Bishop, Catherine Bohart and Martin Angolo. Hip-hop comedian Rob Broderick, a.k.a. Abandoman, also features on the show.

In September 2021, she became a judge on the Irish talent show The Big Deal along with Boy George, Jedward, Lyra, and Aston Merrygold.{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/first-look-at-virgin-medias-new-show-hosted-by-vogue-williams-40539591.html|title=First look at Virgin Media's new show hosted by Vogue Williams|website=Independent.ie|access-date=16 August 2021|archive-date=16 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210816222634/https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/first-look-at-virgin-medias-new-show-hosted-by-vogue-williams-40539591.html|url-status=live}}

In 2024, O'Kane was a contestant on LOL: Last one Laughing Ireland, the Irish version of Japanese comedy-reality show Documental, where "Ten of Ireland's comedy stars try to make each other laugh." She ended up getting into the final but lost to Jason Byrne.

In 2025, she appeared in Chris O'Dowd's Small Town: Big Story as Carol from Casting.