Francesca Martinez

Martinez was born in London to a Spanish father and a half-Swedish, half-English mother in 1978.{{cite news |last=Dugan |first=Emily |title=Francesca Martinez: A wobbly girl's battle against the last taboo |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/francesca-martinez-a-wobbly-girls-battle-against-the-last-taboo-1816861.html |work=The Independent |date=8 November 2009 |access-date=8 November 2009}} She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy aged two.{{Cite web|date=2021-06-09|title=Francesca Martinez: "The fact that I'm wobbly and a woman terrifies TV commissioners"|url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2014/07/francesca-martinez-fact-i-m-wobbly-and-woman-terrifies-tv-commissioners|access-date=2021-11-24|website=New Statesman|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=2014-08-06|title=Comedian Francesca Martinez: 'I've accepted my cerebral palsy - now|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/features/comedian-francesca-martinez-i-ve-accepted-my-cerebral-palsy-now-i-m-calling-on-others-to-join-the-revolution-9652761.html|access-date=2021-11-24|website=The Independent|language=en}} Martinez was also incorrectly diagnosed as intellectually disabled by a consultant physician, but her parents chose for her to be educated at an integrated school, an experience that Martinez enjoyed. She later attended an all-girls' high school,{{Cite web|date=2020-03-14|title=Francesca Martinez: 'I was viewed as uncool because of how my body worked'|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/14/francesca-martinez-i-was-viewed-as-uncool-because-of-how-my-body-worked|access-date=2021-11-24|first=Rosanna |last=Greenstreet|website=The Guardian|language=en}} an experience that harmed her previously good self-esteem. She was 14 when she secured a role on the series Grange Hill.{{Cite web|title=My best teacher: Francesca Martinez|url=https://www.tes.com/news/my-best-teacher-francesca-martinez|access-date=2021-11-24|website=Tes|language=en}}

Before becoming a comedian, Martinez appeared in the BBC children's drama series Grange Hill from 1994 to 1998, where she played the first disabled pupil to appear in the fictional school,{{Cite web|date=1994-01-20|title=Education: Real-life struggles of a TV pupil: Bridgette Lawrence on|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/education-reallife-struggles-of-a-tv-pupil-bridgette-lawrence-on-the-first-appearance-of-a-disabled-pupil-in-grange-hill-1401276.html|access-date=2021-11-24|website=The Independent|language=en}} and has acted in other drama series such as Holby City.

A year after she began performing stand-up comedy, in 2000, Martinez became the first female comic to win the prestigious Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award at the Edinburgh Festival. She performed her debut solo show, I'm Perfect, in 2002. In 2003 she was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}

In August 2005, she appeared in the BBC sitcom Extras.List of Extras episodes#Series 1 .282005.29

In April 2008, Martinez made global headlines when (live on Channel 4 News) she became the first Olympic torch bearer to pull out of the London relay in protest over China's treatment of Tibet.{{Cite news|last=Correspondent|first=Ashling O'Connor, Olympics|title=Torch bearer withdraws from Olympics relay in Tibet protest|newspaper=The Times |language=en|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/england/london-travel/torch-bearer-withdraws-from-olympics-relay-in-tibet-protest-zp89pvrjn8d|access-date=2021-11-24|issn=0140-0460}}

Martinez performed at the 2008 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland alongside Emma Thompson.

In April 2009, she appeared on the BBC Radio 4 stand-up comedy show, 4 Stands Up.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00f4ptw |title=BBC Radio 4 – 4 Stands Up |publisher=BBC |date=7 May 2009 |access-date=20 January 2013}}

In October 2012, she made her debut appearance on BBC Radio 4's topical panel show The News Quiz, alongside regulars Jeremy Hardy and Sandi Toksvig. She appeared on The News Quiz again in January and July 2013.

In 2014, her best-selling book WHAT THE **** IS NORMAL?! was published by Random House to critical acclaim. It was nominated for the Chortle Comedy 'Best Book' Award and The Bread And Roses Radical Publishing Award in 2015.{{Cite web|date=11 March 2015|title=The Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing 2015 Shortlist|url=https://breadandrosesprize.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/the-bread-and-roses-award-for-radical-publishing-2015-is-announced/|website=Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing}} Her tour of the same name clocked up over 140 dates around the world – winning a Fringe Media Network Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, as well as being nominated for Best Show at Dave's Leicester Comedy Festival and at the Perth Festival, Australia.{{citation_needed|date=March 2023}}

In 2015, she opened series 11 of Live At The Apollo, which also featured Alan Carr and Nish Kumar. In 2016, Martinez supported Frankie Boyle on his sell-out UK tour Hurt Like You've Never Been Loved.{{citation_needed|date=March 2023}}

Martinez has become a regular face on television, including appearances on The Frank Skinner Show, Russell Howard's Good News (BBC Three), The Jonathan Ross Show, ITV's Loose Women, Free Speech (BBC3), RTÉ's The Saturday Night Show with Brendan O'Connor, Adam Hills Tonight, Spicks and Specks and Question Time on BBC1.

Martinez has written scripts for the BBC and Channel 4. In 2018, her debut radio play How We're Loved aired on BBC Radio Four.

On 8 December 2012, Martinez launched a campaign War on Welfare{{cite web |url=http://www.thefedonline.org.uk/disability-in-the-news/martinez-brings-star-quality-to-fresh-assault-on-coalition-s-war-on-welfare |title=Martinez brings star quality to fresh assault on coalition's 'war on welfare' – Disability in the News |publisher=The Fed Online |date= 21 December 2012|access-date=21 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131204013255/http://www.thefedonline.org.uk/disability-in-the-news/martinez-brings-star-quality-to-fresh-assault-on-coalition-s-war-on-welfare |archive-date=4 December 2013 |df=dmy-all }} which pledged to get 100,000 supporters to sign a petition calling for an end to UK government cuts for disability benefits and an independent impact assessment of the government's welfare changes. The petition attracted 5,000 signatures in the first 48 hours{{cite web|url=http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17717 |title=Welfare petition aims for ten thousand backers by New Year's Day |date=31 December 2012 |publisher=Ekklesia |access-date=20 January 2013}} and achieved its target of 100,000 supporters on 30 November 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/war-welfare-petition-100000-sign-2870513|title=100,000 sign War on Welfare petition asking for assessment of cuts to the sick and disabled|first=Steve|last=Robson|website=Daily Mirror |date=30 November 2013}}

An outspoken opponent of welfare reform by the government, she uses her public profile to raise issues about disability and fight for what she believes would be a fairer system. Martinez said: "As a disabled person in the media, I want to help give this issue a voice. It's morally wrong for the government to target those in need instead of saving money by targeting the real causes of this crisis – and close tax loopholes and regulate the financial sector. To me, it's a human rights issue."{{cite web|url=http://www.update.org.uk/news-detail.php?page=563|title=Disability Information Scotland|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130423211500/http://www.update.org.uk/news-detail.php?page=563|archive-date=23 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}

She is patron of a number of charities.{{cite web |url=http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/speaker/francesca-martinez/ |title=Francesca Martinez – Personally Speaking Bureau|access-date=16 May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cafamily.org.uk/what-we-do/our-team/|title=Our Team – Contact a Family|access-date=16 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604052159/http://www.cafamily.org.uk/what-we-do/our-team|archive-date=4 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}

She has challenged the government in numerous TV interviews, including on Newsnight and This Week, and in other TV appearances such as Question Time.

In 2015 she helped organise This Changes Everything, a one-day event on climate and social justice, with Naomi Klein, Russell Brand, and many other speakers. The event was streamed globally and aimed to kick-start a movement to unify the left against climate change.

In 2013 she was nominated for a Women in Public Life Award, and won the Public Affairs Achiever of the Year Award. In April 2014 she was named as one of Britain's most influential women in the BBC Woman's Hour power list 2014.{{cite web|title=Woman's Hour Power List 2014 – Game Changers|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zy4m5/profiles|publisher=BBC Radio 4}} She was also nominated for Red Magazine's Woman of the Year Award 2014 and for a European Diversity Hero of the Year Award 2014.

Martinez has received honorary doctorates from the Open University and Bradford University.

In July 2015, Martinez endorsed Jeremy Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.{{cite news |last=Bush|first=Stephen|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/07/25-campaign-groups-and-activists-back-jeremy-corbyn-labour-leader|title=25 campaign groups and activists back Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader|work=New Statesman|date=29 July 2015|access-date=15 July 2017}} In 2016, along with other celebrities, Martinez toured the UK to support Corbyn's bid to become Prime Minister.{{cite web |url=http://www.jc4pmtour.com/|title=#JC4PM|publisher=jc4pmtour|date=28 July 2015|access-date=15 July 2017}}{{cite news |last=Wilkinson|first=Michael|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/Jeremy_Corbyn/12134051/Celebrities-to-tour-Britain-in-Jeremy-Corbyn-For-Prime-Minister-musical-show.html|title=Celebrities to tour Britain in 'Jeremy Corbyn For Prime Minister' musical show|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=1 February 2016|access-date=15 July 2017}} In September 2016, she performed at the Keep Corbyn rally in Brighton in support of Corbyn's campaign in the Labour Party leadership election.{{cite news |last=Burke|first=Darren|url=https://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/tv-star-comedians-line-up-for-jeremy-corbyn-rally-in-doncaster-1-8090226|title=TV star comedians line up for Jeremy Corbyn rally in Doncaster|location=Doncaster|newspaper=Doncaster Free Press|date=26 August 2016|access-date=1 June 2018}}

In November 2019, along with other public figures, Martinez signed a letter supporting Corbyn.{{cite news |last=Neale|first=Matthew|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/new-letter-supporting-jeremy-corbyn-2568734|title=Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more |work=NME|date=16 November 2019|access-date=27 November 2019}} In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, she signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/vote-for-hope-and-a-decent-future|title= Vote for hope and a decent future |work=The Guardian|date=3 December 2019|access-date=4 December 2019}}{{cite news |last=Proctor|first=Kate|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/03/coogan-klein-lead-cultural-figures-backing-corbyn-labour|title=Coogan and Klein lead cultural figures backing Corbyn and Labour|work=The Guardian|date=3 December 2019|access-date=4 December 2019}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|http://www.francescamartinez.com/}}
• {{IMDb name|0553532}}
• [https://www.standard.co.uk/arts/comedy/francesca-martinez-tricycle--review-7830716.html Evening Standard review]

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Francesca}}

Category:1978 births

Category:Living people

Category:English people of Spanish descent

Category:English people of Swedish descent

Category:English stand-up comedians

Category:English television actresses

Category:People with cerebral palsy

Category:Comedians from Liverpool

Category:British disability rights activists

Category:English actors with disabilities

Category:English writers with disabilities

Category:British activists with disabilities

Category:English women comedians

Category:Comedians from London

Category:Actresses from London

Category:Television presenters with disabilities