| Shazia Mirza | |
|---|---|
Mirza performing at the Edinburgh Fringe |
|
| Born | January 13, 1976 Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| Medium | Stand up, television |
| Nationality | British |
| Years active | 2000-Present |
| Notable works and roles | Last Comic Standing, season 6 Semi-Finalist |
| Website | [1] |
Shazia Mirza (Urdu: شازیه ميرزا) is a British comedian and columnist from Birmingham, England.
Contents |
Shazia was born as the eldest daughter in Birmigham to Pakistani parents, Mohammed and Sarwat Mirza. She has 3 brothers, Cameron (born 1971), who works in finance; Imran (born 1973), who works for an IT company; and Razwan (born 1977), who works for a sports channel as well as a sister, Sabrina (1980), who is at drama school.[1][2]
Mirza's parents had an arranged marriage. She has written that her parents "would admit that they're not compatible, and that it isn't really a happy marriage at all." They did not believe in arranged marriage for their children.[3]
Earlier in her life, she was a science teacher in a high school and taught Dizzee Rascal, now a rapper and song artist.[4][5][6]
About a year into her stand-up comedy career, she gained UK-wide publicity in the months when the world was coming to terms with the September 11, 2001 attacks. This was because at this time she would perform her act in recognizable hijab dress and begin with the deadpan remark, "My name is Shazia Mirza. At least, that's what it says on my pilot’s licence". In April 2007, she presented a documentary on BBC Three called F*** Off, I'm a Hairy Woman.
Shazia has been a regular columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 2004.[7] In 2006, she also began writing fortnightly columns in The New Statesman magazine.