British comedian Gina Yashere was BOTD in 1974. Born Regina Iyashere in London to Nigerian immigrant parents, she trained as a lift maintenance technician before moving into stand-up comedy in the 1990s. After winning a stand-up comedy competition, she starred in and co-wrote the television comedy series Blouse and Skirt, later appearing on The Lenny Henry Show and animated series Bronwell High. Her comedy typically draws on her conservative Nigerian upbringing, the cultural stereotyping of people of colour and her experiences as a Black lesbian in the straight white male-dominated world of comedy. Citing dissatisfaction with the British comedy scene, she relocated to America in the 2000s, appearing on Def Comedy Jam and hosting her own comedy specials Skinny Bitch and Live at the Apollo, returning to the UK to appear in the television series Married Single Other. In recent years, she has appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, The Jay Leno Show, The Daily Show and TV sitcom Bob Hearts Abishola. She lives in California with her partner Nina Rose Fischer.