Comedian Jen Brister is among the famous faces taking part in the new series of Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted, which raises money for Stand Up To Cancer. Contestants go on the run while being tracked by expert hunters.
Who is Jen Brister?
Born in Kingston upon Thames in 1975 to a British father and Spanish mother, Jen grew up with three brothers. She attended Ursuline High School in Wimbledon and later Richmond College. Her Spanish heritage, especially her relationship with her mother, often inspires her comedy.
While studying drama at Middlesex University, she discovered stand-up. In the mid-1990s, she enrolled on the UK's only university course dedicated to stand-up comedy at the time, which also produced Alan Carr. Her first gig was in 1996 at the King's Head in Crouch End.
Career highlights
Jen has performed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Adelaide Fringe, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and regularly appears at London's Comedy Store and Up the Creek. In 2018, she toured with her show Meaningless, followed by The Optimist in 2022.
On TV, she has appeared on Mock the Week in 2021, QI in 2022, and BBC's Live at the Apollo.
Private life and activism
Jen keeps her private life private but is known to live in Brighton with her partner Chloe Martin and their twin sons, born in September 2014. In 2019, she published a book, The Other Mum, about motherhood. On her website, she wrote: "Two years ago, my partner (a woman – we’re not solicitors) gave birth to twins. Yes. Yes. There’s a lot to take in here: gay mums, twins, solicitors… (I know! Believe me, I’m still reeling myself.)"
Beyond comedy, Jen advocates for human rights, LGBTQ+ visibility, and humanitarian causes. She has supported fundraising campaigns like All Our Relations, which aids families and community food kitchens in Gaza, and has joined rallies with groups such as the Together Alliance.
Celebrity Hunted starts Monday 3 August, 9pm on Channel 4.
