Her first job was in a jam factory in Glasgow.[5][6][7] Lyons lives in Brighton with her partner Sindy, a nurse, originally from the Netherlands, who is 14 years her senior. The two met around the year 2000 whilst on holiday on the Isle of Lesvos, through mutual friends.[8][9][10]
Lyons shared an Instagram post in 2020 about her alopecia in the hope that it would help "someone even just a little bit".[11]
Career
Lyons graduated from the University of York in 1992 with a degree in psychology.[12] Soon making the decision to become a performer, she moved to London, and trained at The Poor School, thereafter working as a waitress while seeking acting roles and attending stand-up comedy performances.[3]
She appeared on the ITV reality game show Survivor in 2001, in its first series, placing 6th out of 16 contestants. She left after two members of her Ular tribe alliance (Richard and Jackie) aligned with the eventual winner, Charlotte, to vote against her. She was voted out in a countback tie-breaker - where votes cast during previous episodes come into play. Lyons along with the rest of the Jury of Eliminated players voted for Charlotte to win.
In 2004, Lyons won the Funny Women Awards, beating Anna Crilly and Janie Phayre.[13] Since then, she has toured the UK stand-up circuit, as well as playing regular gigs in London and Brighton. In 2007, her debut solo show, "Fight or Flight", was nominated for the best newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2008, her second solo show, "Mangled Mantra of the Messed up Modern Mind", featured a joke mocking singer Amy Winehouse which was awarded digital television channel Dave's Joke Of The Fringe.[14]
Lyons featured in The Independent's tenth annual Pink List for 2009, detailing the 101 most influential lesbian and gay people in Britain. Lyons was placed at number 81.[15]
In 2011, as part of her second international tour, Lyons was invited to perform "Clownbusting" at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in Australia. Reviews were favourable, with a critic from Australian Stage reporting: "I have renewed faith in stand-up comedy after seeing UK comedian Zoe Lyons. 'Clownbusting' is a magnificently written and delivered show which holds from start to finish".[16]
Her radio appearances have included Clive Anderson's Chat Room (BBC Radio 2), PMQ with Andy Parsons (BBC Radio 4), 4 Stands Up (BBC Radio 4), The Jon Richardson Show (BBC 6 Music), The Christian O'Connell Solution (BBC Radio 5 Live), Jo Caulfield Won't Shut Up (BBC Radio 4) and The Unbelievable Truth (BBC Radio 4).
In 2021, Lyons hosted her own teatime TV quiz show, Lightning, on BBC Two,[19] as well as Stand Up and Deliver on Channel 4, where she mentored Katie McGlynn.[20]
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