Get to know Harriet Kemsley

Harriet Kemsley (She/Her) stand-up comic from the south of england, Kent. She is known as a television personality, podcaster and a touring comedian within the United Kingdom with stand up shows ‘Bad At Doing’, ‘Slutty Joan’ and her most recent stand up show, which I had the pleasure of attending -Honey Suckle Island. The first stand up show referenced refers to the Greek translation of the disorder she has been diagnosed with dyspraxia.

She was diagnosed later in life and was one of the first people I could recall discussing the diagnoses on television. She however showed traits from a young age leaving it for no surprise to her family getting a dyspraxia diagnoses. Showing typical traits generalised with clumsiness and being accident prone having by the age of 10 being hospitalised with concussion three times. With also having challenges with executive dysfunction leaving her band from home-work leaving to common challenges with confidence and self esteem. It was from her sister who suggested she could be dyspraxic and looked for a private diagnoses.

She has said that her dyspraxia has aided her in being comfortable in doing comedy, suggesting that dyspraxic people are naturally funny. It helped her the ability to fail and try again and repeat which she has done throughout her life. Her experiences in past jobs were showed the natural humour sharing a story that is almost a copy paste of a Victoria Wood sketch

She has openly talked about being dyspraxic on Channel 4’s 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, ITV 2’s Stand Up Sketch Show and Comedy Central’s comedy show and on her podcast (which ended in early 2022) called ‘Why Is Harriet Crying’ with Sunil Patel which documented many of her traits and a honest and subtle familiar experience of dyspraxia without always saying it. She is very emotional person and is highly empathetic her sense of empathy led her to become a vegan.

Harriet is married to fellow comedian Bobby Mair who they have a child with and have appeared on Channel 4’s Jon & Lucy’s Odd Couple’s, E4 Pant’s On Fire and their own scripted comedic reality that documented them organising their wedding and getting married called ‘Bobby and Harriet Get Married’ where they go through the struggles of taking marriage seriously their marriage was ordained by Romesh Ranganthan and the series had cameos from Katherine Ryan and Tim Renkow.

She has appeared on series of other podcasts including Transplaining by Jordan Gray, Birthday Girls House Party, Radio 1’s Unexpected Fluids, Sara Keyworth’s Thank F*ck For That. She has been a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind and Richard Osman’s House of Games which airs on the BBC.