#ria lina

Filled in as MC at @comedystorelondon last night and just had a lovely time with these two, @glenn_wool and @rhysiedarby (also on @paultonkinson_ and @nathan.caton). But what I love about this photo is that it wasn’t planned, we weren’t instructed, it just naturally happened between three colleagues and a fabulous photographer @salsai / @peacestills #memories #moments

This week one of the panellists on the show is Ria Lina. She’s never been on the show before. She’s a half-Asian woman with a a Doctorate in virology and Asperger’s Syndrome. 

To say that I am overjoyed would be an understatement. This isn’t just some “ooh! diversity!” thing (although I am happy about that). This is me realizing that people like me can have a platform on a mainstream comedy show. I’m Asian. I love and plan to study a scientific discipline. I’m neurodivergent. I’ve loved comedy since I was 11 years old, and have wanted to be a comedian since about the same time.

There’s going to be someone so much like me as an actual panellist on a show that I’ve watched all my adolescence. There’s someone who proves that people like me can do this kind of thing. I never thought I would want someone with any semblance to me in mainstream media but now I realize that, when you don’t have representation, you don’t know how much you want or need it until you get it.