2020 has been a year like no other for rising star Gbemisola
WE ALWAYS GET a thrill when we see our
graduates popping up on our TV screens .
Hearts burst with pride when we recognise the names and faces of our acting and drama graduates as they inhabit new characters in the latest TV drama or soap .
Usually it ’ s a slow burn in the acting business – securing one gig at a time , but for Gbemisola Ikumelo , all her Christmas ’ s seemed to come at once . In the space of a fortnight in 2020 , she had won a TV BAFTA for her short ‘ Brain in Gear ’, had a comedy series based on said short commissioned by the BBC , and been cast in an American comedy-drama ! Gbemisola continued to fill our TV screens later in 2020 , appearing alongside Hugh Laurie as Steff Frost in the BBC One series ‘ Roadkill ’. A quick flick over to ITV and you could also find her sharing the studio with Tom Allen , Paloma Faith and Joanna Lumley on the ‘ Jonathan Ross Show ’.
Gbemisola studied BA Acting at QMU and , after graduating in 2003 , she steadily developed her career with several parts in both theatre and film . However , it was her role as the troublesome Kadean in Dane Baptiste ’ s show ‘ Sunny D ’ which gained her recognition as a comedy actor .
She was snapped up by the BBC and cast in ‘ Famalam ’, a zany new comedy sketch show featuring an array of oddball characters and off-the-wall situations . The super sharp sketch show stars black British talent behind and in front of the camera . And in 2018 , when the show first hit our screens , British television was ready and waiting for a high profile comedic exploration of the contemporary black British experience . Gbemisola received a BAFTA nomination for ‘ Best Female Performance in a Comedy ’ for her work on ‘ Famalam ’, for which she is also a writer .
Outside of Famalam , Gbemisola spent much of her time developing her own comedy writing . Her most recent , Brain in Gear , debuted as one of the BBC ’ s critically acclaimed Comedy Shorts in 2019 , and received a BAFTA for best short form programme .
Written by and starring Gbemisola , Brain In Gear is a flat-share comedy centred around Remi , a “ normal ” single woman in her twenties who is battling anxiety in the form of her two alter egos , Boss Bitch Remi and Dark Remi .
Gbemisola could hardly believe her luck when her short was commissioned to run as a series on BBC2 . The Brain in Gear series continues the story of Remi as she attempts to get on with her life , but normal everyday tasks prove impossible due to constant interruptions from her inner thoughts .
Shane Allen , Controller Comedy Commissioning , said : “ Gbemisola has fast become one of the leading comedy performers of her generation . Her range of characters is a joy to behold and we ’ re proud to see her spread her considerable talent wings as creator , writer and co-director of this very special mini-series .”
Josh Cole , Head of Comedy , BBC Studios , described Gbemisola as a “ uniquely multitalented creative force ”! High praise indeed from the British Broadcasting Corporation , but Gbemisola is also getting used to international recognition having starred in Netflix ’ s ‘ Sex Education ’ and through her involvement in Amazon ’ s reimagining of ‘ A League of Their Own ’.
There is no doubt that 2020 has been a hard one for the creative industries but it has been a year like no other for this immensely talented rising star ! ❒
QMYOU / Made at QMU 15