Aisling Clíodhnadh O'Sullivan (born 16 March 1984), known professionally as Aisling Bea ( ), is an Irish comedian, actress and screenwriter. She created, wrote and starred in the comedy series This Way Up on Channel 4. As a stand-up comedian, she won the So You Think You're Funny award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2012, being only the second woman to win the award in its then-25-year history. She also appears regularly on light entertainment comedy panel shows such as QI and 8 Out of 10 Cats and was a contestant on series 5 of Taskmaster.
Early life and education Bea was born Aisling Cliodhnadh O'Sullivan in Kildare, Ireland. Her father, Brian, was a horse veterinarian who died by suicide when Bea was three years old; she was not told how he had died until she was 13. She adopted the stage surname "Bea" as a tribute to her father, taking it from a short form of his first name. Bea and her younger sister, Sinéad (who is now a Hollywood costume designer), were raised by their mother, Helen (née Moloney), a secondary school teacher who had previously trained jockeys at the Racing Academy and Centre of Education. She was also a professional flat-race jockey, and later ran a jockey school. Her family was "obsessed" with horses and race meetings.
Her great-aunt was playwright Siobhán Ní Shúilleabháin, and musician Liam O'Flynn was a family friend. Bea's grandfather was school inspector and Irish Language writer, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, author of Créamaraí, An Fear Aduaidh and Peacaí na nAthaireacha.https://www.librarything.com/a/20179248
In her youth, Bea worked as a tour guide at the Irish National Stud. However, she knew from a young age that she was not interested in the horse racing industry; instead, she had a passion for performing.
Bea was educated at Presentation Secondary School, Kildare Town, a convent school. She studied French and philosophy at Trinity College Dublin. While there, she was an active member of the drama society, and part of a student sketch comedy group. She then studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). She has said she did not enjoy this experience, but that it has helped with her comedy.
Career After graduating from drama school, Bea spent two years trying to get work in theatre as a dramatic actress. Instead, she was cast mainly in comedic television series including Cardinal Burns and Sharon Horgan's Dead Boss (both 2012). While filming Dead Boss in 2011, Bea decided to try stand-up comedy. In 2012, she was the first woman in 20 years (and only the second in its history) to win the Gilded Balloon So You Think You're Funny award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2013, she was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards for her show C'est La Bea.
The exposure brought by these awards and festival appearances marked a "turning point" in Bea's career and she began to appear as a regular guest on panel shows including QI and Insert Name Here. Bea and Yasmine Akram co-wrote and co-hosted the BBC Radio 4 comedy folklore series Micks and Legends (2012, 2015); it was nominated for a Chortle Award in 2013. Bea won the 2014 British Comedy Award for Best Female TV Comic, and returned to Edinburgh in 2015 with the live show Plan Bea. In 2015, she presented Channel 4's alternative election coverage with David Mitchell and Jeremy Paxman. In 2016, she became a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats and was a contestant on series 5 of Taskmaster in 2017.
Bea has continued to act in television sitcoms including Trollied (2014–2015), The Delivery Man (2015), Amy Huberman's Irish television series Finding Joy (2018), and Living with Yourself (2019). She acted in the crime dramas The Fall (2016) and Hard Sun (2018), She starred in the ITV drama series Quiz (2020) based on the true story of the Who Wants to be a Millionaire coughing scandal.
In 2018, she and Sara Pascoe began to co-host the BBC Radio 2 comedy chat show What's Normal? She recorded a 15-minute stand-up special that was released on Netflix in late 2018.
Bea wrote and starred in the Channel 4 comedy series This Way Up (2019–2021). For her writing, she won the BAFTA 2020 British Academy Television Craft Award for Breakthrough Talent. In 2022, she also received a nomination for British Academy Television Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for the series.
In January 2024, Bea was one of 10 comedians in Amazon Prime Video's LOL: Last One Laughing Ireland.
Personal life Bea previously dated Michael Sheen and Andrew Garfield. In June 2024, Bea announced that she was expecting her first child, with her partner Jack Freeman. Their daughter was born in late August 2024.
Bea is close to fellow comedians Roisin Conaty, Katherine Ryan, and Sharon Horgan, calling them her "comedy sisters".
Bea lives in London.
Bea has ADHD.
In May 2025, Bea appeared on Who Do You Think You Are and found out that her great-great-grandmother, Áine O’Donoghue, was the first teacher on the Blasket Islands.
Activism Bea was a vocal supporter of the Repeal the 8th campaign in the successful 2018 Irish referendum to introduce legal abortion in the Republic of Ireland; she contributed an essay to Una Mullally's Repeal the 8th a month before the vote. She previously campaigned for same-sex marriage legislation in the successful 2015 Irish referendum.
She frequently shares posts about the humanitarian situation in Palestine. In 2024, Bea participated in the Cinema for Gaza auction, and was a signatory calling for the end of arms sales to Israel. In September 2025, she signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."
Filmography Acting
Television Year Title Role Channel NotesRef.2009Fair CityCliodhna NorrisRTÉ One3 episodesWe Are KlangInspectorBBC Three1 episodeThe Roy FilesTicket girl (voice)TRTÉ and RTÉ TWO (Ireland), CBBC (UK)Episode: "Truth and Lies"Belonging to LauraLeanne ThompsonTV3/BAITelevision film2009–2014The Savage EyeVariousRTE4 episodes2010Inn MatesElfBBC ThreePilotL.O.LVariousBBCPilot; also writerFreedomAislingBBC TwoPilotCome Fly with MeMary O'MaraBBC One1 episode2011LewisHotel receptionistITV1 episodeHolby CityAmelia WarnerBBC One1 episode2012Cardinal BurnsSallyE45 episodesDead BossLaura StephensBBC Three6 episodesIn with the FlynnsNaimahBBC One1 episodeThe TownCarlyITV3 episodesTriviaRuth6 episodes2013FitVariousCBBC13 episodesQuick CutsCustomerBBC Four1 episode2014Playhouse PresentsToddler WomanSky Arts1 episodeThe AssetsKara JensenABC 1 episodeVodka DiariesNicBBC ThreePilotThe SunnyEmmaBBC TwoPilot2014–2015TrolliedCharlieSky One13 episodes2015Funny ValentinesSarahBBC iPlayer2 episodesThe Delivery ManLisaITV6 episodesNish Kumar's ChristmasAgentSky ArtsComedy short2016DamnedAnne-MarieChannel 41 episodeThe FallKiera SheridanZDFneo (Germany), RTÉ One (Ireland), BBC Two (UK)4 episodes2017Drunk HistoryGuinevereComedy Central1 episodeGap YearKendraE42 episodesTaskmasterSeries 5 contestantDave8 episodes2018Hard SunMari ButlerBBC One (UK), Hulu (US)5 episodesPlebsMinervaITV21 episodeI Feel BadSimoneNBC1 episodeFinding JoyAmeliaITV6 episodes2019State of the UnionAnnaBBC (UK), Sundance TV (US)Episode: "Plaster Cast"Living with YourselfKate ElliotNetflix8 episodes20192021This Way UpAineChannel 412 episodes; also writer, executive producer2020QuizClaudia RosencrantzITV 3 episodes20212022Amphibia Captain Beatrix (voice)Disney Channel (US) 3 episodes2022Doctor WhoSarahBBC Episode: "Eve of the Daleks"2023–2024AvoidanceMeganBBC One Season 22024 Alice & Jack LynnChannel 4 (UK), PBS (US)MiniseriesUpcomingGrown UpsCaraNetflix
Film YearTitleRoleNotesRef2013TattooedEveShort filmVery Few FishGráinneShort film2015The TrapMarie2016Bullet to the HeartJaneShort film; co-writer2020Love Wedding RepeatRebeccaRom-com2021Home Sweet Home AloneCarol MercerRiverdance: The Animated AdventureMargot (voice)Animated film2023Greatest DaysRachel 2024Swede CarolineLouiseAnd MrsGemmaGet AwaySusanTBAHello & ParisTBAFilmingStarmanJulia HanleyFilming
Radio +YearTitleStationRoleNotesRef2012, 2015Micks and LegendsBBC Radio 4Co-hostAlso co-writer; with Yasmine Akram2014The ArchitectsBBC Radio 4Hayley (voice)4 episodes
Video games YearTitlePublisherRoleRef.2012Assassin's Creed IIIUbisoftEmily Burke (voice)2013Soul SacrificeSony Computer EntertainmentSimilia (voice)
Stand-up comedy Year Title Channel VenueRef.2009SabotageBBC Radio 4 ExtraLive at Hoxton HallFresh From the FringeBBC Radio 4Edinburgh Festival Fringe2013C'est La BeaGilded Balloon,Edinburgh Festival FringeGalwaySeann Walsh's Late Night Comedy SpectacularBBC ThreeEdinburgh Festival FringeRussell Howard's Good NewsBBC ThreeRiverside StudiosSet ListNerdist Channel2014C'est La BeaSoho Theatre, LondonLive at the ApolloBBC OneHammersmith Apollo2014–2016Channel 4's Comedy GalaChannel 4O2 Arena2015Plan BeaEdinburgh Festival Fringe2018Netflix Comedy LineupNetflix2026Older Than JesusUK and Ireland tour
Panel show appearances From 2016 to 2017, Bea was a team captain (the first female captain on the show) on 8 Out of 10 Cats, having previously been a guest on the show in 2013 and 2014. Her guest appearances on other panel shows include:
Awards and nominations Award Date Category Work Result Ref.2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Gilded Balloon So You Think You're Funny award2013 Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer C'est La Bea2014 British Comedy Award Best Female Television Comic2020 BAFTA TV Craft Awards Best Breakthrough TalentThis Way Up2020 Royal Television Society Programme Awards Breakthrough Award 2021 Writers' Guild of Great Britain Best TV Situation Comedy This Way Up - "Episode #2.4"2022 BAFTA TV Awards Female Performance in a TV Comedy This Way Up2022NME Awards 2022Best TV Actor2024 National Film Awards UK Best Supporting Actress Swede Caroline2026Spirit of Kildare AwardsContribution to the Arts
References
External links