I'm not a victim or a hero....I don't fit in a box

Comedian Rosie Jones on challenging people's perceptions, using humour as a coping mechanism and why she doesn't want to be called an inspiration

- HANNAH BRITT

Rosie Jones is on a mission: to be the person she never saw when she was a child. "When I was little I would turn on the TV, read a book or open a magazine and not see anybody disabled," says the 32-year-old stand-up comedian, writer and actor.

"The comedy world had some brilliant women. My heroes were Victoria Wood, French and Saunders and Jo Brand.

"But it was dominated by white, straight, non-disabled men. I couldn't compare myself. I was completely different.

BAFTA-nominee Rosie, who has cerebral palsy, has starred in Channel 4's Trip Hazard, written for Netflix's Sex Education, and performed stand-up countrywide. But she says people often don't know what to make of her.

"I'm very confusing for a lot of people," she says. "We're conditioned that disabled people are one of two things - victims that we need to help and feel sorry for, or Paralympians who earn the country gold medals inspirational heroes.

"But then you have someone like me who goes on TV and is normal, sometimes rude, and very happy. I talk about sex and being a lesbian. People say, 'how can she be so happy when she's so disabled?'

"I'm not a victim or a hero. I don't fit into a box.