Fatiha El-Ghorri is a comedian uniquely placed on the UK comedy circuit. A Muslim woman who wears a hijab, her comedy takes aim at the stereotypes often perpetuated around Muslims.
El-Ghorri brings her highly personal brand of comedy to theatres across the UK. She’s also performed abroad in the likes of Dubai.
She recently appeared on the 18th season of British staple The Jonathon Ross Show, pulling laughs from guests such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.
Fatiha El-Ghorri: Hijabi comedian
El-Ghorri decided she wanted to pursue a career in stand-up comedy after her second divorce. It’s a subject she talks about candidly in her shows. After committing so much time to her relationship, she decided to do something for herself. The result: a career in stand-up comedy.
Her comedy has now been showcased at Comedy Central at the Edinburgh Fringe, 8:58. She has also starred in TV series British Nationals.
“It’s about spreading a message, breaking down barriers and opening up conversations,” she says of her comedy, which often pulls from her experiences as a hijabi Muslim woman.
Fatiha El-Ghorri draws comedic inspiration
El-Ghorri was born in Hackney, London in the UK and is of Moroccan descent. Her special brand of comedy draws from her experience as a Muslim woman in the UK.
She notes that many have not seen a woman who looks like her performing comedy. El-Ghorri takes the opportunity to speak about her life and subvert stereotypes in the process. “I like smashing the stereotypes people have of Muslim, hijabi women and I also like to talk about my experiences of a Muslim, hijabi, British woman,” she says.
But this is not always easy. Sometimes she comes across abusive hecklers. El-Ghorri prefers to take this as a challenge. “I don’t have a problem with that, I just tear them up. I might have a set planned out but if someone’s being disruptive, I will spend the whole time tearing them to shreds and get a laugh out of it,” she says.
Fatiha El-Ghorri: The Jonathan Ross Show
El-Ghorri recently appeared on The Jonathan Ross Show alongside fellow comedian Michael Mcintyre. The Jonathan Ross Show is a staple of British television and attracts some of the biggest stars in the world. Now in its 18th Season, El-Ghorri shared the screen with Ed Sheeran, Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Gal Gadot.
In 2020 she performed a show at Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club. Drawing attention to her young appearance and age (she’s 39 in the clip), she quips “see what happens when you pray 5 times a day.”
She also joined Prince Abdi and other UK comedians for the 2021 Super Muslim Comedy Tour.
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