Born to a musician father and teenage mother, Sara Pascoe grew up without many rules and says grown ups told her she could do anything, even fly to the moon. But she never dreamt she would end up as a comedian with her name in lights.

When her family moved from Dagenham to Romford in the ‘90s, and Sara was sent to a comprehensive school, life changed dramatically.

“I found that a lot harder. It was a real slap. I guess they thought I was weird because I was very outspoken. I liked to run assemblies, give lectures, set up a bully line and basically made myself a real target by never just shutting up or conforming.

“So I look back now and think adolescence was about learning to keep my mouth shut, rather than walking around telling everyone what to do and now, of course, that’s virtually my job.”

It all turned around for Sara when her mum ‘punished’ her for a house party gone wrong by sending her to drama group, Theatre Box.

“It was just the best thing that could have happened to me because I suddenly had friends outside of school and I realised all I wanted to do was act.”

After a degree in English at Sussex University, Sara took any acting job she could get in between temping, but it wasn’t until she was 27 that she tried her hand at comedy.

“I had always been very sneering of comedy as I thought it was easy as it’s so flippant and silly. I didn’t realise it was all written down, I thought comedy was all improvised. I had seen Billy Connelly, Jack Dee and Harry Hill and thought they were making it all up and were geniuses.

“Then I realised it was all written down and I found that much less intimidating, so I thought I would book a gig. I did my first show – I loved the feeling of it.

“I think the thing with fear, be it jumping out of a plane or doing stand up, is your body gives you lots of endorphins flooding through you and it becomes a very physical addiction. The minute you finish a gig you want to do another one.”

After just five months she was spotted by talent agent Dawn Sedgewick.

“She changed my life. For the first time I had someone really believing in me and saying ‘no matter how long it takes it’s going to happen’.”

Since then Sara has gone on to appear on our small screens in Live at the Apollo, QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Mock the Week, Stand Up for the Week and has been to Edinburgh five times.

The 33-year-old is now taking a break from her first headline tour, Sara Pascoe v History, which sees her talk about female sexuality, Miley Cyrus and falling in love with fellow comedian John Robins, who she lives with in Lewisham, for a special gig in Islington.

Sara will be performing at Union Chapel, Compton Avenue, Islington as part of Live at the Chapel with fellow comedians Paul Foot and Alex Horne on Saturday, February 7. Details: unionchapel.org.uk