Athena Kugblenu author page

Athena Kugblenu biography

Athena Kugblenu is a British stand-up comedian, writer and voice artist based in London. She studied at the University of Birmingham and began her career as a project manager before transitioning to comedy in 2012.

She debuted her first full-length show, KMT, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, followed by the political hour Follow the Leader. Her stand-up career includes supporting roles on tour with comedians such as Daliso Chaponda, Nish Kumar and Fern Brady, and frequent appearances at major festivals.

On television, Kugblenu has featured as a panelist and writer on shows including Mock the Week, The News Quiz, Breaking the News and Richard Osman’s House of Games. She has also contributed writing to CBBC productions and sketch shows such as Horrible Histories, The Russell Howard Hour, The Lenny Henry Show, Dead Ringers and SketchTopia.

Her radio work includes hosting her series for BBC Radio 4 and regular contributions to programmes such as The Guilty Feminist, Loose Ends and the podcast Keeping Athena Company. She co-hosts the children’s mystery podcast Bust or Trust?

Kugblenu was selected for the BBC Comedy Room 2019–20 and awarded the BBC Felix Dexter Bursary for BAME comedy writers in 2020. She was also a finalist in the BBC New Comedy Award in 2015.

In 2024, she launched her first children’s book, History’s Most Epic Fibs, with a follow-up, History’s Most Epic Fails, expected in 2025.