Gina Yashere talks to Kerry Ann Eustice about standing up as a female comic, living in LA and colonic irrigation

Considering the fact Gina Yashere is the explosively-energetic comic who regularly holds her own on TV-panel shows such as Mock the Week, I'm expecting keeping up with her during our interview to be akin to keeping up with Shane McGowan or Lindsay Lohan for a night on the tiles.

But she's not as fiery or hyper as I imagine. Contrary to Lohan, Los Angeles, where Gina now lives, seems to have had a calming effect on the comic.

"I became the first British comic to do US stand-up show Def Jam."

It could just be the international call catching her at an untimely transatlantic hour.

She came to America to perform on Def Jam, a stand-up TV show which launched the careers of super-star US comics such as Chris Tucker, Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock.

"I had a fantastic set on the show and became the first British comic to do Def Jam," said Gina of her big US break.

"It feels really good, it's always great to be the first to do something. That goes down in history. It's a hit show and has been on TV for about 15 years.

"Obviously I had to make sure I was fantastic because I was the first and if I bombed they probably would never have booked another British comic ever again."

Gina insists, her UK tour this month aside, she's there to stay.

"I've bought an apartment, a new wardrobe," she said.

"I went to Thailand on holiday and did a detox where you fast for seven days and have two colonic irrigations a day. It was such a fantastic change in my life."

It's not just the sunnier climes demanding a clothing rehaul, Gina recently dropped four dress sizes, with help from an, erm, unplumbed stand-up material subject, colonic irrigation.

"I didn't lose the weight to generate material for the act" she insists.

"I lost the weight for health reasons, I was overweight and I was a binge eater. I was a big-time sugar junkie.

"I went to Thailand on holiday and did one of those detoxes where you fast for seven days, and have two colonic irrigations a day, self administered. It was such a fantastic change in my life.

"But yeah, I've got about 15 minutes of stuff about the colonics in Thailand and how I did it, that will definitely feature."

As amusing as colonic irrigations no doubt are, and Gina has proven herself to be, she admits Def Jam is not the first or last time she has felt a responsibility to be hilarious on stage. Gina says as a female comic there is always something to prove.

"Every show I'm doing, I'm hoping to dispel the myth women aren't funny."

"Every show I'm doing, I'm hoping to dispel the myth women aren't funny," she said.

"We're all brought up listening to men, men are brought up to listen to other men, women are brought up to listen to men.

"So as a female comedian when you come up on stage you feel people's arms physically and mentally folding.

"So you have to be that much funnier, that much quicker.

"When a guy gets on stage he can have a preamble, and amble along getting to his first joke, but as a female comic you've got to go up there and go bam, I am hilarious'.

"As a female comedian when you come up on stage you feel people's arms physically and mentally folding."

"You have to prove yourself quickly otherwise you'll not get the chance."

Gina feels the fact stand up is an extremely hard and often lonely profession doesn't aid the chronic lack of females on the circuit.

"If you've got a family or kids, it is difficult and that is why we're so under-represented," Gina added.

Although there are more female comics coming through and being greatly received all the time (former Orpington resident and Edinburgh best newcomer 2006 Josie Long, for example), Gina finds there is still never more than one woman on a bill.

"Invariably, it's you and four other blokes," said Gina, who, alternating with Jo Brand, is often the only female on the "fun" but "aggressive" and "testosterone fuelled" Mock The Week.

She added: "It's as if all we talk about is the same thing, so they can't risk having more than one woman. They treat us like a variety act. It's ridiculous.

"If you haven't seen me before you're going to be thinking oh God, it's a woman, all she's going to be talking about is her monthlies'. I make a point of dispersing all those ridiculous preconceptions."

"I hardly ever work with other female comedians, unless it's a special, all-woman bill.

"It's made me a much stronger comedian."

With her current tour Skinny B*tch, Gina says she is trying to redress the balance and is taking another "hilarious" female comic, Jo Jo Smith, with her.

"It's not like the comedy clubs don't want to book women, they do. If you're good and consistent, they'll book you.

"You just have to overcome that challenge. I always do.

"I come out and I've got that confidence. I know if you haven't seen me before you're going to be thinking oh God, it's a woman, all she's going to be talking about is her monthlies' or whatever. I make a point of dispersing all those ridiculous preconceptions."

Yet another way that Gina goes against the grain is when it comes to influences. She, refreshingly, doesn't have any.

"I'm not really a comedy connoisseur," she said. "I didn't know what comedy was until I got into it. I never watched a lot of comedy and I still don't because I want to keep myself original."

"If I get heckled I will come at you and we will play."

She also told me she rarely gets heckled, unless people are drunk and don't realise what they are messing with.

"If I get heckled I will come at you and we will play," she said.

Don't say we didn't warn you.

Gina Yashere live at Fairfield Halls, Croydon. May 23. 020 8688 9291.