Ria Lina

Ria Lina (born on 4 March 1987) is a British comedian, actress and writer. She has appeared on Yesterday, Today & The Day Before, Mock the Week, Steph's Packed Lunch, The Now Show, The News Quiz, and Have I Got News for You. In 2003, she won an Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy award for Best Comedian.

Early and personal life
Lina's mother is from the Philippines and her father from Germany. She attended an American school in the Netherlands from the age of 14. Subsequently, she earned a BSc in pathology from the University of St Andrews, an MSc in forensic science from London South Bank University and a PhD in virology from University College London.

Lina has three children, and was diagnosed with autism as an adult.

Stand-up
In 2003, Lina was a runner-up at the first Funny Women Awards.

Lina has taken five shows to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. School of Riason was nominated for the Amused Moose Laughter Awards, and contained one of Dave's Top 10 Jokes of the Fringe, and was later broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016. Lina's Dear Daughter won the Best Comedy award at the Greater Manchester Fringe. Her other shows include Taboo Raider, Thpethial and It's Not Easy Being Yellow.

Television and radio
Appearances include Yesterday Today and the Day Before, Mock the Week, Steph's Packed Lunch, The Dog Ate My Homework, Sky News, Talk Radio, Talk Radio Europe, The Now Show, The News Quiz, Richard Osman's House of Games, Times Radio and Breaking the News.

Further TV work includes Jongleurs Live, The World Stands Up, Sweet 'n' Sour Comedy, Meet The Blogs, Malai Monologues, the film short Christie, and the documentary, A Bit of Oriental.

Lina voiced the character Perun in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. She also narrated and voiced the character Zoe in the full-cast audiobook of cli-fi adventure MOOJAG and the Auticode Secret by N.E. McMorran / Spondylux Press, London 2020.

Lina appeared in and won Episode 4 of the 21st series of BBC Celebrity Mastermind, broadcast in January 2023. She was one of Alexander Armstrong's co-hosts on Pointless in 2023.

Awards

 * Winner of the Best Comedy Award Greater Manchester Fringe 2016 for her show 'Dear Daughter'
 * Finalist Amused Moose Comedy Award 2014
 * Winner of the Best Comedy/Comedian Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy Award 2003
 * Winner of the King of Kings Comedy Store Award 2003
 * BBC New Comedy Awards 2003 semi-finalist
 * Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award 2002 finalist
 * Wilkinson Sword Cutting Edge of Comedy 2002 finalist