If you were to pick just one word to describe rising female comedian Karen Bayley then “saucy” would do just fine – although “savvy” wouldn’t be a bad runner-up.

Brummie girl Karen first started treading the stand-up comedy boards and sharing her unique outlook on life, love and sex in 2000.

Within a year, Karen Bayley was running her own club The Comedy Junction at an old pub in Sutton Coldfield, which soon became one of the premier comedy venues in the midland's and is still going strong today. A young Alan Carr was a regular while The Junction also played host to the likes of Ross Noble, Russell Howard, Lee Mack, Reginald D Hunter and in a major coup Neil Innes. Local legend Jasper Carrot was also keen to give his backing to Birmingham's next big thing when he rang Karen Bayley and asked if he could come down and watch a show at the club.

A second club followed in Solihull s resident compere Karen Bayley was able to hone her own burgeoning talent as a comedian and was soon picking up acclaim, plaudits and prizes around the UK.

A semi-finalist in the BBC New Comedy Awards and winner of the 2001 Komedia New Act prize, Karen Bayley followed that in 2003 by becoming the first ever female winner of the prestigious Comedy Store King Gong award as well as reaching the finals of both the BBC New Comedy Awards Showcase and Babycham Funny Women.

From her earliest appearances, stand-up Karen Bayley was clearly something special. Delightfully saucy, her friendly and confident stage presence, combined with a killer wit, an infectious giggle (or boom depending on her levels of excitement) and some devastating one-liners make her a comedic force to be reckoned with.

Warm and welcoming but also slightly scary with that delightfully saucy and spiky edge, her bold, no nonsense attitude strikes a perfect pitch with men and women alike, while her self-penned material surprises and delights with its variety, combining inspired and sparkling punchlines, with a sense of comic timing that is little short of brilliant.

Equally at home compering or as a headline comedian, on her own or as part of a team, in 2004 Karen Bayley made her debut at the Edinburgh Festival with Susan Murray, and walked away with glowing reviews and a big smile on her face.

Already popular at stand-up venues up and down the country and a favourite of The Comedy Club, Karen Bayley proved she's ready to step up as one of the nation's premier performers when she signed to leading comedy stable Comic Voice Management, already home to some of the brightest comedians in the business of which Karen Bayley is clearly one.

On television, as well as enjoying the accompanying coverage for those two BBC Best Comedy awards, she has appeared on two aptly titled shows for our Karen - The Last Word on ITV1 and Sex on the Job for Sky 1 and been a talking head on those ubiquitous Channel 4 countdown shows including 100 Greatest Cartoons where she got paid to watch cartoons for the day.

Demonstrating a rare serious side, Karen also appeared in the award-winning docu-drama Longford about prison reformer Lord Longford, first shown on Channel 4 in 2006.

On radio, Karen Bayley has demonstrated both a two-way mutual love of the BBC and a clear lack of regional bigotry with appearances on shows with the top man or woman of the airwaves around the country - The Malcolm Boyden Show (BBC Radio Wm), The Fred Macauley Show (BBC Radio Scotland), The Michelle Mallone Show (BBC Greater Manchester Radio), The Martin Kellner show (BBC Radio Leeds) and The Jimmy Franks Show (BBC Radio WM).

WHAT THE CRITICS SAID

"Bayley's material surprises with inspired and sparkling punchlines…with comic timing that is rarely less than brilliant. An assured performer who doesn't have much trouble getting audiences laughing." ­- Chortle

"I saw her recently and she blew my socks off. She doesn't dwell too much on "lady issues". Funny in her own right, she was brilliant, clever and she's gonna be huge." BBC Online.

"Likeable headstrong persona- packing a considerable performing punch." The List

WHAT THE COMICS SAID

"A very good act" - Jasper Carrott.

“F**king brilliant"…. C**t,” - Donna Mcphail.