Ria Lina (born 4 March 1987) is a touring comedian, actress and writer and has been named as one of The Evening Standard’s ‘Hottest Comedians You Should Be Watching Now’. Her extensive list of credits includes guesting and hosting Live At The Apollo (BBC), Have I Got News For You (BBC), QI (BBC), Mock The Week (BBC), The News Quiz (Radio 4), The Now Show (Radio 4), Late Night Mash (Dave), and star of Lovestruck High (Amazon Prime). Ria is a regular co-host of Pointless (BBC), winner of Celebrity Mastermind (BBC) (Topic: Rosalind Franklin), cohost of Yesterday, Today & The Day Before (Comedy Central), cohost of Richard Hammond’s Brain Reaction (Comedy Central) and has been seen on occasion in Countdown’s Dictionary Corner (Channel 4). She is also a regular pundit on Sky News, BBC News, and Times Radio and is in demand for her scientific insight, confident delivery, political satire and biting wit. Ria is the only Filipina comedian in British stand-up and has a BSc in Experimental Pathology, an MSc in Forensic Science and a PhD in Virology under her belt, so it’s not only Ria’s comedy that’s highly intelligent. Ria has taken six shows to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her work tackling topics such as autism, motherhood, political correctness, feminism and racial identity. Her career stretches from stage and screen to radio and the occasional ukulele – all in a unique style described by ‘The Scotsman’ as ‘fearless, provocative and very funny’. Ria completed her debut UK and IRE tour, Riawakening, in 2024, which the Telegraph selected as one of the ‘10 best comedy shows and stand-up tours to book tickets for in 2024’. Her next tour, Name TBC, is due to start in Autumn 2025 around the UK and IRE. ‘Fearless, provocative and very funny’ Scotsman ‘Engaging, endearing and eye-opening’ Time Out ‘She’s like a Filipina Sarah Silverman’ Dusty Limits
