Miranda Hart: The Unauthorised Biography

by Sophie Johnson

With no fewer than three gongs at the 2011 British Comedy Awards, Miranda Hart was crowned the Queen of Comedy. She had become something of a national treasure, yet thrust into the nation's living rooms (and hearts) with her self-titled sitcom, her success did not happen over night. For the first time, author Sophie Johnson reveals the story behind Miranda's rise to fame. The comedian was born in Torquay in 1972, yet despite graduating in politics from Bristol Polytechnic, she always wanted to be a comedian. Her inspiration includes the likes of Joyce Grenfell and Eric Morecombe and her early career was followed by Jennifer Saunders. When she saw a pitch Miranda made to the BBC, she cast her in the Ab Fab Christmas special. Miranda's story is followed through other TV roles such as The Vicar of Dibley, Nighty Night, Hyperdrive, and Not Going Out—before Miranda Hart's Joke Shop was commissioned by BBC Radio 2 and the first episode of her sitcom finally broadcast in November 2009. Miranda Hart is the newest comedy legend to capture the imagination of the public, and this is her full story.

Genres: Biography

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Chwinc]

Don't.

[Marie (UK)]

Did this author even meet with Miranda Hart, even Once? I would suggest not the book is less about Ms Harrt than a walk through every situation comedy in the BBC archive. To expand the text we are treated to a synopsis of every "Miranda" show and a look at every Tweet Mirand ever made. What we do not get is any real idea of Miranda as a person over and above what we already know from her career.

Not one i would recommend anyone to plough through

[Zeynep]

It is not a proper biography which I was looking for so I felt as I was misguided by the title. It has the taste of a documentary of comedy in an era and Miranda Hart happened to be in it.

[Virginia]

Not really a biography

[Debbie Barber-Eaton]

Too much about other people and very little about Miranda.

[Sheilina]

I was really disappointed, hoping to read more about Miranda and her interests/activities - but there was more about context and the experiences of others.

[Lesley Armstrong]

I was very disappointed in this book. Im not sure the author spent any time with Miranda Hart at all.

[Jeni]

Miranda Hart is amazing!....the book, not so much

[Lyn]

This is possibly the worst book I have ever read; hopefully the author has not got anything else into print. It was boring, tangential, loaded with irrelevant detail and lacking all the information you really wanted to know about that wonderful comedian, Miranda Hart. Poor Miranda! This author has done her no favours at all, despite her enthusiasm for her subject.
My recommendation: just watch Miranda's shows, do not read this book.

[Catherine Fish]

This was our book club choice this month, my choice, although l had asked for Mirandas own book but the library gave us this one. It is AWFUL, please don't waste your time and money on it, instead get Mirandas own book which is funny and accurate. This book, along with spelling errors, just relays out twitter, google and reviews. Stories are repeated and there is nothing really about the life of Miranda other than a bit about school and when her father was in the Falklands.

[Jossie Solheim]

I can't even finish this book it is by far one of the worst books I have ever read. The writer spends more time talking about comedy history which bored me to tears than she does talking about Miranda terrible terrible book don't waste your money.

[Caroline]

Unauthorised biography - look forward to one she has had a hand in. Too much detail about what other people have done/awards won etc. but didn't give up and managed to enjoy the bits that were actually about Miranda.

[Betty Mobes]

Cool book !

[Tiffany]

Love Miranda (the woman and her show) but yawn, this "unauthorised biography" is the literary equivalent of watching paint dry.

[Emy]

Accidentally got this instead of Miranda Hart's book. To say it was shit is an understatement.

[Tanya Bainbridge]

This book was mostly about others around Miranda Hart, the woman herself. I would not suggest this book what so ever.

[Patricia Cowles]

So boring-took ages to read-was so looking forward to reading. Such a shame- Miranda Hart is a wonderful comedian. Very disappointed