THERE must be something in the water in Farnworth.
The town has produced more than its fair share of comic talents — from comedienne and music hall star Hylda Baker to pals Peter Kay and Paddy McGuinness who both went to school there..
And it is yet another face from Farnworth who is now making people laugh, as Diane Morgan continues to carve out a successful comedy career of her own.
She is one half of deadpan radio sketch duo, Two Episodes of Mash, along with Joe Wilkinson, who also plays Dan in the BBC Three comedy Him and Her.
This year is shaping up to be a busy one for Diane as she prepares to start working on various shows including Weekly Wipe with Charlie Brooker.
In the new series, which launches on BBC2, Diane will feature as Philomena Cunk as Charlie scrutinises newspaper headlines, TV shows, adverts, films, books, video games, social media trends and YouTube phenomena.
She said: “Charlie Brooker has these two characters, they are sort of like talking heads that discuss current affairs and news events but they don’t know what they’re talking about. They just talk rubbish.”
Diane, whose family still lives in Bolton, played the character in Charlie Brooker's 2012 Wipe, which was screened on New Year’s Day.
Diane and Joe will also start working on a second series of BBC Three’s Live at the Electric, a sketch comedy show presented by stand-up comic Russell Kane.
Diane said: “It’s great fun, we love doing that. It’s a different line-up this time. I think we’re the only people that have come back from the first series.
“They are using a lot of new acts and giving people an opportunity to see them, otherwise they would not usually get seen.” The pair, who have worked together for about seven years, are also about to record a third radio series of Two Episodes of Mash.
Diane, who lived in Farnworth and then Kearsley when growing up, said: “It’s basically just me and Joe. It’s like an exaggerated version of ourselves. We are very low energy, it’s very low key, mundane We just tend to amble on, mumble under our breath like real people.”
Diane also appeared in Sky1 comedy-drama Mount Pleasane and other TV credits include the role of Dawn in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights and, more recently, Gina in an episode of Him and Her.
Diane has decided she wanted a career in comedy at the age of 15, while at George Tomlinson School, now Kearsley Academy.
Along with a pal in drama class, they created a double act, playing two old ladies, which went on to win a North West talent contest. She said: “I’ve always been obsessed with comedy. It’s been a long, difficult road. I went to drama school and did all that. But it wasn’t really until I started to do stand-up that things started to take off.”
Diane now lives in north-east London.
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