English actress and broadcaster Samantha Baines first comic turn happened in 2015 when her stand-up career birthed at The Comedy Store in London. A year later she was nominated for all the awards going, winning the What The Frock! Best Newcomer gong.

Probably best known to small screen viewers as Janet on BBC’s SUNNY D, Dot in CALL THE MIDWIFE and recently Mary the ‘cougher’ in the 4th episode of Netflix’s THE CROWN, Sam’s debut comedy show 1 WOMAN, A DWARF PLANET AND 2 COX featured at last year’s Edinburgh Festival. Described as ‘science meets funny’ Sam needs space… the final frontier kind, as one comedy’s brightest stars loosely documents her action plan for romantically ensnaring Professor Brian Cox.

I had hoped to catch up with Sam in person when she was scheduled to perform the show one night at the Museum of Comedy, but she had to cancel due to a family bereavement, so I posted my sketch to her. She kindly emailed me to acknowledge its arrival and returned it, signed and inscribed.