Huge Hollywood break for British presenter

TV and radio presenter Jameela Jamil has landed a dream big break in the States, with a starring role in a new sitcom.

The T4 and Radio One star will make her acting debut as part of the core cast the NBC show Good Place, alongside Kristen Bell and Ted Danson

She will play the the ‘wealthy and glamorous Tessa’, described by Hollywood website Deadline as ‘well educated in England, effortlessly conversant in almost anything, and loving to host parties and be the centre of attention’.

It is Jamil’s first acting role, although she has appeared on several TV comedy shows including Room 101, Virtually Famous and Never Mind The Buzzcocks.

She tweeted this morning: ‘Well if this dream come true can happen for me, I’m pretty sure anything is possible for anyone. Total madness.’

Good Place centres on Eleanor, played by Frozen star Bell, who tries to make amends for her past bad behaviour. Cheers star Danson plays Eleanor’s guide through her self-improvement

NBC has ordered Thirteen episodes evised by Parks and Recreation’s co-creator, Michael Schur, currently executive producer of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, 13 episodes have been commissioned.

Last year Jamil quit as the first female solo presenter of the Radio One Chart Show to go travelling after doctors found a non-malignant tumour on her breast. She said: ‘After the cancer-free diagnosis I thought I’d go off and do the things I never did in my teens and twenties. I realised putting things off in life can be dangerous because suddenly you can find you’ve run out of time.’

It was the latest in a series of health setbacks: she was born partially deaf, suffers from coeliac disease and several food allergies, and was housebound for a year following a car accident in her teens.

Jamie turned 30 yesterday, prompting Dare magazine to tweet ‘Happy birthday @jameelajamil’ – but accompanied by a picture of the singer Jamelia.

Published: 26 Feb 2016