Spalding comic Zeph Churchill features in Jude advert tackling the taboos around incontinence as she takes her show Is It Me Or Is It Hot In Here? to Louth and Grantham

A former nurse who is forging a career in comedy to help bring attention to women’s health issues has appeared in an advert for a healthcare company.

Comic Zeph Churchill, from Spalding, stars in the latest commercial for Jude, which featured on BBC Dragon’s Den.

The incontinence products specialist provided free items at her debut educational comedy, Is It Me Or Is It Hot It Here? which sold out at the South Holland Centre last year. During the show Zeph teaches audiences about menopause, incontinence and breast cancer.

On her venture into performing stand up and musical comedy, Zeph said: “I turn up to theatres and it is just lovely knowing that I am going to help someone.

“Taboos have been broken down and men are talking to their wives.

“But also people are really laughing until their faces hurt.”

Zeph is the musical conductor of Spalding’s Community Choir and so is used to standing in from of an audience and her nursing knowledge gives her an admirable skillset in her edu-com show.

The collaboration with Jude reinforces the freedom to talk about taboo subjects such as experiencing weak bladders which affects one in three women and regularly checking breasts for cancer symptoms.

She said: “If one person gets something out of it then I have done my job. I’m just on an adventure and I’m just loving it.

“I am so excited. It’s fantastic.”

In the advert Zeph, who is a certified menopause champion, tells of her experience of having a weak bladder herself and how she finally beat incontinence.

Zeph will be taking Is It Me Or Is It Hot In Here? to Louth, Grantham, King’s Lynn and Peterborough this year following her sell-out success so far.

In the advert, she discusses how self conscious she felt when laughing and now making audiences laugh who may cope with having a weak bladder — but tackles the taboo with humorous songs in a similar way that the late great Victoria Wood expertly did.

Zeph’s songs include the lyrics ‘I wee when I laugh and can’t get out of the bath’ and ‘I’m not bragging that my breasts are sagging’.

She said: “The audience really likes the songs and the ‘what’s your vagina called’ part of the show.

“I feel like I have won the lottery to do what I love doing and to educate the audience in a way that makes them laugh.

“I am pinching myself although I do feel like I have imposter syndrome.”

Zeph uses props and quotes in the show including an enormous pair of knitted breasts to highlight the risks of breast cancer and is introducing merchandise.

She added: “Women should be checking their breasts regularly and in between mammograms.

“Audiences have been liberated by the show and I am learning they haven’t had that education.”

A spokesperson from Jude said: “We are thrilled to have Zeph Churchill as a Jude ambassador - her candid and humorous take on the topic of bladder leaks helps normalise incontinence, which in turns encourages more women to talk to their friends and family, and seek treatment.

“We loved collaborating with Zeph on this advert.”

Visit https://zephchurchill.com/ for further information.

You can catch the show at the Guildhall Arts Centre in Grantham, September 25 and at Riverhead Theatre, Louth, September 20.

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