Cariad Lloyd: ‘What I would like people to get from me is a Moomin vibe’
The writer, actor and comedian talks about discussing grief on the toilet, raunchily re-writing Jane Austen and the importance of championing women’s writing with Lotte Brundle.
Cariad Lloyd’s father died when she was 15. He was a victim of pancreatic cancer at 44. Grief has overshadowed both her life and work, but curiously, Cariad’s career was founded in comedy. ‘Definitely experiencing grief at a young age, I think I hid a lot in comedy. It's a nice place to be when everything's very sad,’ she says.
Grief and humour, you’d think, aren’t natural bedfellows, but Cariad’s career has revolved around loss as much as it has around laughter. She is quite literally dead funny. Many know her for playing Megan, who had an affair with Robert Webb’s hapless Jez in the comedy hit Peep Show. Others know her for appearing on Qi, Have I Got News For You and a slew of other comedy panel shows. Her improv show Austentatious was a turning point in her career. In the show, Cariad acts out a made-up Jane Austen novel with a cast that includes fellow comic Rachel Parris. Austentatious has sold out at Edinburgh Fringe Festival five times and is now playing on Mondays at the Vaudeville Theatre in London throughout 2026, as well as touring. One such invented Austen novel was titled North Banged Her Madly by Cariad, to give you a flavour of the show.
Cariad Lloyd at the British Academy Television Craft Awards in 2018.
Cariad’s award-winning podcast, Griefcast, is the other side of the coin of her career. Created in 2016, it sees her speak to famous guests about their experiences of death. Though it is currently on a hiatus, Cariad's book based on the series, You Are Not Alone, was published in 2023. She has also recently published a children's book about grief called Where Did She Go?, though admits she has found it difficult to discuss with her own children (aged six and nine) who she shares with her filmmaker husband Ben Blaine.
‘Their understanding develops as they grow, so they might come back to you [to discuss it more and more]. For example, my six-year-old son was on the toilet, and he said: “It's sad that grandpa died.” I said: “Yeah, it's really sad, isn't it? Let me know when you finish.”’
Cariad also hosts a podcast with fellow comedian Sara Pascoe, who she met as a student while studying English Literature at the University of Sussex. Sara & Cariad’s Weirdos Book Club sees the pair discuss a new book each week, and is the reason Cariad is now on the judging panel for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction. ‘The year before, for the podcast, I'd read over 50 books in a year. This year, with the prize and the podcast, I've read 90 books in a year.’
Annie Macmanus, Julia Gillard, Mona Arshi and Salma El-Wardany join Cariad on the judging panel.
The Women’s Prize, Cariad says, is more crucial than ever. ‘I think with the news lately, we know that we don't live in equal times. We absolutely don't have any kind of sense that the work is done,’ she says. ‘There's lots of statistics, if you look at people's reading habits — women read men and women, but men mainly read men. The shops know that, the publishers know that — so I think it's so important that we keep shouting about women's writing.’
Our conversation turns to young men and their reading habits. My boyfriend is obsessed with George Orwell, I tell Cariad. ‘He would definitely be a red flag these days,’ she says (about Orwell). ‘You should tell him to read Wifedom by Anna Funder [the story of the author’s much mistreated wife]. If he likes George Orwell, that’s a sobering read.’ She would know. She’s 90 books deep this year, and has a more sobering career than most.
Your aesthetic hero
Is it okay if I say the Moomins? That’s my vibe. What I would like people to get from me is a Moomin vibe.
A possession you’d never sell
I've got a drawing that my daughter did of some flowers, which is really good. I would never sell that.
A book you’ve found inspiring
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. It is so good, and the audiobook is read by Meryl Streep. I read it and then listened to the audiobook because I needed to hear Meryl, and I just found the writing, the characters, the pace — everything — just made it one of the most satisfying, inspiring reads.
The music that you work to
I have ADHD so I listen to binaural beats — that’s how I’ve written any books. It’s a special frequency of sound. Without that, I don't do f***ing anything, I'm just so distracted.
Your favourite painting
I’m more into photographers than paintings, so I’ll actually probably say Francesca Woodman, who is a female photographer. They had an exhibition of her work at the National Portrait Gallery, and there’s one series called ‘Polka dots’. For it, she took pictures of herself and it's really interesting. She was way ahead of her time. They would have been so perfect for Instagram but because she didn't have Instagram they're much more thought through and arty.
Photographs by Francesca Woodman .
The last podcast you listened to
Good Hang with Amy Poehler. You feel like you've eavesdropped on a conversation between really great friends. It is genuinely a good hang, and her guests are so good. The Gwyenth Paltrow episode was great.
The person that would play you in a film of your life
If my husband [who is a filmmaker] was casting it I’d be annoyed if he didn’t cast me to play me — come on, it’s a job. I’d do a self tape. If not me… the problem is, I don’t even know any bloody actors anymore. Am I allowed to say someone old and dead? The only person I can think of to play me is Vivien Leigh, which is outrageous, because she's way more beautiful than me, but I’ve always felt like we have a kindred spirit.
What you’d take with you to a desert island
I would take my laptop to write or I would take a lot of books or a Kindle, because as long as I could write or read or do something I would be fine. It's just sitting still doing nothing that is the problem.
An exhibition that has really impressed you
Recently? The Lee Miller one at Tate Britain. I'm a massive Lee Miller fan, and have been for years and years and years, and it's been kind of weird — when I first discovered her, no one had heard of her. Now she just keeps getting bigger and bigger, which is lovely, because you get exhibitions full of stuff that before you couldn't get access to. This exhibition was amazing. It was so well curated and it was so popular. It was nice to see so many people understand the impact she had as a war photographer as someone who was reporting for Vogue. That's mad. That's wild.
Lee Miller in Vogue, photographed by George Hoyningen-Huene in 1931.
The thing that gets you up in the morning
My children, because I have no option. My son comes down at 6am each morning. I would happily stay in bed until 11am pre-kids, but no. My children come down and say: ‘Where’s my cereal?’
The items you collect
Books and Moomin paraphernalia.
A hotel you could go back and back to
Charlotte Street Hotel — they do nice book events.
Most memorable meal you’ve ever eaten
At The Sportsman in Kent. I had one of the best puddings of my life there, it tasted of autumn and bonfires.
The last thing of note that you bought for yourself
Probably the new flavor of Tony's Chocolonely. I'm obsessed with their chocolate.
The best present you’ve ever received
Sara Pascoe bought me a Moomin jumper. It’s one I had eyed up for ages but that was too expensive.
Cariad is on the judging panel for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction. The winner will be revealed on June 11 at the charity’s annual summer party in Bedford Square Gardens, London. For more information visit their website.
