Nigeria - and indeed Stratford - will never seem the same again thanks to a budding new comic talent who now has more skin care products than she knows what to do with.

Her name is Andi Osho, she was born in the East End to Nigerian parents, and she has just won a prestigious award for her stand-up show.

She beat 180 other acts to win the Nivea Funny Women Award at the Comedy Store, with a prize that includes a week's holiday for two at a five-star hotel and a year's supply of Nivea goods.

"Andi can seriously consider comedy as a career," said producer Lynne Parker. "Her timing is spot-on. Her material was excellent. And moreover, the judges were amazed by her stagecraft."

Aged 34, she has been doing stand-up for less than nine months, with an act that draws heavily on her Nigerian background.

There are unflattering observations about Nigerian men and the various types of Nigerian women, from bush women ("who point with their lips and haggle over everything - bus fares, TV licences, everything") to princesses who are so regal that they expect the Queen to curtsy to them ("Why did she not prostrate herself - I am the queen of my village").

Osho went to TV training college then worked as a post-production supervisor before she had a "pre-thirties crisis" and decided to become an actress.

She took a course and embarked on an endless round of gigs in down-at-heel venues, culminating in the Nivea award.

Even if she bases much of her act on her background, Osho does not want to be typecast. "I like being Nigerian," she said. "I just don't want to use it as a source of fun for white middle-class audiences. But this is what I've observed, and it makes me laugh."

Andi Osho on...

...Nigerian men:
"There are two sorts of Nigerian men. Men who think they know everything about everything, and men who know nothing about anything. Both make good security professionals."

...the dangers of making jokes like the one above:
"I can't believe Nigerians let me get away with it. If you happen to hear about a torso in the Thames tomorrow, this is the head that goes with it."