Ancona was born in Louth, Lincolnshire in 1966, but moved to Scotland when she was a few days old and was brought up in Troon. She is of Italian Jewish descent. Her father was a See more

Ancona's first feature role was in 1999 when she appeared in The Debt Collector alongside Billy Connolly.
In 2004, she played the role of Pat Connelly in The Calcium Kid.
In the same year, she appeared in Stella Street: The Movie See more

In 2009, A Matter of Life and Death: How to Wean a Man Off Football, by Ancona and Alistair McGowan, was published by Faber & Faber See more

Ancona had a seven-year relationship with Alistair McGowan which ended shortly before they started working together professionally. Ancona is married to Gerard Hall, a … See more

For many years, Ancona worked extensively in radio and on television shows such as Fist of Fun, as well as performing stand-up comedy. She co-wrote and performed in shows such as Comedy Nation, Pulp Video, and The Sketch Show See more

Ancona's first Edinburgh Festival appearance was in 1992, during which she performed in two shows: The Inexplicable World of Lionel Nimrod with Stewart Lee and See more

Ancona co-wrote The Big Impression, which won numerous awards including a BAFTA in 2003. She was nominated for Best Comedy … See more