Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax (née Wachs; born 19 April 1953) is an American-British actress, comedian, writer, television presenter, and mental health campaigner. A classically trained actress, Wax began her career performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company, before co-starring on the ITV sitcom Girls on Top (1985–1986). She came to prominence as a comic interviewer, playing up to British perceptions of the strident American style on television shows including The Full Wax (1991–1994), Ruby Wax Meets... (1994–1998), Ruby (1997–2000), and The Ruby Wax Show (2002). Wax holds both American and British citizenship and has resided in the United Kingdom since the 1970s. She was a script editor for the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992–2012), also appearing in two episodes. In 2025, Wax was a contestant on the twenty-fifth series of the ITV reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! finishing in eighth place. In 2013, Wax gained a master's degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College, Oxford. In 2015, she was appointed a visiting professor in mental health nursing at the University of Surrey. Wax was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Special Honours for services to mental health. Her memoirs How Do You Want Me? (2002) and Sane New World (2013) both reached number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list.