RonniAncona

Her rise to fame can be put down most directly, however, to her work with Alistair McGowan.

Hired to provide the female characters on McGowan's BBC One show in 1999, her ability to mimic the likes of Victoria Beckham, Barbara Windsor, Audrey Hepburn and Ruby Wax meant that her role grew increasingly prominent and eventually McGowan's name was dropped from the show's title, reflecting the more equal nature of their partnership.

In 2003 Ancona's success was crowned when she won a British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Actress and weeks later a Christmas special Posh and Becks' Big Impression took a high-profile slot at the centre of BBC One's Christmas Day schedule.

As of 2007 her star is set to remain high in the comedy firmament with the launch of her own BBC sketch series.