- published: 23 Mar 2016
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Jenny Eclair (born Jenny Clare Hargreaves on 16 March 1960) is an English comedian, novelist and actor.
Eclair was born as Jenny Clare Hargreaves to English parents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya where her father, Derek Hargreaves, who served as a major in the British Army, serving in the Royal Marines, Parachute Regiment, Green Howards, Trucial Oman Scouts, and BRIXMIS, had been posted in 1952. Eclair returned to England when she was two years old, and she started her education at Queen Mary school (now King Edward VII and Queen Mary School) in Lytham St Annes. She studied at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and joined a cabaret group variously referred to as Kathy Lacreme and the Rum Babas, and Cathy La Crème and the Rum Babies.
After moving to London her first job was at Camberwell Arts College as a life model which she did for about 2 terms. Then she saw an advert in 'The Stage' looking for novelty acts, and she found work doing punk poems. In 1989, when she was named the Time Out Cabaret Award winner, she said it "was nice because its the first time I've ever won without having to run 100 metres balancing an egg on a spoon."