Zoe Grisedale is a former Kingston University student; she graduated in 2004 with a BA honours in Politics and Drama. A successful model and performer her beauty is undeniable and the camera loves her but she is more than just a pretty face.

After completing her degree Zoe admits she was unsure what to do next. She says she didn’t feel comfortable in the cliquey world of the drama student and opted for the fringe side of performance working with more alternative companies like Di Trasco and Lady Greys.

At the same time she indulged another passion for clothes and fashion. She ran a business selling vintage clothes on Broadway Market, Portobello and Spittalfields.

Whilst on the stall she was often approached by various stylists and photographers and asked to model for them, this was not new for Zoe who had been asked to model by a scout at 14 but turned them down as she was “A real tomboy who was more interested in climbing trees, listening to music and playing with her friends”.

In a purely mercenary decision she accepted her first modelling job in 2005 for the launch of table-ware company ‘Lovely Lovely’. She says “I realised I could earn more money in a day modelling than I might in a week at the market and so decided to give up my business and give myself over to the very capitalist and consumerist forces I had rallied against as a student of politics”.

Zoe admits luck has had a part to play in her career so far she has done “a string of high profile commercials, (these include Nintendo, Vodafone and the Rimmel London campaign alongside Kate Moss) and I just did a shoot for FHM as the character Lola from the Twingo (Renault) advert. The Twingo ad has become so popular Lola seems to be becoming a bit of a cult hero”.

She is now focusing on performing, her main passion is “entertaining people and making them laugh” and runs a monthly comedy, spoken word and improvisation night at Jamboree, Cable Street Studios, London which acts as “ a great platform for emerging artists and a great opportunity to develop my own comedy skills”.

She has also acted in a short film called 'Initiation' as part of Channel 4’s Fright fest and play’s the lead in 'Live east, Die young' which will be released later this year. She says “although I enjoyed some aspects of modelling it’s something I’m happy to leave behind on a high”.

She has remained grounded throughout her modelling career aware that the job has a time limit and said her real inspiration has been her Mother (a former model herself) who told her she could “achieve anything I put my mind to, which has been invaluable in such a competitive and nepotistic industry “. She is also pleased she didn’t start modelling when she was a teenager saying it allowed her to develop a “strong sense of identity beforehand, something which can be really lost in such a shallow environment”.

Look out for Zoe in FHM or watch her in the Groove Armada video Paper Romance (available on youtube). Her next Jamboree night is at Cable Street Studios titled A Night of Cock and Bull is on the 25th March 8pm onwards.