Viv Groskop (pictured) performed with Stephen Fry in a Cambridge Footlights show at the age of 18, but then did nothing on stage for 20 years.

Instead she became a prolific journalist and radio broadcaster. However, she always harboured a desire to be a stand-up comedian, despite knowing it's not a sensible career path.

In 2011 that urge became too much and, despite having three children, a mortgage and a husband who is not the biggest fan of stand-up comedy, she decided to give it a go... in a big way! She went on to perform 100 gigs in 100 nights - everywhere from America to a biker bar in Truro.

Now Groskop has written a book all about her experiences - I Laughed, I Cried: How One Woman Took on Stand-Up and (Almost) Ruined Her Life. It tells the story of how she was heckled, flattered, hated, hit on and much more during this journey. It's full of interesting stories from the nights. One sleazy promoter featured in the book is probably (well, hopefully) keeping his hands to himself a bit more now his behaviour has been documented in print.

Although the book features interesting detail and useful knowledge for those thinking of (or already trying to) become a stand-up comedian, the theme is "When is it too late to become the person you were meant to be?", with a reassuringly universal and inspiring message for everyone. To quote Viv, that message is: "You CAN do what you want to do even if it's completely terrifying. You CAN try something new without giving up the day job. And you CAN go after what you really want in life without destroying everything around you. Well, not absolutely everything."

The book is out now, with quotes received so far including "The working mum's version of Eddie Izzard's 50 marathons in 50 days. Hilarious" from Sally Phillips, and "This is exactly what it's like starting in comedy. Viv Groskop completely captures the rare highs and frequent plummeting lows. Warm, life-affirming and a hugely funny read" from Jo Caulfield.

Order the book

Here's a video of Viv backstage at a gig explaining the book better than we have:

You can find out more about Viv via vivgroskop.com or her Twitter account @VivGroskop