Studies never mentioned Urzila’s side splitting wit

the radio, that’s how it started,’’ Carlson says. ‘‘You know how they say ‘now after the break we’re reporting on whatever based on what studies have shown’...that sort of thing. Sometimes I can’t believe what gets funded and that’s a great place to start with comedy.’’

The twist comes when Carlson adds her own list of what studies should show.

‘‘Yeah things like talking about a study on how to eradicate the unibrow, those sorts of worthwhile research projects.’’

A mere 8 years ago Carlson was working long hours as a graphic designer and now tours the country as well as international comedy festivals. She’s just returned from sell-out shows at the Perth International Comedy Festival, then heads off to the Edinburgh Festival in August.

South African born and now Auckland-based, Carlson has won Best Female Comedian five years consecutively, as well as TV3’s Peoples Choice Award twice at the NZ International Comedy Festival.

Last in Nelson in 2012 with the Comedy Convoy, Carlson picked Nelson as a town for this tour, because she wanted to ‘‘go to towns that I don’t regularly go to.’’

‘‘Nelson is my favourite town in the South Island,’’ Carlson says. ‘‘I’ve made sure I have a whole day off while I’m in Nelson to have a look around.’’

She’s also a family woman with two children, a self proclaimed ‘‘Lesbitarian’’ and TV personality. To top it all off, last year Carlson published Rolling with the Punchlines, a biography that challenged the normally very private comedian to give readers some insider juice.

‘‘Normally I wouldn’t share that personal stuff but I was committed to giving people something interesting to take away,’’ Carlson says. ‘‘So there’s details of how I grew up in South Africa, my father, the birth of my son, family stuff.’’

Carlson says it’s interesting when researching and writing, how we all see things differently and write from that unique perspective.

‘‘My Mum, my sister and I all have different memories. We’re all different heights, so that’s why we see things differently – that’s my Mum’s theory.’’

Carlson says she is living the dream, while spreading the word and bringing a smile to people’s faces.

‘‘I’ve got the best job in the world,’’ Carlson says. ‘‘I come into work and everyone applauds, and again as I leave; now you don’t get that going into the office everyday do you?’’