How a New Zealand comedian conquered the Edinburgh Fringe and global television screens
In short: Rose Matafeo transitioned from a teenage stand-up prodigy in Auckland to an international comedy force. After winning the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2018, she expanded her creative footprint across television writing, directing, and acting, eventually creating and starring in the acclaimed rom-com series Starstruck for global audiences.
Born in 1992 in Auckland, New Zealand, Rose Matafeo began her comedy career at 15 through the Class Comedians programme. Her early success was marked by winning the Nailed It on the Night award in 2007 and the Billy T Award in 2013. By 2018, Matafeo reached a significant milestone at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where she won the Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Show for her performance in Horndog. This victory was historic, as she became the first person of colour and the first New Zealander to receive the award for a solo show.
Matafeo’s career reflects a deliberate shift from stand-up to broader creative roles. After a decade of touring, she expressed a desire in 2018 to focus on acting, writing, and directing. This pivot led to her directing episodes of the New Zealand sitcom Golden Boy and co-creating the sketch show Funny Girls. In 2021, she launched Starstruck, a six-part romantic comedy series that she co-wrote and starred in. The show’s success was such that a second series was commissioned before the first had even begun filming, with a third series following in 2023.
Beyond her own creations, Matafeo has become a familiar face on British and international television. She has appeared on shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Taskmaster, and in 2024, she took on the role of Taskmaster for the children's spin-off, Junior Taskmaster. Her work continues to evolve, including a 2026 project titled New Zealand Spy, which she co-wrote and co-stars in. Her background is as eclectic as her career; she was raised in a family involved in the Twelve Tribes of Israel denomination, with parents who met through the group’s Rastafarian church.
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