| Tammy Pescatelli | |
|---|---|
 Pescatelli in August 2012 | |
| Birth name | Tammy Gillespie[1] |
| Born | May 15, 1969 Perry, Ohio, U.S.[2] |
| Medium | Stand-up comedy, television, film |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Subject(s) | Interpersonal relationships, everyday life |
| Spouse | Luca Palanca |
Tammy Pescatelli (born Tammy Gillespie, May 15, 1969) is an American stand-up comedian.
Pescatelli was born in Perry, Ohio, and spent her childhood summers in her mother's hometown of Meadville, Pennsylvania.[3] Pescatelli worked as a morning radio show co-host, performer, TV spokeswoman and basketball cheerleader from 1990 to 1995 in the Quad Cities area of southeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois.[4] Pescatelli's comedic career took off after appearing on NBC's Last Comic Standing in 2004.[5]
Pescatelli married Luca Palanca on February 11, 2008. Palanca and Pescatelli moved to Meadville in 2009 after their son was born.[3] Both Pescatelli and Palanca are of Italian descent, and her extended family lives in Meadville. She is often on the road as a stand-up comedian, so in Meadville her extended family helps look after their son. Part of her show's humor originates from the interactions with her and her husband's families.[3]
In 2010, Pescatelli won Comedy Central's Standup Showdown.[6] In 2004, she was a finalist on the second and third seasons of Last Comic Standing. She was one of the Final Five on NBC's Last Comic Standing.
Pescatelli co-created, executive produced, wrote and starred in a reality television show on WE tv called A Standup Mother (2011), related to Pescatelli's life as a mother, wife, and comedian.[7]
Her comedy special Finding the Funny was released with Netflix in 2013.[8] It was selected "New and Noteworthy" by iTunes editors and hit number 3 on the charts.[9]
In 2011, Pescatelli was diagnosed with stage 2 ovarian cancer. She underwent surgery, was told she was "free and clear" of cancer and did not have to go through chemotherapy.[4]