BAFTA Award winning comedian Jo Brand was persuaded by agent Malcolm Hardee to begin a career in stand-up comedy, where she acquired the stage name "The Sea Monster". She was part of the British alternative comedy movement, working in London alternative comedy clubs, and appearing initially on the Saturday Live television show.

Brand's early style involved her delivering jokes in a bored monotone, one line at a time, with pauses in between. It drew heavily from pop culture and the media, with many jokes containing references to well-known celebrities and public figures. With her Doc Marten boots, her large size and her short hair, her image (and comedic material) remained the same for most of the 1980s and 1990s, inspired at least in part by radicalised feminism. Her appearance and material led to false rumours that she was a lesbian. She has commented that "men are fantastic – as a concept". She has also said satirically that she was reading in the newspapers that she was a lesbian for so long that she started to believe it. She was for a while romantically involved with Malcolm Hardee, who had initially persuaded her to become a comedian.