I want to talk about something I will call "uglyism". It's a form of discrimination that is rarely spoken of, yet those discriminated against are entirely faultless and it crosses gender, race, age and sexuality. The word "ugly" is, well, ugly. Phonetically I find it rather pleasing. Perhaps I shall work to reclaim it.

I am ugly, and I am proud.

There is a huge difference between being "attractive" (which is very subjective) and being "good-looking" (still subjective, but I think less so).

It makes people very uncomfortable if you describe yourself as being "ugly". Social mores seem to dictate that they must respond in a Pavlovian way with, "No, you're beautiful". And it gets awkward.

The fact is I don't see people in magazines who look like me. I don't see people like me playing the romantic lead or having a romantic life. People on TV and in films who are not good-looking are rarely portrayed having sex, enjoying sex, having sex with good-looking people who don't regret it or having a healthy attitude to sex without hang-ups.

But, you know what? I do have sex. And I have had sex with some really good-looking men. Not because they were doing me a favour. Not because they felt it was a charitable act. Not because they were drunk, or doing it for a bet. But because we fancied each other.

Now, in my 30s, after many years wrestling with feelings of inadequacy, I've realised that aesthetic beauty really is only the tip of a very large and attractive iceberg.

Moreover, I am thankful. I love my lumpy body and my funny face. I have also learned to appreciate the benefits of not being aesthetically too pleasing. These include:

1. I know that friends actually want to spend time with me, not just a glamorous accessory.

2. I have a robust and individual personality as I have never been able to rely on what I look like to make friends.

3. I don't get leered at in the street or groped in pubs.

4. I am not worried about "losing my looks". The pressure, particularly on women, to grow old without actually ageing is ridiculous. It must be very difficult to have been an exceptionally attractive person, and to have used that to your advantage, and to watch that power fade with every wrinkle.

Still think uglyism isn't a thing? I could give countless examples. Here's just one. Recently, a friend tweeted this:

"My reaction when I realise its [sic] Monday is similar to that when the not-so-hot girl would pick me at the school dance."

Guess what? Being fancied by someone ugly doesn't affect your attractiveness. Whether you find them attractive or not doesn't affect the fact of the flattery. Just as if someone from a different race fancies you, it doesn't affect what race you are. What's more, personally, I don't find this friend remotely attractive. What's worse than an ugly girl fancying you? An ugly girl that doesn't fancy you. Ha!

If I were "pretty", I wonder, would I still be a stand-up? Is it easier to laugh at somebody with a funny face? If I were stunning to look at, maybe that would distract from what I'm saying?

Many reviewers describe my act as "self-deprecating". My comedic persona is, like most comics', an exaggeration of me. Yes, I refer to myself as being scruffy and world-weary, but these are qualities I love about me. It is only assumed by others to be self-deprecation. "How can she possibly say those things without being self-loathing?" Well, I'm simply not.

For the record, I like being me, as much as anyone likes being themselves. That is, not always, but enough of the time to get by.