Ruby Wax is 73 years old. The American-British comedian, actress, television presenter and mental-health campaigner was born on 19 April 1953 in Evanston, Illinois, USA. Best known to British audiences for her razor-sharp celebrity interview shows of the 1990s, including The Full Wax and Ruby Wax Meets…, she later reinvented herself as a bestselling author and one of the UK’s most prominent voices on mental health.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ruby Wachs (professionally known as Ruby Wax) |
| Date of birth | 19 April 1953 |
| Age | 73 years old |
| Birthplace | Evanston, Illinois, USA |
| Nationality | American-British (dual citizenship) |
| Profession | Comedian, actress, television presenter, author and mental-health campaigner |
| Known for | The Full Wax, Ruby Wax Meets…, Absolutely Fabulous, mindfulness books and mental-health advocacy |
| Spouse | Ed Bye (married 1988) |
| Children | Three — Max (born 1988), Madeleine (born 1990) and Marina (born 1993) |
How Old Is Ruby Wax? Her Age and Birthday Explained
Asking “how old is Ruby Wax” is one of the most common searches about the star, and the answer is straightforward: born on 19 April 1953, Ruby Wax is 73 years old. She celebrates her birthday in the spring, an Aries by star sign, and has spent more than five decades in the public eye — from classically trained stage actress to one of Britain’s best-loved television comics.
Now in her seventies, Wax shows no sign of slowing down. She appeared as a contestant on the 2025 series of ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, finishing in eighth place, and continues to tour with live stage shows and give talks on mental wellbeing to corporate and charity audiences across the country.
Early Life and Education
Ruby Wax was born Ruby Wachs in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Edward and Berthe Wachs, Austrian Jews who fled Vienna in 1938 to escape the Nazi threat. Her father became a sausage manufacturer in Chicago, while her mother qualified as an accountant. Once settled in America, the family changed the spelling of their surname from Wachs to Wax.
Wax has spoken candidly about her difficult childhood. Both of her parents were haunted by their wartime experiences, and their home life was volatile — something she would later explore in her memoir How Do You Want Me? and mine for her comedy. She attended Evanston Township High School and briefly studied psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, before leaving after a year.
In 1977 she moved to Britain to train as an actress at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (now the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). She began her stage career as a straight actress at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where she started a long writing and directing partnership with Alan Rickman, before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1978. Over five years with the RSC she appeared in productions including Measure for Measure, Love’s Labours Lost and The Way of the World.
Career Highlights
From the RSC to Comedy Writing
While still with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Wax began writing for BBC television’s sketch show Not the Nine O’Clock News in 1979. Together with Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Tracey Ullman, she co-wrote and starred in the ITV sitcom Girls on Top (1985–1986), which cemented her place in Britain’s alternative comedy scene. Channel 4 then gave her her own comedy chat show, Don’t Miss Wax (1987), followed by Wax on Wheels (1988–89).
Fellow British comedy star Ricky Gervais has built a fortune of his own — read our breakdown of the Ricky Gervais net worth story.
The Full Wax and Ruby Wax Meets…
Wax moved to BBC1 in 1991 for the comedic talk show The Full Wax (1991–1994), which made her a household name. She played up to British perceptions of the strident American style, delivering fast-talking, sardonic interviews that won her a loyal audience.
Her biggest success came with Ruby Wax Meets… (1994–1998), a series of long-form celebrity interviews launched with a much-talked-about encounter with Madonna. The series also featured interviews with Imelda Marcos, Pamela Anderson and the Duchess of York — the latter drawing an audience of more than 14 million viewers and earning a BAFTA nomination. She followed it with Ruby’s American Pie (1999), which included an interview with Donald Trump, Ruby (1997–2000), The Ruby Wax Show (2002) and Ruby Wax with… (2003).
Absolutely Fabulous and Documentaries
Behind the camera, Wax was the script editor for the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous from 1992 to 2012, writing many of its most quotable one-liners and appearing in two episodes. Her sardonic, New York-style wit became one of the programme’s defining features.
She also fronted a string of idiosyncratic documentaries exploring everything from her own parents (Miami Memoirs, 1989) and school reunions (Class of ’69, 1989) to new-age quests for the meaning of life (Ruby Takes a Trip, 1991), all characterised by her unflinching, self-deprecating humour.
Books and Mental-Health Advocacy
Wax has been open about her own experience of clinical depression, which she has discussed publicly since the early 2000s. Her 2002 memoir How Do You Want Me?, which dealt honestly with her breakdown and recovery, topped the Sunday Times bestseller list. She went on to earn a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Kellogg College, Oxford, in 2013.
Her second major bestseller, Sane New World (2013), also reached number one on the Sunday Times list and marked the start of her reinvention as a mental-health author. It was followed by Frazzled (2016), How to Be Human (2018), written with neuroscientist Ash Ranpura and Buddhist monk Gelong Thubten, and And Now for the Good News (2020).
In 2015 Wax was appointed a Visiting Professor in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Surrey, and she was made an Honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Special Honours for services to mental health. She also founded Frazzled, an initiative offering mindfulness sessions to people under pressure, and has worked extensively with mental-health charities to destigmatise depression and anxiety.
Personal Life
Ruby Wax has been married to television director and producer Ed Bye — best known for directing Red Dwarf — since 1988. The couple have three children: Max (born 1988), Madeleine (born 1990) and Marina (born 1993). She holds both American and British citizenship and has lived in the United Kingdom since the 1970s.
Wax has described how becoming a mother and her own struggles with depression reshaped her priorities, pushing her away from the relentless pace of television fame and towards writing, lecturing and campaigning. She continues to live in London and performs her signature blend of comedy and mindfulness on stage and in corporate talks.
What Is Ruby Wax’s Net Worth?
Ruby Wax’s net worth is estimated at around £3–4 million, built up over a television, publishing and stage career spanning five decades. This is an estimate only, drawn from her long-running TV career, bestselling books and touring shows rather than any audited accounts. Wax herself has joked that, despite the fame, her real fortune has been the second career she built in mental-health advocacy.
For another look at how British television stars built their fortunes, see our Jeremy Clarkson net worth profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Ruby Wax?
Ruby Wax is 73 years old. She was born on 19 April 1953, which means she turned 73 in the spring of 2026.
Where was Ruby Wax born?
Ruby Wax was born in Evanston, Illinois, in the United States, to Austrian-Jewish parents who had fled Vienna in 1938. She moved to the United Kingdom in the 1970s and holds dual American and British citizenship.
Is Ruby Wax married?
Yes. Ruby Wax has been married to TV director Ed Bye since 1988. They have three children together — Max, Madeleine and Marina.
What is Ruby Wax famous for?
Ruby Wax is famous for her 1990s BBC celebrity interview shows The Full Wax and Ruby Wax Meets…, her work as script editor on Absolutely Fabulous, and her bestselling books and campaigning on mental health, for which she was awarded an OBE in 2015.
Why did Ruby Wax become a mental-health campaigner?
Wax has spoken openly about living with clinical depression. After writing about her breakdown in her memoir How Do You Want Me?, she earned a master’s degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy from Oxford and went on to write several bestselling books on the subject, becoming one of the UK’s best-known mental-health advocates.
What is Ruby Wax doing now?
Now in her seventies, Ruby Wax continues to tour with live comedy and mindfulness shows, gives corporate and charity talks, and remains active as a mental-health campaigner. She appeared on the 2025 series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, finishing in eighth place.
