Stand-up comedian and comedy writer Meryl O'Rourke has been selected to take part in a prestigious mentoring scheme run by organisation Women in Film and TV.

Mentors for 2019 include Jay Hunt, Creative Director, Europe, Worldwide Video, Apple; Peter Fincham, Co-CEO, Expectation Entertainment; Sarah Gavron, film director; Saskia Schuster, Comedy Entertainment Commissioner ITV and Danny Cohen, President, Access Entertainment.

O'Rourke said: "I am proud to be chosen as one of 2019's 20. I know they are oversubscribed with writers every year, so to be chosen is extremely flattering. I'm excited to see where this will take me and to meet my wonderful mentor. Writing is a very solo endeavor so being part of a team of really great gals learning from each other, is one of the most uplifting things about this for me."

Twenty women have been selected from hundreds of applicants to be mentees. Each candidate is paired with a mentor and will undergo a comprehensive six month programme of training. The scheme is financed with the help of a number of partners, including UKTV.

O'Rourke is performing her latest show Vanilla at the Caroline of Brunswick in Brighton on May 5, 12 & 19. Tickets here.

Read more about the mentoring scheme here.