Nina Conti Is Bringing Her Ventriloquist Skills to 'The World's Best'

While Nina Conti might not be a household name in the states, but the actress, comedian, and ventriloquist is very well-known across the pond in the UK. 

Now, Nina is set to appear on CBS' new talent competition, The World's Best, to show off her skills at an international level — and in front of judges RuPaul, Faith Hill, Drew Barrymore and host, James Corden. "It’s only fitting that The World’s Best perform in front of the world’s best," CBS’ SVP Sharon Vuong said of the show. "James, Drew, Faith and RuPaul are all amazing talents who have excelled in their respective fields on a global scale. We can’t wait for them to bring their distinct voices to a show that’s unlike any other." 

Aside from her ability to make her voice appear as if it coming from a puppet, Nina has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. In fact, she wasn't always a ventriloquist. 

Nina got her start at the  Royal Shakespeare Company, and it was there that she was inspired to become a ventriloquist thanks to theatre director Ken Campbell. From there, she went on to win the BBC New Comedy Award in 2002, and in 2008, she won the Barry Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. 

According to her bio, Nina has also "stormed Live at the Apollo, Russell Howard’s Good News, Sunday Night at the Palladium, and made a BAFTA nominated film - all without even moving her lips." Most recently, she appeared in a web series she directed and wrote titled, Nina Conti in Therapy. 

That's pretty impressive. 

Previously, Nina was in a relationship with the aforementioned Ken Campbell — from whom she inherited his collection of ventriloquist dummies following his death in 2008. Today, it seems Nina keeps her personal life off of social media. 

She is a mother of two, and she opened up about her kids react to her career. "The kids are fond of Monkey," she said of her most popular puppet. "It's very sweet to see them like them and it makes me like him in a different way." 

Nina has raised the bar when it comes to ventriloquism — and instead of using a dummy, using a real life human to stand in as a puppet. After strapping a mask on a willing participant, Nina controls the mouth with a string, allowing her to mimic a ventriloquist dummy. 

Her banter with Monkey also impressed the crowds at the Apollo Theater when she performed on the iconic stage in 2015.  

All we have to say is watch out, Jeff Dunham. 

Watch The World's Best Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.