Sara Patricia Pascoe was born on 22 May 1981 in Dagenham, Greater London, and grew up in nearby Romford. She is the daughter of Gail Newmarch and Derek Pascoe, a singer and musician; her parents divorced when she was seven, and she was raised primarily by her mother.

She studied English at the University of Sussex before beginning her career as an actress, moving into stand-up comedy in 2007. She built a strong reputation on the UK panel show circuit, becoming a regular on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, QI, Mock the Week and Taskmaster, and released acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe shows including Sara Pascoe Vs History and LadsLadsLads.

Pascoe hosted The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC One for series 8, 9 and 11, having first appeared as a celebrity contestant in a 2020 Christmas special; she handed hosting duties to Sophie Willan in 2025. She also fronted BBC Two’s Last Woman on Earth and Dave’s Comedians Giving Lectures.

She married fellow comedian Steen Raskopoulos in 2020. The couple have two sons, born in 2022 and 2023, and she has spoken openly about undergoing IVF after experiencing fertility difficulties.