Smith was born in Auckland and adopted by and raised in a self-described "conservative"[2] family in Wainoni in Christchurch, New Zealand.
[5] Smith is the first female head writer[5] and a regular panelist on 7 Days,[1] and she has appeared on The Project.
[2][15] Smith also appeared in an advertisement, produced by the New Zealand government for its "Keep It Real Online" campaign, that went viral.
[18] She also won the NZ Comedy Guild's Best Female Comedian award three times, in 2008, 2015, and 2017.
[21] She has cited Bill Bailey as an inspiration,[1] as well as Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Bette Midler, and Betty White.