[2] She trained at the National Youth Theatre and RADA[3] graduating in 1986 alongside Clive Owen, Rebecca Pidgeon, and Mark Womack.
Tarbuck's first big break came in 1987 when she landed a starring role in the Granada Television comedy series Watching, opposite Emma Wray.
She also appeared as Angie in the 1988 Falklands War drama Tumbledown, which starred Colin Firth, Paul Rhys and David Calder.
[3] She guest starred on the Ricky Gervais comedy Extras and appeared in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries as DI Fiona Knight.
[5] In 2009 she starred as Tina in her first role in a feature film, in The Be All and End All, and since 2016 she has played the part of Anne Hathaway in the BBC Two comedy series Upstart Crow.
This Channel 4 comedy documentary, presented by comedian Kieran Hodgson and also starring Harry Enfield, examines how Brexit came about and how the divided country might be put back together.
[3] She hosted a late-night edition of Win, Lose or Draw, and has presented Britain's Top Dog, as well as narrating the last series of the documentary Airport in 2005.
During September 2007 Tarbuck co-presented the weekday afternoon show on BBC Radio 2 with Mark Radcliffe, whilst Steve Wright was on leave.
In December 2008 and January 2009, she presented the Saturday morning slot on BBC Radio 2 with Martin Freeman whilst Jonathan Ross was away from the station, and again in August 2009 alongside Huey Morgan of Fun Lovin' Criminals.
In 2013, she presented a BBC Radio 2 special celebrating the career of the British comedian Ken Dodd called How Tickled I've Been.
[8][9] UK Radio Aid was a charitable event in the United Kingdom held on Monday 17 January 2005 to raise money for the DEC appeal for the victims of the Asian tsunami.