The writer of This Is Going to Hurt on self‑destruction, an awkward meeting with AOC and why he can’t stand Jeremy Hunt
Born in Brighton, Kay, 42, spent six years as a junior doctor before leaving in 2010 to become a comedian. In 2017 he published his bestselling memoir, This Is Going to Hurt. In 2022 it became a BBC TV series starring Ben Whishaw, and this year Kay won a Bafta for the script. His latest book, Undoctored: The Story of a Medic Who Ran Out of Patients, is out in paperback on 8 June. He performs Undoctored – This Is Going to Hurt… More at the Pleasance theatre on the Edinburgh Fringe from 2-28 August. Kay lives in Oxfordshire with his husband, James Farrell.
When were you happiest?
In the one photo I’ve seen where my smile looks convincing – I’m four years old, so I’m guessing then. But I just won a Bafta and that felt amazing, too. So, roughly every 40 years.
