Biography
Adam Kay is a BAFTA-winning author, TV writer, comedian and former junior doctor. His first book, This is Going to Hurt, spent over a year at number one in the Sunday Times bestseller list, was translated into 37 languages, won numerous awards, and sold over three million copies. He is also one of the country’s bestselling children’s authors, with titles including Kay’s Anatomy, the fastest selling kids’ non-fiction book of the decade.
Adam’s numerous accolades for TV writing include a BAFTA award, a Writers Guild award and a Broadcast award for his BBC/AMC adaptation of This is Going to Hurt.
As a live performer, Adam has sold out several West End seasons and UK tours. His tour of This is Going to Hurt was attended by over 250,000 people. He has innumerable TV credits, and his unique stories from the wards have made him one of the UK’s most in-demand performers for corporate and private events. His latest show, Undoctored, was the biggest-selling show of the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe, and was followed by a sell-out West End season. It will be touring throughout 2024.
Adam is a proud patron of the Laura Hyde Foundation, Doctors in Distress and The Lullaby Trust.
(Photo credit: Charlie Clift)
For writing – Contact Jessica – jessica.cooper@curtisbrown.co.uk
"Painfully funny. The pain and the funniness somehow add up to something entirely good, entirely noble and entirely loveable."
"So clinically funny and politically important for supporters of the NHS that it should be given out on prescription."
"Hilarious and heartbreaking - I howled, yelped and occasionally choked with laughter. This book may hurt, but in an important and necessary way."
“Darkly hilarious – this show will have you in stitches”
Awards & Competitions
- Winner - BAFTA for Best Writer, Drama 2023
- Winner - Writer's Guild Award - Best Writer - Drama - 2023
- Winner- Televisial Bulldog Award - Best Drama - 2022
- Nominee - Critic's Choice Awards - Best Awards - 2023
- Nominee - National Television Awards - Best Drama - 2022
- Nominee - Gotham Awards - Best Drama - 2022
- Winner - 'This is Going to Hurt' - Platinum Award for selling over 2 million copies - Nielsen Bestseller Awards - 2020
- Winner - 'Twas the Nightshift before Christmas' - Gold Award for sales of over 500k in print and e-book - Nielsen Bestseller Awards - 2020
- Winner - Golden Pan Award (over 1 million copies sold) - PanMacmillan - 2019
- Winner - Book of the Year - Specsavers National Book Awards - 2018
- Winner - Non-Fiction Book of the Year - National Book Awards - 2018
- Winner - New Writer of the Year - National Book Awards - 2018
- Winner - Book of the Year - Zoe Ball Book Club - 2018
- Winner - Book of the Year - Esquire - 2018
- Winner - Readers Choice Award - BAMB Readers Awards - 2017
- Winner - Book of the Year - iBooks - 2017
- Winner - Best Humour Book of the Year - The Sunday Times - 2017
- Winner - London Cabaret Awards - 2014
Appearances & Credits
- Television & Radio:
- Michael McIntyre's The Wheel - BBC One
- Pointless Celebrities - BBC One
- Channel 4 News - Channel 4
- The Jonathan Ross Show- ITV
- This Morning - ITV
- Lorraine - ITV
- Sky News - Sky
- Cats Does Countdown - Channel 4
- Zoe Ball Book Club - ITV
- BBC Breakfast - BBC One
- The Russell Howard Hour - Sky
- The Culture Show - BBC Two
- Jonathan Ross Show - BBC Radio 2
- BBC Radio 4
- BBC Radio 5
- The Now Show - BBC Radio 4
- Festivals:
- Latitude Festival
- Henley Festival
- Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- Petworth Festival
- Edinburgh Book Festival
- Writing Credits:
- This Is Going To Hurt Series - Sister Pictures for BBC One
- Undoctored: The Story Of A Medic Who Ran Out of Patients - Orion Publishing Group
- Kay's Marvellous Medicine - Puffin
- Kay's Anatomy - Puffin
- Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You - Orion Publishing Group
- Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas - PanMacmillan
- The Sunday Times Magazine- Monthly Columnist
- This Is Going To Hurt - PanMacmillan
- Very British Problems - Series Writer
- Bounty Hunters - Sky One
- Blind Date - Sky One
- Mrs Brown's Boys- Script Editor - BBC One
- Our Ex Wife - Additional Writer- BBC Two
- Changing Channels - BBC Three
- Plebs - ITV2
- Flat TV - Script Editor- BBC Three
- Very British Problems At Christmas - Writer, Julie Walter's Script
- Chris (Simpson's Artist) - BBC Three
- Milton Jones Pilot - Script Editor- BBC Three
- Crims - Series Writer/Creator - BBC Three
- Mitchell & Webb - Additional Writer - Radio 4
- Mongrels - BBC Three
- Up The Women - BBC Four
- Child Genius - Channel 4