Adam Kay
Who Adam Kay is
Adam Kay is a comedian, author and TV writer who, as frontman of the musical comedy act Amateur Transplants and then on his own, sold out seven years of shows at the Edinburgh Fringe with darkly funny, bone-dry comedy songs, and is named among the past finalists and winners of the Musical Comedy Awards. A former junior doctor, he wrote This Is Going to Hurt, which spent more than a year at number one on the Sunday Times bestseller list and sold more than three million copies, followed by Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, Undoctored and his first novel, A Particularly Nasty Case (2025), as well as children's books including Kay's Anatomy.
His own adaptation of This Is Going to Hurt for the BBC and AMC won BAFTA and Writers' Guild awards, and Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor brought him an International Emmy nomination. A regular voice on BBC Radio 4's The Now Show and a sitcom writer for the BBC and Channel 4, he has sold out West End seasons and tours at home and abroad.
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At a glance
- Podcasts and radio
- The Now Show
- Books
- This Is Going to Hurt, Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, Undoctored and 2 more
- On screen
- This Is Going to Hurt and Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor
- Official site
- adamkay.co.uk ↗
On stage
No dated show on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now — their own site has their dates: adamkay.co.uk ↗.
Lineups belong to the rooms and the comedians, and can change; each listing has the last word. Their nights on the Comedy Calendar →
Specials, shows and podcasts
On screen
- This Is Going to Hurt writer, BBC / AMC; BAFTA and Writers' Guild awards
- Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor writer, BBC; International Emmy nomination
Podcasts and radio
- The Now Show BBC Radio 4, regular voice
Books and writing
- This Is Going to Hurt book
- Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas book
- Undoctored book
- A Particularly Nasty Case novel, 2025
- Kay's Anatomy children's book
Comedians like Adam Kay
Each linked to them by something on the record — a stage they both came through, a bill, a show, a style or a home town.
- Ahir Shah also on The Now Show
- Angela Barnes also on The Now Show
- Kai Samra also on The Now Show
- Katie Norris also on The Now Show
Questions and answers
Where is Adam Kay performing next?
No date is on D.O.C.'s Comedy Calendar right now; their own site has their dates: adamkay.co.uk ↗.
What podcasts and radio shows have they been on?
The Now Show.
Have they written a book?
Yes: This Is Going to Hurt, Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas, Undoctored, A Particularly Nasty Case and Kay's Anatomy.
What TV shows and films are they in?
This Is Going to Hurt (writer, BBC / AMC; BAFTA and Writers' Guild awards) and Dexter Procter: The 10-Year-Old Doctor (writer, BBC; International Emmy nomination).
What is their official website?
Who are some comedians like them?
Ahir Shah (also on The Now Show), Angela Barnes (also on The Now Show), Kai Samra (also on The Now Show) and Katie Norris (also on The Now Show).
Are you Adam Kay?
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Your short address, for your bio: disciplesofcomedy.com/adam-kay
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with a button to add them to your D.O.C., your twelve.
Sources
- Official site ↗ A BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated author, TV writer, comedian and former junior doctor; This is Going to Hurt, more than a year at number one in the Sunday Times bestseller list, more than three million copies; Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas and Undoctored; A Particularly Nasty Case (2025); Kay's Anatomy and…
- Musical Comedy Awards ↗ Past finalists and winners include Abandoman, Rachel Parris, Adam Kay, Mae Martin, Jay Foreman and Jazz Emu (9 June 2026); the sensational writer and comedian Adam Kay and his hilariously dark and incredibly dry comedy songs (as of 11 October 2026)
- Musical Comedy Awards — About ↗ 2010: the other finalists were Amateur Transplants and Rob Carter (as of 11 October 2026)
- Chortle — Fingering A Minor on the Piano (Edinburgh Fringe 2016) ↗ He has sold out seven years at Edinburgh; a regular voice on Radio 4's Now Show; a prolific sitcom writer (BBC and Channel 4); the frontman of Amateur Transplants (as of 11 October 2026)
Updated 11 October 2026 · the record checked 11 October 2026