Adam Kay: UK Comedian and bestselling author on his success and bringing 'This is Going to Hurt' to the NZ International Comedy Festival

Adam Kay has had an interesting career path. 

The UK comedian and bestselling author started off as a doctor, leaving after undiagnosed symptoms led to severe complications and a stillborn during one of his surgeries. 

He went on to write This is Going to Hurt, a book based on the diaries he wrote during his time as a doctor, which went on to sell more than five million copies worldwide. 

Kay has since turned the book into a comedy show which sold out on the West End, and was also turned into a miniseries. 

He’s bringing the comedy show to kiwi audiences as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival, taking to the stage on May 1st. 

Coming from a very normal background, fame has been interesting for Kay, telling Mike Hosking that it’s been weird to have people come up and ask for photos. 

“It’s quite weird that more people know me than I know people,” he said. 

“But I’m getting used to it and I’m just, I’m glad all these people have watched my shows, or read my books, or whatever and want to say hi.” 

Performing on stage has a different energy to selling books, the latter being quite abstract according to Kay. 

“You get an email from the publisher saying congratulations on this many copies, or it’s been published in this many languages, but going on stage, and you know, speaking, hopefully amusing people in their, in their thousands, it’s like nothing on earth.” 

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