Adam Kay: Social media hides reality of parenthood, says writer and comedian

adam-kay:-social-media-hides-reality-of-parenthood,-says-writer-and-comedian
Adam Kay: Social media hides reality of parenthood, says writer and comedian

Adam Kay, known for his best-selling medical diaries, is currently in the throws of parenthood, juggling his two babies with his husband. The couple have a 10-month-old daughter, Ruby, and a six-month-old son, Ziggy, whom they had via surrogates. Kay and Farrell share the responsibilities of feeding and changing the babies on alternate nights, in an attempt to maintain some sleep while also working.

While Kay may be no stranger to being jolted into alertness at 4 am, having worked as a junior doctor on an obstetrics ward until 2010, he admits to being a bit unprepared for parenthood. He has found the reality of being a parent more challenging than he anticipated, despite expectations that have been shaped by social media. He says the benefits of parenthood are enormous, but he and his husband were not prepared for the disruption to their daily lives.

Kay’s latest show, Undoctored, is based on his book of the same name. It shares more eye-watering anecdotes from his life as a medic, but also explores his life beyond the NHS. It was the most popular show at the Edinburgh Fringe this year, selling more than 23,000 tickets and featuring in 32 sell-out performances.

Kay left the profession after a traumatic incident at work left him with PTSD and nightmares. He talks in his show about how crucial it is that the NHS takes care of its staff’s mental health, and that changes are made to prioritise retaining staff. Kay also supports doctors striking for more pay. As well as publishing his diaries, Kay has turned his hand to writing children’s books. His first two, Kay’s Anatomy and Kay’s Marvellous Medicine, have been translated into 29 languages and sold 500,000 copies

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