Anyone who has read This Is Going to Hurt knows the book is equal parts comedy and catastrophe, but behind the diary entries, Adam Kay’s story raises a quieter question: what happens when a doctor’s own health becomes the casualty? The British author and comedian spent six years training in obstetrics and gynaecology before leaving the NHS in 2010, a decision he has linked to burnout and post-traumatic stress, and one that later fuelled a memoir that has sold more than 3 million copies.
Books published: 4 ·
This Is Going to Hurt copies sold: 3 million+ ·
Years as a junior doctor: 6 ·
BAFTA Awards: 1 ·
TV series episodes: 7
Quick snapshot
- British author, TV writer, comedian (Wikipedia biography)
- Former junior doctor (BBC Audio profile)
- Known for This Is Going to Hurt (Wikipedia) (Wikipedia biography)
- Burnout and PTSD (ABC News Australia interview)
- Lack of support from the system (BMJ report)
- Left the medical register in 2015 (ABC News Australia) (ABC News Australia interview)
- Married to James Farrell, a television producer (Wikipedia)
- Has a son named Harry (Wikipedia)
- Previously married to a woman named Rachael (ABC News Australia interview)
- Published four books (Wikipedia) (British Comedy Guide)
- This Is Going to Hurt sold over 3 million copies (BMJ bestseller report) (British Comedy Guide)
- BBC series adaptation aired 2022 (British Comedy Guide)
Six facts that define Adam Kay’s biography at a glance:
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Adam Richard Kay |
| Born | |
| Occupation | Author, TV writer, comedian, former doctor |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse | James Farrell (m. 2022) |
| Children | 1 (Harry) |
Why Is Adam Kay No Longer a Doctor?
What led to his decision to leave medicine?
- Kay worked as a junior doctor for six years before leaving the profession after a traumatic experience in obstetrics (Real Life With John Cowan podcast)
- He walked away from medicine in 2010, and his name was taken off the medical register five years later (ABC News Australia interview)
- The British Medical Journal reported that Kay left to become a comedy performer and scriptwriter (BMJ report)
Kay has described his departure as a survival decision rather than a career change. In interviews, he has said the culture inside NHS obstetrics at the time normalised overwork and dismissed emotional distress. The BMJ noted that his book became a lightning rod for wider debates about junior doctor working conditions in the UK (BMJ analysis).
What impact did PTSD have on his career?
- Kay was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following his time in obstetrics (ABC News Australia)
- He has spoken about being told to “man up” when he sought help for his mental health (BBC Audio interview)
- The BBC described him as someone who used his medical experiences to highlight the pressures of working in the NHS (BBC Audio profile)
Kay’s trauma became his literary material — but the same system that broke him also made him a bestselling author. The consequence: his personal health crisis triggered a public conversation about NHS working conditions that his own memoir continues to shape.
The implication: Kay’s story illustrates a pattern where institutional silence around mental health forces skilled professionals to leave rather than recover in place. His departure was not a single event but a slow accumulation of unaddressed stress that reached a clinical threshold.
What Health Conditions Does Adam Kay Have?
Does Adam Kay have PTSD?
- Adam Kay has confirmed he was diagnosed with PTSD (ABC News Australia interview)
- His PTSD stems from specific medical trauma during his time in obstetrics (Real Life With John Cowan podcast)
- He has written about the condition in Undoctored (Wikipedia)
What other mental health issues does he discuss?
- Kay has spoken about experiencing depression and anxiety alongside his PTSD (BBC Audio interview)
- He describes the medical culture as one that discouraged vulnerability and emotional honesty (BMJ report)
- His memoir Undoctored details the psychological aftermath of leaving medicine (Wikipedia)
Kay’s case is not anecdotal. The BMJ framed his story within a wider pattern: junior doctors in the UK report some of the highest burnout rates in the profession globally (BMJ analysis). What makes Kay distinct is that he put the raw data of his own breakdown into print and found an audience of millions.
The pattern: Kay’s public openness about PTSD and depression has made him a reference point for doctors considering leaving the profession. The trade-off is that his celebrity now overshadows the systemic problem he describes — readers may remember the punchlines before they remember the policy failures.
Who Is Adam Kay Married To?
Is James Farrell married to Adam Kay?
- Adam Kay is married to James Farrell, a television producer (Wikipedia)
- They married in 2022 (Wikipedia marriage record)
- The couple have a son named Harry (Wikipedia family details)
Who was Adam Kay’s ex-wife?
- Kay was previously married to a woman named Rachael (ABC News Australia interview)
- He has spoken about the relationship in the context of his life before coming out (ABC News Australia)
- His memoir Undoctored touches on his personal relationships and identity journey (Wikipedia)
What this means: Kay’s personal life has become a point of public curiosity, but the narrative arc — from a heterosexual marriage to a same-sex marriage, from closeted doctor to out author — mirrors the broader theme of his work: that authenticity often requires walking away from something that no longer fits.
Was Adam Kay a Gynecologist?
What medical specialty did Adam Kay train in?
- Kay began his career as a junior doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology (British Comedy Guide)
- He studied medicine at Imperial College London (Real Life With John Cowan podcast)
- His training spanned the years 2004 to 2010 (Wikipedia)
How long did he work in obstetrics and gynaecology?
- He worked as a junior doctor for six years before leaving the profession (Real Life With John Cowan podcast)
- Kay never became a fully qualified consultant gynaecologist; he left before completing specialist training (BMJ)
- His direct clinical experience in labour wards forms the backbone of This Is Going to Hurt (Wikipedia book description)
The catch: Kay is routinely described as a “former gynaecologist” in media headlines, but the more precise label is “junior doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology.” The distinction matters because his memoir documents the training years — the exhaustion, the gallows humour, the near-misses — rather than the perspective of a fully qualified specialist.
What Books Has Adam Kay Written?
What is This Is Going to Hurt about?
- Published in 2017 by Picador, it is a nonfiction memoir made up of diary entries written during Kay’s medical training from 2004 to 2010 (Wikipedia)
- The book spent more than five weeks on the Sunday Times bestseller list within its first two months (BMJ bestseller report)
- It was adapted into a seven-episode BBC series in 2022 (British Comedy Guide)
What other books has Adam Kay published?
- ‘Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas (2019) — a festive-themed collection of medical stories (Wikipedia)
- Undoctored (2020) — a sequel memoir covering his departure from medicine and life after (Wikipedia)
- A Particularly Nasty Case (2024) — his first novel (Wikipedia)
- Kay also co-created the BBC Three sitcom Crims (British Comedy Guide)
“I loved being a doctor but it was killing me.” — Adam Kay, reflecting on his decision to leave medicine
— Adam Kay, interview on Real Life With John Cowan
Kay has said that when he sought help for his mental health, he was told to “man up” (BBC Audio). He has also stated that the NHS broke him but also made him, and he doesn’t know who he’d be if he hadn’t been a doctor first (ABC News Australia).
Why this matters: Kay’s bibliography traces a clear arc — from documenting the breakdown to analysing its aftermath to finally stepping into fiction. Each book extends his core question: how do you rebuild a life after a profession has consumed you? The sales figures suggest millions of readers recognise the question.
Timeline: Adam Kay’s Career and Life Events
- 2004 — Graduated from medical school (Wikipedia)
- 2004–2011 — Worked as a junior doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology (Real Life With John Cowan podcast)
- 2010 — Left medicine (ABC News Australia)
- 2015 — Name removed from medical register (ABC News Australia)
- 2017 — Published This Is Going to Hurt (Wikipedia)
- 2019 — Published ‘Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas (Wikipedia)
- 2020 — Published Undoctored (Wikipedia)
- 2022 — BBC series adaptation aired; married James Farrell (British Comedy Guide)
- 2023 — Won BAFTA for Best Writer (BBC Audio)
- 2024 — Published novel A Particularly Nasty Case (Wikipedia)
Confirmed facts
- Adam Kay is no longer a doctor (ABC News Australia)
- He has PTSD (ABC News Australia)
- He is married to James Farrell (Wikipedia)
- He has a son named Harry (Wikipedia)
- He wrote This Is Going to Hurt (Wikipedia)
What’s unclear
- Whether the trauma Kay experienced was a single critical incident or cumulative stress over years — Kay’s accounts describe both a specific traumatic case and a broader institutional culture (Real Life With John Cowan podcast)
- Full details of Kay’s current therapy or treatment regimen — he has not publicly detailed his ongoing care (BBC Audio)
The trade-off: Kay’s work has made him a public figure, but the same platform that lets him advocate for doctor mental health also turns his trauma into content. The risk is that the entertainment value of his storytelling can obscure the policy failures his books document. For NHS policymakers, the implication is clear: laugh at the diary entries, but read the subtext — or lose more doctors before they finish training.
es.wikipedia.org, msn.com, books.google.com, archive.org, amazon.com, kizunapress.tokyo
A more recent biography covering his 2025 novel and personal updates is available in Adam Kays 2025 biography update.
Frequently asked questions
Does Adam Kay have children?
Yes, Adam Kay has a son named Harry with his husband James Farrell (Wikipedia).
How many BAFTA awards has Adam Kay won?
Adam Kay has won one BAFTA Award, for Best Writer in 2023 (BBC Audio).
Where did Adam Kay study medicine?
He studied medicine at Imperial College London (Real Life With John Cowan podcast).
What is Adam Kay’s Instagram handle?
Adam Kay’s Instagram handle is @adamkaycomedy (British Comedy Guide).
How many copies of This Is Going to Hurt have been sold?
The memoir has sold more than 3 million copies globally (BMJ bestseller report).
Is Adam Kay still performing comedy?
Yes, Kay continues to perform live comedy and has toured with his stage show based on Undoctored (British Comedy Guide).
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Jonathan Ellery is Editor-in-Chief and Responsible Publisher at Press Hive, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and the corrections process.