Stand Up to Anorexia Because Comedy Can Save Lives, with Dave Chawner

Trigger warning: includes frank discussion of eating disorders, body image, and mental health. 

How do you find laughter in something that nearly kills you? 

In this episode, comedian and mental health advocate Dave Chawner takes us on a bold, brutally honest - and often hilarious - journey through his experience of living with anorexia. 

But this isn’t your typical “overcoming adversity” tale. 

Dave doesn’t sugarcoat the reality of his eating disorder. He talks openly about how it began not with food, but with control… how it was rewarded before it was recognised… and how, for a long time, he loved it. Through vivid, sometimes shocking, and darkly funny anecdotes, Dave shows how anorexia became both his obsession and his comfort - until it became unbearable. 

And yet, laughter is what pulled him through. 

From bingeing under the duvet to bingeing on comedy, Dave found healing not in silence, but in stand-up. His hit Edinburgh show Normally Abnormal turned personal pain into public catharsis, proving that humour can be both a scalpel and a salve. 

If you've ever struggled with food, control, body image, or just the pressure of being “fine,” this is an episode you need to hear. It’s about anorexia, yes - but also about masculinity, identity, recovery, and how comedy can reach where words often fail. 

If you can relate to Dave’s experience and would like more information, he references two websites: Hub of Hope [https://hubofhope.co.uk/] - the UK’s largest mental health support directory, and Beat Eating Discorder [https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/]. 

You can find equivalent resources available in other countries via simple web searches. We always recommend you speak to a GP or health professional if you are personally affected by any of the topics covered in the podcast.