Comfort Eating with Grace Dent

Scottish writer Irvine Welsh joins Grace to share his ultimate comfort food. Irvine has been a towering figure in our cultural galaxy for 30 years. His bestselling novels include Porno, The Acid House, Filth and, of course, Trainspotting. Trainspotting – famously autobiographical – follows a group of heroin addicts in a deprived area of Edinburgh. It was a huge hit, selling more than a million copies. The movie, released a few years later, was nothing short of a sensation at the box office. Irvine’s new book is accompanied by his debut album, both with the same name: Men In Love is a sequel to Trainspotting, and picks up where the characters left off back in 1993.

This week on Comfort Eating, Grace is joined by Bafta-nominated actor, writer and producer Samson Kayo. Samson has been gracing our screens for more than a decade, starring in shows such as Channel 4’s Youngers, Sky’s sitcom Bloods and HBO’s Our Flag Means Death. Now, he’s currently celebrating the release of two blockbusters, Voltron and F1, in which he stars alongside the likes of Brad Pitt, Damson Idris and Javier Bardem. Raised in south London by his single mother and a revolving cast of ‘aunties’, Samson lived on a unique blend of Nigerian stew, Morleys fried chicken, and pie and mash. He and Grace discuss it all – from illicit biscuits, accidental sex parties and dodgy DVDs to fatherhood, faith and the art of the pizza delivery. Nothing is off the table

Joining Grace on this week’s episode of Comfort Eating is Lulu. Lulu was belting out songs to crowds before most of her classmates had mastered their times tables. By 15, she’d swapped school for showbiz and kicked off a six decade career with a bang – her first single Shout landed her in the charts and on the path to global stardom. She’s duetted with legends, succeeded at Eurovision, survived the Bond franchise, and re-emerged time and again – not just still standing, but still selling out. Now in her seventies and on the road again promoting a tour and her second memoir, Lulu and Grace discuss her dad’s job in a meat-market, eating snails for the first time, and why KitKats are the perfect tour bus snack

Musician Joy Crookes joins Grace to kick off a brand new season of Comfort Eating. Born and raised in south London, Joy’s rich, punchy and intimate songs means her music is everywhere. With Bangladeshi and Irish heritage, Joy writes music that’s rich in politics, identity and a lot of raw feeling. Her debut album, Skin, was an intimate patchwork of heartbreak, protest and pride, earning her not just accolades and a Brit award nomination, but a passionate and loyal fanbase. A rollercoaster of success was interrupted by her mental health struggles, which led to a hiatus. But she’s back with a new single out now and a big European tour getting underway later this year

Season 10 of Comfort Eating with Grace Dent will kick off on Tuesday 8 July. Join Grace and her celebrity guests, including CMAT, Irvine Welsh, Lulu and Nicola Sturgeon, as they delve into their ultimate comfort food

Comedian, broadcaster and podcaster Suzi Ruffell joins Grace in her east London home. Suzi’s comedy CV boasts an impressive five sellout runs at the Edinburgh festival fringe, appearances on Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week and The Last Leg. She talks to Grace about family life with her wife, Alice, in Brighton; her struggles with anxiety; her mum’s sandwich love language; and the moment her dad paid her £15 to eat a spoonful of mustard powder

Joining Grace on Comfort Eating this week is actor and comedian Babatunde Aléshé. Babatunde stole the nation’s hearts with appearances on Celebrity Gogglebox, and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. He talks to Grace about how his mum is every bit the Nigerian matriarchal stereotype, the age old debate of who makes the best jollof rice, and how a strong dislike for cheese allowed him the privilege of ordering off-menu at school

British comedian Dave Gorman joins Grace for another scrumptious helping of Comfort Eating. Across the noughties, Dave took the British comedy scene by storm, and is known for taking the mundane, adding some sparkle and creating an Edinburgh festival fringe show, a UK tour and a book. Now he is back with a reboot of Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish. Dave recounts how his hero comedian Frank Skinner gave him his big break; how fish and chips equals celebration; and what he munches on to fuel his frequent all-night writing sessions

This week on Comfort Eating, Grace is joined by superstar DJ, King of Ibiza, and namesake of his own rhyming slang: it’s Pete Tong MBE. Pete is one of the most influential figures in dance music; without him, house music and club culture would not be what they are today. He is about to go back on the road in the UK with his 10th year of Ibiza Classics – described as an event for the relapse raver. Born in Kent, Pete was raised on classic British 60s fare, and he remembers with fondness tins of baked beans and sausages, and recalls with horror the foods he endured at boarding school. Grace and he discuss wining and dining Run-DMC when he was trying to get them to sign to his label, and what Noel Gallagher’s pet fish may or may not have eaten during the wild noughties running with the Primrose Hill set

This week on Comfort Eating, Grace is joined by five-time Paralympic gold medalist Ellie Simmonds. At 30, Ellie has hung up her goggles and retired from swimming, but instead of claiming an early pension, she has turned her hand to disability activism and documentary making – in 2024 she won a Bafta for her documentary Finding My Secret Family. She talks to Grace about the food that sustained her gruelling swim training schedule, her celebratory McDonald’s order during the Paralympics, and her secret recipe for orange scones. Ellie also opens up about accusations of bullying within British Para-Swimming in the buildup to Rio 2016

Songwriter, musician and actor, best known as a heartthrob in one of the biggest bands of the 1980s, Gary Kemp joins Grace for a brand new helping of Comfort Eating. Longtime Spandau Ballet fan Grace hears about the good old days: how Gary poured a tin of golden syrup over baby brother Martin Kemp’s head; how there were eels for dinner kept alive in his nan’s sink; and how hot fish and chips in their wrapper warped his first beloved T Rex record. Gary opens up about how he defiantly started eating meat again after his very public split from actor Sadie Frost, how his film career took him to Hollywood to act alongside Whitney Houston, who worked the catering tent nicely, and unwanted perishable gifts from affectionate fans at the height of Spandau Ballet fame

Season nine of Comfort Eating with Grace Dent will kick off on Tuesday 18 February. Join Grace and her celebrity guests, including Gary Kemp, Ellie Simmonds and Pete Tong, as they delve into what they love to eat when nobody is watching

To welcome in the New Year, Grace is joined by politician Sadiq Khan. Born in south London, to British Pakistani parents, he is one of eight children and was MP for Tooting before becoming London’s mayor in 2016. Now in his third term, Sadiq and Grace talk about how doughnuts fuel him during elections, the art of screwing up a tuna pasta bake, and where he’d like to take Donald Trump for dinner next time the president-elect is in town.

Christmas has arrived at Comfort Eating HQ, so join Grace as she joyfully wallows in her annual Christmas baking session while musing on her favourite Comfort Eating yuletide memories. From multi-Grammy winner Gregory Porter on his mum’s festive cook-ups, to baking extraordinaire Nadiya Hussain on her childhood turkey midnight feasts, plus Craig David, Michael Ball and many more

Join Grace for a twinkly helping of festive Comfort Eating, where she is joined by Matt Goss, one third of Bros. One of the biggest boy bands of the 20th century, it was a tabloid sensation when the band split. Since then, Matt has broken the US and holds the record as the longest-running British resident artist in Las Vegas. Grace and Matt discuss the Christmases of his childhood, headlining a sell-out Wembley, and what you do when you get a call from Reggie Kray asking for a chat. If you liked this episode then have a listen to our other Christmas episode with Craig David, Gregory Porter, and Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.