Depressed, overweight and hurtling towards Type 2 diabetes: Comic Mo Gilligan reveals damage eating only fried chicken for a month for his new Netflix film has had on his health

The fried chicken industry has exploded in recent decades, with around 6,000 UK takeaways dedicated to satisfying our cravings for the fast food it’s estimated we spend around £12million-a-day on.  

In a new Netflix film, British comedian Mo Gilligan, a lifelong fan of the often ultra-processed dish that arrived on British shores from the US in the 1960s, embarks upon a TV experiment to find out exactly what the impact of eating it for a whole month would do to his body.  

Gilligan’s project has echoes of Super Size Me, the 2004 film made by late documentary maker Morgan Spurlock, who spent 30 days only eating food from McDonald’s – and had to say yes if employees asked if he wanted to ‘super-size’ his meal. 

The challenge saw the then 33-year-old Spurlock gain nearly 25lb in weight, and facing increased cholesterol levels and fat accumulation in his liver. He also experienced depression, sexual dysfunction, fatigue and the shakes. 

Spurlock, who became a global star after the film’s release, died from cancer aged 53 in 2024. 

Gilligan’s documentary, Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy, is released by the streaming giant today and sees the funnyman start his fast food quest in south London before heading over to the US.

The 98-minute film sees him tucking into fried chicken for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a month –  and then measure the direct impact on his health afterwards

He visits a host of big chain and independent high street chicken shops during the month-long commitment to consuming only chicken that’s been coated and deep fried – eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The film, made by Louis Theroux’s production company Mindhouse, also sees Gilligan, 38, examine the intensive poultry-farming industry that sustains the demand for the billions of portions served daily. 

The Masked Singer star’s initial enthusiasm – ‘Bring on the wings’, he’s heard proclaiming on day one – for the food that he grew up regarding as one of his favourite treats, ebbs as Gilligan admits that the deep-fried food doesn’t feel quite so enjoyable as the days rack up. 

After devouring the fast food dinners, Gilligan checks in with a doctor, Dr Enam Abood, to see exactly what toll the fried chicken, which is high in ‘bad fats’, salt and calories, has had on his body. 

Over the 28 days, the comic eats a total of 84 portions and finds that not only has he gained weight and increased his chances of developing more serious illnesses, but his mental health has also taken a hit. 

He weighs in at 95.15kg (14.9 stones), three kilos more than what he weighed at the beginning of the experiment and the comedian’s waistline measures 1.5inches (3.8cm) more too. 

A similar film in 2004, Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me, saw the late US documentary maker eating only McDonald’s for a month to highlight what a fast food diet does to the body 

The 38-year-old faced a sobering health check at the end of the TV experiment, with physician Dr Abood telling him his body was paying the price for the high calorie ultra-processed diet

The doctor and patient also discuss the risk of Type 2 diabetes, for which a poor diet can be a contributing risk factor. 

Gilligan is warned that he may be genetically predisposed to the condition because his mother has it. 

In a sobering moment, Dr Abood reveals that the results of his latest diabetes test have increased from 30 to 32 in less than a month, something the physician says has been ‘absolutely caused by the food you were having’. 

She adds that continuing with a poor diet would see him hurtling further towards a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, the condition she says is nicknamed ‘the silent assassin’ and can cause people to ‘go blind, lose limbs and affect the heart, the brain…everything’.  

Perhaps the most surprising negative consequence from undertaking the takeaway diet is on Gilligan’s mental health. 

He tells Dr Abood: ‘It’s definitely affected my mood. I would just cry and break down. What’s worrying is that I only did this for 28 days.’  

Some 78billion chickens are killed every year to meet the ever-growing global demand for the fast food favourite. 

The documentary also sees Gilligan delving into the murkier side of the industry behind it, including watching footage filmed undercover of chickens packed into an intensive farm.  

In another scene, the comedian reveals that fried chicken can also contain some deeply unappetising ingredients. Gilligan tells his audience: ‘You know, one of the ingredients they also put it in condoms for lubrication. Who knew that went into a chicken burger?’