Dom McGovern: Prize Hog - BBC New Comedy Award nominee Dom McGovern on body image, Catholicism and Prize Hog ahead of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

BBC New Comedy Award nominee and Chicken Shop Date co-writer Dom McGovern makes his Edinburgh Fringe debut with Dom McGovern: Prize Hog, a stand-up show combining sardonic observations with a humorous look back at growing up gay in the early 2000s. Through stories that touch on everything from Catholic guilt and makeover television to eating disorder group therapy and modern wellness culture, McGovern unpacks one man's psychological baggage with wit and honesty. We caught up with Dom to hear more about the show.

Tell us a bit about Prize Hog and how you came to write it.

Prize Hog is my debut hour of standup at the Edinburgh Fringe. As with many first hours of standup, it’s sort of an introduction to my way of thinking and a bit on my background. 

It’s a lot about Catholicism and body image, maybe the pressures on people to conform, and occasionally the pop culture of the late 2000s and early 2010s when I was a child. I have been working on it for the best part of the year, in between other gigs. The Edinburgh Fringe is a chance to sort of launch yourself into the world of comedy, so I’m hoping it proves relatable to the slightly unhinged out there.

What does the title of the show mean to you, and when did you know it was the right name?

I often say that the show is about feeling like the ugliest person at a party, but still the most beautiful girl in the world. It’s a show about body image and eating disorders, but it’s also a comedy show. So, there’s a juxtaposition there, between the light and dark. I once said to a friend that I feel like the most gorgeous pig on the farm. That’s kind of what Prize Hog means. I think I’m very, very glamorous and gorgeous… for a pig.

Male body image is something that's often discussed less openly than female body image. Why did you want to put your own experiences centerstage in this show?

‘Men’s mental health’ has become a buzzword the last few years without actually really meaning anything. It’s a way of paying lip service to a serious issue without having to get into the weeds of things. I don’t necessarily try to put my own experiences centerstage, but when I started writing the show, I found that the truth of having an eating disorder was stranger than fiction, and it ended up being quite entertaining. If it means other people consider talking about their own experiences, that’s an added bonus.

The show revisits the TV makeover and diet culture of the 2000s and early 2010s. Looking back now, what feels most bizarre about that era?

How bad all of the makeovers actually were. There’s quite an iconic clip of Nicky Hambleton-Jones from Ten Years Younger doing a makeover on a woman who, I can’t stress this enough, looks completely normal. She’s not the most confident person, but she is sweet and charming, and this TV Makeover show gives this woman the kind of haircut you would not wish on your worst enemy. It’s awful stuff.

You’ve worked with some incredible women including co-writing Chicken Shop Date with Amelia Dimoldenberg and supporting Aisling Bea and Olga Koch on tour. What’s the best thing you’ve learned from spending time with them about comedy, or life?

I think the value of hard work. All three of them, despite having vastly different styles to their artistic output work so unbelievably hard behind the scenes and I think that’s unbelievably impressive.

If audiences could leave your show describing you in just three words, what would you want them to be?

Charming little goblin.

Dom McGovern: Prize Hog will be performed at 8:30pm at Pleasance Courtyard from 5th – 30th August.

Booking link: https://www.pleasance.co.uk/event/dom-mcgovern-prize-hog