Comfort Eating with Grace Dent
The Guardian
From school dinners to sofa snacks – food has a huge part to play in shaping our story - and your favourite celebs have some delicious tales to tell. Join Grace Dent and celebrity guests as she throws the cupboard doors open and chats life through food. Expect to hear from guests (actors from TV, movie, theatre and film; sportspeople, comedians, chefs…) such as: Katie Price, Jamie Laing, Natalie Cassidy, Kathy Burke, Jon Ronson, Shirley Ballas, Nadiya Hussain, James Norton, Graham Norton, Jamie Demetriou, Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Amma Asante, Jay Blades, Michelle DeSwarte, Gaz Coombes, Georgia Pritchett, Fern Brady, Jayde Adams, Adam Kay, Jaime Winstone, Malorie Blackman, Dawn O’Porter, Neneh Cherry, Greg Rutherford, Goldie, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Marian Keyes, Rufus Wainwright, Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Big Zuu, Eddie Marsan, Self Esteem, James May, Guy Garvey, Dave Myers, Jo Brand, Craig David, Bernardine Evaristo, Tom Watson, Rosie Jones, Laura Whitmore, Desiree Burch, Russell Tovey, Stephen Fry, Deborah Meaden, Munya Chawawa, Aisling Bea, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Candice Carty-Williams, Lawrence Chaney, Siobhán McSweeney, Scarlett Moffatt, Joanne McNally, Mae Martin, Rafe Spall, Nish Kumar, Bridget Christie, Mary McCartney, Keith Brymer Jones, Adjoa Andoh, Tamsin Greig, Tom Kerridge, Katherine Ryan, Golda Rosheuvel, Suranne Jones and, David Baddiel, Amol Rajan and Russell T Davies. Comfort Eating is a one-to-one interview. In Grace’s kitchen, her guests discuss their lives in the context of food, cooking and cuisine. They talk about comfort food and snack recipes. The tone of the podcast is: warm, comforting, chatty, feel good, cheering, heart warming, comical and amusing. It’s inspiring but also escapism. It’s funny, comedy, laugh out loud / LOL, entertaining, humourous, inspirational, hilarious, illuminating, memorable, uplifting, soothing, reassuring, cheery and entertaining. Expect to hear humour, discussion, gossip and revelation. Grace's new Comfort Eating book, inspired by the podcast, is out now. It’s a wonderfully scrumptious, life-affirming journey through the foods that really mean the most to us.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Aug 5, 2025 • 45min
From the archive (season 4): James Norton, actor
As Grace Dent takes a short summer break, the team is delving into the archives to bring you some of their favourite episodes. This week, we rewind to January 2023, when Grace welcomed actor James Norton into her home. Grace realised there’s a lot more to learn about James, from his idyllic early years in Yorkshire, to a stint at a very religious boarding school, his breakthrough on the West End and, of course, the food that has been with him through it all
Jul 29, 2025 • 36min
S10, Ep4: Irvine Welsh, writer
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.
Jul 22, 2025 • 44min
S10, Ep3: Samson Kayo, actor
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
Jul 15, 2025 • 38min
S10, Ep2: Lulu, musician
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
Jul 8, 2025 • 44min
S10, Ep1: Joy Crookes, musician
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
Jul 1, 2025 • 43sec
Comfort Eating with Grace Dent is back
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
Mar 25, 2025 • 44min
S9, Ep6: Suzi Ruffell, comedian
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
Mar 18, 2025 • 46min
S9, Ep5: Babatunde Aléshé, comedian
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
Mar 11, 2025 • 46min
S9, Ep4: Dave Gorman, comedian
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
Mar 4, 2025 • 48min
S9, Ep3: Pete Tong, DJ
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
