Dom McGovern answers our questions ahead of Dom McGovern Prize Hog heading to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Dom McGovern: Prize Hog is an hour of sardonic observations and hilarious insight into growing up gay in the early 2000s. A light-hearted look into one man’s psychological baggage, McGovern unpacks everything from Catholic guilt and makeover television to eating disorder group therapy and modern wellness culture. We chat to Dom McGovern about making his Edinburgh debut, Britishness, and hats.

You've said the show traces the messages and cultural signals that shaped your relationship with your body. Which ones do you think had the biggest impact on you growing up? I think probably being a gay man. I am reluctant to talk about being gay on stage as some of the reviewers who attend the fringe have such a limited vocabulary when it comes to talking about queer people on stage, and I don’t want to give them ammo to compare me with other gay comedians just because we’re gay. That being said, almost all gay men I know are completely insane about their bodies.

You’ve previously experienced being the only man in a group therapy session. What did that experience teach you, particularly about masculinity?

I went to an all boys school, I have a lot of male friends who aren’t able to speak about their mental health, not necessarily because it’s taboo (the phrase men’s mental health is more common than ever) but because there is no toolkit provided to them to actually articulate their emotions, so things are bottled up until they reach breaking point. I, arrogantly, thought I might be exempt from this (gay therefore more in touch with emotions) but the fact that I let things get as bad as I did before getting help, sort of disabuses me of that notion. It taught me more about Britishness than it did masculinity. People often talk about men not opening up, but women are also discouraged from making too much of a big deal about things. I think that’s linked to Britishness, no one wants to make a fuss.

You’ve worked across comedy, journalism and screenwriting. Do you have a favourite, and how did those different disciplines influence the way you built this debut hour?

I find all of them interesting in different ways, I like adapting to different formats and to other people’s tone of voice. I’ve found that in an hour, it’s fun to bring characters into the standup, and there’s almost dialogue between ‘me’ and the characters I’m describing.

If you could go back and speak to the version of yourself at the beginning of this story, what would you tell him?

No one is thinking about you as much as you are thinking about yourself!

This is your first Edinburgh Fringe show. What are you looking forward to the most about the festival?

Seeing some really, really weird high octane character comedy. I love it.

What do you hope audiences take from the show?

I hope they take my merch, the fringe is expensive and I foolishly have ordered hats to sell. They are quite cool though so please do buy one.

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