Netflix original documentaries

SLUMPED in a chair in his hotel room, eyes blood-shot and his mood low, comedian Mo Gilligan is a shadow of his normal self.

His mission — to eat only fried chicken for 28 days in a bid to discover what it does to our bodies — had at first sounded like a fast-food dream come true.

But the challenge quickly took its toll, piling weight on the happy-go-lucky entertainer, sending him into a depression, increasing his chances of developing diabetes and leaving him barely able to recognise himself in the mirror.

Addressing the camera in his dimly lit room, a visibly broken Mo says: “I’m eating this food and I don’t feel like myself.

“I look in the mirror and I don’t look like myself. I feel so low.”

Mo, 38, has teamed up with Netflix for a new special, Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy, which echoes Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 documentary Super Size Me, in which he munched only McDonald’s grub for a month.

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In one harrowing scene from Mo’s documentary, he breaks down in tears as he struggles with the physical and emotional effects of his diet.

During the show, he travels to visit so-called food deserts where grub is limited and pop-up takeaways are the only option.

Chicken is often seen as a healthier alternative to a burger. But in reality, more and more natural and artificial flavourings and preservatives are being added to fried poultry, which can lead to dire health consequences.

Some has even been found to contain dimethylpolysiloxane — an ingredient used in kids’ silly putty and the manufacturing of condoms.
Mo tells the film: “I’ve met a lot of experts over the last couple of days.

“You know, one of the ingredients, they also put it in condoms for lubrication. Who knew that went into a burger? So many things go into it that are artificially engineered to give you a better experience and get you to come back for more.”

Speaking exclusively to The Sun ahead of the show’s release on Wednesday, Mo said he felt it was crucial for viewers to see how far the TV experiment pushed him — even when he desperately wanted to switch the cameras off.

He explained: “Being paid to eat fried chicken sounds like the dream. In my head I was like, ‘Well, I like eating fried chicken, I want to know more about it’.

“But it quickly turned into a nightmare.”

Mo — who is a judge on ITV’s The Masked Singer with regulars Maya Jama, Jonathan Ross and Davina McCall — continued: “Look, I do a job that’s very front-facing and in the public eye. I’d be lying if I said I don’t care about my image, especially if I’m eating fried chicken every day.

“Eating the food was something that I was a bit self-conscious of, but also knowing that in the space of a few days, I went from a large in my T-shirt size to an extra large because of what I’m eating.”

Mo underwent a medical assessment before and after the TV experiment.

Over the 28 days, he gained 1½in around his stomach, felt his mood skydive and saw his chances of developing diabetes increase. But despite no longer fitting into some of his clothes, Mo insists he will not use fat jabs as a quick slimming fix.

Shockingly, one spicy chicken sandwich from US chain Popeyes, which came to the UK in 2021, contains a massive 142 ingredients.

Health Professor Laura Schmidt said: “These companies are doing everything they can to make it cheap, make it convenient and to make it taste irresistible. If you see 45 ingredients and they are chemicals you don’t recognise, it is ­probably ultra-processed.”

She added: “Natural and artificial flavours. That’s the question mark, as it’s a bunch of chemicals they don’t have to list and those chemicals may not be regulated as there is a loophole in the federal regulation in the US. Even in Europe, when they go to regulate a chemical additive, they ask the company to prove it’s safe. In the US they don’t. The companies decide what is safe. These foods promote chronic disease. This is the big concern for our health.”

Mo, who has been touring America, insists that if anything, doing the documentary has made him more committed to his fitness.

But the comic — who played football when he was younger and now enjoys running — stressed that, regardless of your diet, nobody needs to go to extremes to benefit their health.

He reveals: “I do love my fitness, man. I love it, especially because I travel a lot on tour.

“All I need is a gym, some equipment and some gym shoes. I think when it comes to exercise, people think you must be doing a 5k. But you don’t have to be totally extreme to lose weight. As I learned, a ten-minute walk can burn calories.”

Sales of fried chicken have exploded since the 1960s.

In the UK, we spend an incredible £12million on it every day.

Britain now boasts more than 6,000 fried chicken shops, with London Road in South London ­having some 20.

In comparison, Tesco has 3,010 stores and Sainsbury’s has 1,485. In the doc, Mo says: “I only remember one chicken shop growing up.

“Now, one road alone has more than 20.

“In central London, you have your more gourmet ones, something from the US. Then the further you go out, they don’t even have names any more.

“DFC, MFC, we know the FC is fried chicken, but what is the M?

“PFC. What is that? Perfect Fried Chicken? . . . I have no idea.

“This bird is big business.”

Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy has been created by documentary maker Louis Theroux’s team.

And Mo is proud of showing his emotions on film.

He said: “I think men do need to be more comfortable speaking about how we feel in the moment as well with our other friends, other guys.

“It will definitely break the silence. As men, we need to speak up and be like, ‘I feel low in myself’ or, ‘I don’t look how I want to look’ or, ‘I don’t feel how I want to feel’.

“It’s really important for me to be my authentic self on camera.”

Last week, Mo was confirmed for series eight of The Masked Singer.

And he insists he is not making a concerted effort to crack America.

He says: “When I think of America, I always say they are great at exporting entertainment and fast food. I’m quite fortunate that I’ve had three Netflix specials and they go all around the world.

“So if it lands me in America, I’m here for that. But if it takes me to Australia or Africa, it’s equally good for me.

“I’m really fortunate I’ve been able to tick off doing all the things I wanted to do and some of the things I never thought I would be able to do as well.

“Now, being in this space and making hopefully an impactful documentary . . . 

“I really enjoy this subject and seeing where it goes and telling it to the rest of the world.”

Meanwhile, away from this serious project, Strictly Come Dancing and I’m A Celebrity regularly try to recruit Mo as a contestant.

He said: “They do come knocking. Yeah . . . not just yet. But never say never.”

CARDI B is about to let everyone in on the story of her rollercoaster life — including working as a stripper.

I can reveal the rapper is the subject of a major new documentary from the same team behind programmes on Victoria Beckham, Pamela Anderson and Coleen Rooney.

Production company Dorothy Street Pictures is secretly working on the special, in which she will speak about her rags to riches story.

Cardi, who wore this eye-popping pink catsuit and matching hat for a performance in New York on Sunday, has quite a backstory, so I’m sure it will be riveting viewing.

She started off her working life as a stripper, and would entice men to hotel rooms and steal their money.

Her fortunes changed when she became a viral sensation a decade ago on apps such as Vine and Instagram, and eventually got signed to a label and scored hit songs including Wap and I Like It.

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Cardi has not been short of controversy during her time in the showbiz spotlight, famously throwing a shoe at rival Nicki Minanj during a spat in 2018.

She has also had a difficult love life, getting married to Migos rapper Offset in 2017, and having four kids with him before they separating in 2023.

A source said: “Cardi is one of the most in-demand rappers in the world and is also one of the most interesting.

“She has lived her life in the public eye to some degree. But there’s a lot that she’s never opened up about, and this is her chance.

“Next year will mark a decade since she released her major-label debut single Bodak Yellow and so there’s a documentary in the works which will mark that.

“There’s a lot to talk about and she wants the public to see who she really is, because she often feels misunderstood.

“It’s expected to air on a big streaming service like Netflix, but the deal is still being hatched out.”

Cardi released her long-awaited second album Am I The Drama? last year and then went on a tour across North America.

And I won’t be surprised if we see her back on stage at British festivals next summer.

KOJO: LADIES RULE

Kojo Funds has worked with acts ranging from Wizkid and Tion Wayne to Kano and Bugzy Malone since bursting on to the music scene a decade ago.

But the British singer has saluted the work ethic of top women in the industry and says they have inspired him.

His biggest chart hit to date is 2017 collaboration Finders Keepers with Mabel, and has also worked with Raye on a 2018 track called Check.

Kojo said in an exclusive interview: “Female artists who are operating at that level take their craft seriously. Put effort into what you’re doing, don’t do it anyhow.

“They’re very hard-working, I respect them for that. The work ethic… that’s the kind of thing I took from them.”

Kojo’s new single How Many will be on his EP Hello It’s Me Again, which is out on August 21.

And one person who’s bound to be giving it a spin is Cardi B.

Recalling how the US rapper discovered his music, he said: “Her first time in London, she went to a club and they were playing my music.

“Dun Talkin’ came on and she saw how people were hyping her up while she was moving to it.

“The next morning, she’s on Instagram singing it, with her hair messy, a little bit tipsy.”

They’ve since performed together and hung out, so I’m hoping a collaboration with her is on the cards next.

DANCING On Ice beauty Vanessa Bauer has been tipped for a career in Hollywood by Football Factory and The Business actor Tamer Hassan.

She has re-trained after the ITV show was axed, and plays Tamer’s girlfriend in new film Rise Of The Footsoldier: Retribution.

On how great she was playing Isabella Chaika opposite his character, Colonel Sullivan, he told me: “Vanessa has a future in films, 100 per cent.

She looks great, she carries herself well.

“She’s definitely got some chops to be an actress.”

Vanessa joined Dancing On Ice in 2018 when the show was revived.

She won with Jake Quickenden, and was a runner-up several times with celebs including Diversity’s Perri Kiely and Towie’s Joey Essex.

But the show ended again in 2025 and now she is exploring new paths, having also appeared in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club.

THE race for No1 is hotting up.

Shakira’s Dai Dai now is just 118 copies ahead of Sam Fender and Olivia Dean’s Rein Me In – closing the gap from 609 copies the previous day.

The World Cup anthem will be her third chart-topper if she can hang on to the lead until Friday.

But if Rein Me In can clinch it, it will become the longest-running No1 of all time, with 19 weeks at the top.

ROMCOM TOO TOUGH FOR CHRIS

OSCAR-winning director Christopher Nolan says there’s one genre that’s too hard for him to tackle – the romcom.

The man behind movies such as Oppenheimer, Interstellar and The Dark Knight would be “terrified” at the prospect of making one.

The Brit whose new epic The Odyssey is No1 at the box office, explained: “I think doing a romcom would be incredibly difficult.

I love watching those movies. But no, I think people who direct comedy, people who do comedy . . .  that’s one of the hardest things in the world, to make people laugh that way.

“If I show a film to people and maybe they don’t respond to bits of it, I’m like, ‘Ah, they don’t get it. Whatever’. There’s no hiding behind that when you do comedy, so I would be terrified.”

TYLA POPS TO UK ON TOUR

TYLA is hitting the road for a 34-date global tour following the release last week of her second album A*POP.

The Chanel singer has announced she will open the tour in Paris on October 12 before shows at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on October 15 the O2 Apollo Manchester on October 19 and O2 Academy Glasgow on October 18.

Tickets will go on sale at 10am this Friday through tylaworld.com.

Zara’s latest feet

THERE was no chance of Zara Larsson getting cold feet about her latest brand deal with these slippers.

She wore the funky footwear – designed as giant feet in flip flops – while reclining on a sofa as part of a campaign for re-sale site Depop.

Zara put 30 pieces of clothing from her own wardrobe up for sale, and they sold out almost straight away.

She said: “I’m not particularly sad about releasing anything of mine into the world because I know I’m gonna get many more beautiful things back. Fashion is fun in that way.”

Given all the designer brands desperate for her to wear their clothes, I am sure she has plenty of options.

LIFE OF RILEY FOR RAY AND DANNY

DANNY DYER and Ray Winstone are teaming up again, two decades after appearing in TV film All In The Game.

The hardmen, pictured together in 2006, have been cast in UK crime thriller Going Under, which is due to hit cinemas next spring.

Production on the film has just been completed, after being shot in secret.

It will follow Ray’s gangster character Riley and his right-hand man Don, played by Danny, trying to pull off one final deal.

Charli’s bra-t summer

CHARLI XCX is ready for our fourth heatwave of the summer – and has stripped off to prepare.

She shared this photo of her wearing a bra and sunglasses on Instagram, just as it was revealed there will be a picture of the singer going on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

A 2024 photo of Charli in a white crop top, which was taken by Harley Weir and used to promote her album Brat, has been added to the gallery’s collection and will be in its History Makers Now space.

Senior curator Brandei Estes said: “We are delighted to acquire this striking portrait of Charli XCX, which captures one of the defining cultural figures of her generation.”

WILD Child actress Emma Roberts has tied the knot to afellow screen star Cody John.

Emma, who appeared in American Horror Story and is the niece of Hollywood A-lister Julia Roberts, wore a Monique Lhuillier dress, and told Vogue: “I’ve been married in a movie before, and I tried out wedding dresses for that, which feels so weird. Now, it’s the real deal.

“I wanted it to feel very vintage-inspired.”

The couple started dating in 2022.

LIZ & BILLY LOVE BIRDWATCHING

LIZ HURLEY has revealed the secret to her romance with Billy Ray Cyrus is a shared love of birdwatching.

She said: “We’ve been together nearly 18 months, but we spend the vast majority of our time in the countryside, whether it’s in England or Tennessee.

“We like doing the same things, which some people would think is a little odd. We like bird watching. We’ve got binoculars, we’ve got long lenses.”

The relationship has been especially good for her son, filmmaker Damian, who has been able to meet Billy’s superstar daughter Miley.

Liz added on SiriusXM’s Andy Cohen Live in the US: “When he was a young teen, he used to love all her music. I used to have to watch her music videos like Wrecking Ball a zillion times with him, so we were very familiar with who she was, and I knew I was going to like her, and I do like her.”