Christian Jessen

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File:Dr. Christian Jessen in Roald Dahl’s Most Marvellous Book 2016.jpg
Jessen in "Roald Dahl’s Most Marvellous Book" (2016)

Christian Spencer Jessen (born 4 March 1977) is an English celebrity doctor, television personality, and writer. He is best known for appearing in the Channel 4 programmes Embarrassing Bodies (2007–2015) and Supersize vs Superskinny (2008–2014).

Education

Jessen was educated at Uppingham School, a co-educational independent school situated in the small market town of Uppingham in Rutland, followed by University College London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, both constituent colleges of the University of London in Central London, where he received his MBBS degrees in 2001.[1]

Career

Jessen studied medicine as an undergraduate at University College London, graduating in 2001.[1] He holds a MSc degree in sexual health, and has a particular interest in HIV and malaria, which were the focus of his work in Kenya and Uganda.[2] An advocate for HIV education and testing, in 2015, he was named National HIV Testing Week Ambassador.[3]

Television

From 2007 to 2015, Jessen co-presented Embarrassing Bodies alongside Pixie McKenna and Dawn Harper. The show has had a number of spin-off series including Embarrassing Teenage Bodies, Embarrassing Bodies: Kids and Embarrassing Fat Bodies.[4]

Another spin off was set in Australia in 2013 called Embarrassing Bodies Down Under, which Jessen co-hosted with Brad McKay, Ginni Mansberg, and Sam Hay.[5]

He presented Channel 4's Supersize vs Superskinny series from 2008 until 2014.

In 2012, Jessen appeared as the health and fitness expert in Hotel GB. He was the winner of popular culinary show Ready Steady Cook[6] and has appeared as a celebrity contestant on The Weakest Link.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". He was also the winner of the BBC show Antiques Master.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

He was Jack Osbourne's doctor during the filming of Finding God, and also featured in Harley Street, a documentary.[7] Other television appearances include Sex in Court and The Wright Stuff.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

In 2012 and 2014, he co-presented the Stand Up to Cancer telethon alongside Davina McCall and Alan Carr.

In 2014, he produced and starred in a documentary series for television called Undercover Doctor: Cure Me I’m Gay.[8] In the series, Jessen investigates therapies purported to be "cures" for homosexuality.[9]

In an appearance on Loose Women, Jessen performed a live HIV test on a woman and drew criticism for not wearing protective gloves. Jessen defended his actions and called for more understanding on how HIV spreads.[10]

In 2018, he co-starred and produced a documentary series for UKTV Play called Dr Christian: 12 hours to cure your Street, in which he travelled across the UK in a mobile clinic to treat individuals in their hometowns.[11]

Writing

He is the author of Can I Just Ask? (2010).[12] He has also written three books for adolescents: Dr Christian's Guide to Growing Up (2013),[13] Dr Christian's Guide to Dealing with the Tricky Stuff (2015)[14] and Dr Christian's Guide to You (2016).[15]

Controversies

BBC Panorama investigation

In August 2018, a BBC Panorama documentary investigation revealed Jessen's involvement in a private online pharmacy, UK Meds. Such sites are believed to allow people to purchase potentially dangerous prescriptions with ease and cannot be regulated by the Care Quality Commission due to a loophole allowing them to issue prescriptions via third party doctors in Romania.[16][17] The owner of the pharmacy, Mason Soiza, has previously faced accusations of running escort agencies and WordPress plugin scams.[18][19]

A spokesperson for Jessen told Panorama that "he was engaged by UK Meds to present short information videos about various medical conditions and that he does not prescribe medication, nor does he endorse a specific product, service or brand."[16]

COVID pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessen sparked criticism for comments, saying that Italian COVID-19 countermeasures were an "excuse for a long siesta". He also commented on the severity of the pandemic, regarding it only as a case of bad cold and scaremongering by the media.[20]

Arlene Foster

In 2020, the First Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster launched legal action against Jessen for defamation over a tweet in December 2019 that falsely claimed she had been having an extra-marital affair.[21] The tweet was not deleted until two weeks after it was posted. In court, Foster alleged that the tweet was posted at a time when some anonymous Twitter accounts were claiming she was having an affair with one of her security guards. It was further alleged that Jessen had been contacted 13 times by email and letter about it but had not answered.[22] In May 2021, Mr Justice McAlinden awarded Foster £125,000 in damages and full costs after Jessen lost the case, describing his conduct as "an outrageously bad libel". The judge added that Jessen's failure to apologise for or to retract the libel were aggravating features.[23]

Personal life

Jessen is gay and his partner, Rogério Barreto, is Brazilian.[24][25] His father is German and his mother is English.[26]

He is an atheist, a humanist, and a patron of Humanists UK, a charity that advocates for secularism, equalities, and human rights.[27] He has stated that he has muscle dysmorphia.[28]

He endorsed Boris Johnson during the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.[29]

Filmography

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007–2015 Embarrassing Bodies Presenter Formerly Embarrassing Illnesses
2007 Doctor, Doctor Himself 1 episode
Sex in Court Judge
2008–2009 Embarrassing Teenage Bodies Presenter Embarrassing Bodies spin-off
2008–2014 Supersize vs Superskinny
2009, 2010 Angela and Friends Himself 17 episodes, weekly "Health and Medicine" segment
2010–2011 Embarrassing Bodies: Kids Presenter Embarrassing Bodies spin-off
2010 One Born at Christmas Doctor 6-part One Born Every Minute spin-off
The Ugly Face of Beauty Presenter
2011 Supersize vs Superskinny Kids Supersize vs Superskinny spin-off
Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest Gadgets Himself TV documentary
Mongrels One episode
A Night with the Stars TV documentary
2011–2012 Embarrassing Fat Bodies Presenter Embarrassing Bodies spin-off
2012 Hotel GB Health and fitness expert
2012, 2014 Stand Up to Cancer Presenter Live charity telethon
2012 Drugs Live: The Ecstasy Trial Two part live documentary
2013, 2014 Embarrassing Bodies Down Under Himself Embarrassing Bodies spin-off
2014 Undercover Doctor: Cure Me I'm Gay Presenter [30]
2017–2018 Doctor Christian Will See You Now
2018 Dr Christian: 12 Hours to Cure your Street Presenter, Doctor Running a mobile clinic treating people in homes around the UK
Guest appearances

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References

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External links

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