Sofie Hagen (born November 10, 1988) is a London-based Danish comedian,[1] author,podcaster, fashion designer,[2] andfat acceptance campaigner. She has toured with comedy shows, released a book and hosted and co-hosted a number ofpodcasts.
Sofie Hagen was born in Denmark, on 10 November 1988.[3]
Hagen started doing stand-up in Danish in 2010, in Copenhagen.[4] In 2012, Hagen performed on Danish TV showZulu Comedy Galla.
Hagen moved to London in September 2012 to perform regular comedy.[5] In 2013,Time Out identified Hagen as "One to Watch".[6] Hagen won the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year the same year.[7] In 2014, Hagen won the Chortle Best Newcomer Award for which Hagen was nominated alongsidePierre Novellie,Tim Renkow andJonny Pelham.[8]
In July 2016, Hagen appeared in theChannel 4 miniseriesOutsiders.[20] Hagen took their second solo show,Shimmer Shatter to theEdinburgh Festival Fringe in August.[21][22] Hagen attempted to make the next tour welcoming for fans with anxiety issues by allowing them to make contact before shows to let Hagen know their needs. Hagen asked the majority of venues on the tour to provide gender neutral toilets.[23]
The Guardian describes Hagen on stage as having "an easy charm ... and an ability to combine delicate subject matter with big, accessible laughs."[24]
Hagen took the third solo showDead Baby Frog to theEdinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2017. The show about childhood trauma[25] was described as "urgent, raw and confessional" byThe Guardian[26] and "a compelling tale of resistance and breaking free from the shackles of tyranny" byThe List.[27]
Hagen espouses thefat acceptance movement. In January 2018, Hagen wrote an article inThe Guardian calling for people to stop dieting, labelling it as "boring", "triggering", and "neither feminist – nor healthy".[28] In February 2018, Hagen gained attention for calling forCancer Research UK to pull their controversial[29][30][31] campaign that, based on cancer research, listed obesity as the second most common cause of cancer. After directing comments towards the cancer charity on Twitter,[32] Hagen described the campaign as "dangerous".[33]
In 2019, Hagen took the fourth solo show The Bumswing to theEdinburgh Festival Fringe. The List wrote "everything has a purpose in this beautifully created narrative with an apparently deliciously unreliable narrator." about the show, which Hagen described as being " about memory and swings specifically for bums".[34]
In 2019, Hagen had a debut bookHappy Fat – Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You published by 4th Estate. The book is described as "part memoir, part social commentary,Happy Fat is a funny, angry and impassioned look at how taking up space can be radical, emboldening and life-changing."[35]
From 2020-2023 Hagen co-hosted a BBC Sounds true crime podcastBad People with psychologist and popular science writerJulia Shaw.[36]
In her second book,Will I Ever Have Sex Again?, Hagen discusses being celibate for several years after experiencing rejection, humiliation, and sexual assault. The book was published byBlink in May 2024.[37][38]
In 2018, Hagen created theSecret Dinosaur Cultpodcast with fellow comedianJodie Mitchell. Their episodes were recorded in front of a live audience in London, at their so-called cult meetings. The podcast ended on April 11, 2020 after 48 episodes, due to COVID.[55]
From 2020 to 2023, Hagen co-hosted a true crime podcast onBBC Radio 4,Bad People with criminal psychologistJulia Shaw.[56]
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