Christian Jessen

Christian Spencer Jessen (born 4 March 1977) is a British physician, 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).

Christian Jessen
Born
Christian Spencer Jessen

(1977-03-04) 4 March 1977
London, United Kingdom
Education
  • MBBS
  • MSc
Alma materUppingham School
University College London
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Occupation
  • Physician
  • television personality
  • writer
Television
Partner(s)Rogerio Barreto
Websitehttp://www.christianjessen.co.uk

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 for two years in Kenya and Uganda.[2] As well as his television career, Jessen is a doctor with Doctorcall at 121 Harley Street, central London. 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'. He was also the winner of the BBC show Antiques Master.

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’

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-started and produced a documentary series for television called Dr Christian: 12 hours to cure your Street in which he travels across the UK in a mobile clinic to treat individuals in their hometowns. Visiting a range of areas, Dr Christian will be racing against the clock as he attempts to do as many house calls and appointments as he can within a 12-hour shift. His Co-star was Sara Katyat[11]

Writing

He is the author of Dr Christian's Guide to Growing Up (2013), a book aimed at children and adolescents dealing with question about puberty and sexuality.[12][13] He has also written the books Can I Just Ask? (2010), Dr Christian's Guide to Dealing with the Tricky Stuff (2015) and Dr Christian's Guide to You (2016).[14][15][16]

Controversies

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.[17][18] The owner of the pharmacy, Mason Soiza, has previously faced accusations of running escort agencies and WordPress plugin scams.[19][20]

In 2015, The Daily Star obtained a series of private messages shared by Jessen in a sexually-explicit chat on a gay dating app, in which Jessen claimed he was in possession of class B drug mephedrone, the 'date-rape' drug GHB and cannabis and he appeared to boast about drug use.[21]

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.[22]

Personal life

Jessen's father is from Germany.[23]

Jessen is gay; his partner, Rogerio Barreto, is Brazilian.[24][25] The couple live near the River Thames in South London.

Jessen is an atheist and a humanist. He is a patron of Humanists UK, a charity which advocates for secularism, equalities, and human rights.[26]

He has an interest in antique Bronzes; in 2010, he won a celebrity edition of the quiz show Antiques Master with this as his specialist subject. He is also knowledgeable about and collects anything from the European Empire period 1800–1820, reflecting his fascination with the mindset of Napoleon.

He has stated that he has muscle dysmorphia.[27]

Jessen endorsed Boris Johnson during the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.[28]

Filmography
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2007–2015Embarrassing BodiesPresenterFormerly Embarrassing Illnesses
2007Doctor, DoctorHimself1 episode
Sex in CourtJudge
2008–2009Embarrassing Teenage BodiesPresenterEmbarrassing Bodies spin-off
2008–2014Supersize vs Superskinny
2009, 2010Angela and FriendsHimself17 episodes, weekly "Health and Medicine" segment
2010–2011Embarrassing Bodies: KidsPresenterEmbarrassing Bodies spin-off
2010One Born at ChristmasDoctor6-part One Born Every Minute spin-off
The Ugly Face of BeautyPresenter
2011Supersize vs Superskinny KidsSupersize vs Superskinny spin-off
Stephen Fry's 100 Greatest GadgetsHimselfTV documentary
MongrelsOne episode
A Night with the StarsTV documentary
2011—2012Embarrassing Fat BodiesPresenterEmbarrassing Bodies spin-off
2012Hotel GBHealth and fitness expert
2012, 2014Stand Up To CancerPresenterLive charity telethon
2012Drugs Live: The Ecstasy TrialTwo part live documentary
2013, 2014Embarrassing Bodies Down UnderHimselfEmbarrassing Bodies spin-off
2014Undercover Doctor: Cure Me I'm GayPresenter[29]
2017–presentDoctor Christian Will See You Now
2018–presentDr Christian: 12 Hours to Cure your StreetPresenter, DoctorRunning a mobile clinic treating real people in their own homes around the UK
Guest appearances

References
  1. "General Medical Council: Doctor Record: Christian Spencer JESSEN". GMC Medical Register. General Medical Council. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  2. "Dr Christian Jessen (biography)". Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  3. "Dr Christian Jessen and Mayor of Lambeth promote HIV Testing Week". London-SE1. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  4. "Channel 4, Embarrassing Bodies, Health, Dr Jessen, Advice, Doctor, Profile, from channel4.com/bodies". Archived from the original on 2 May 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
  5. Embarrassing Bodies Down Under recap: Are Aussies really as unhealthy as the Brits? – Sydney Morning Herald – published 29 October 2013
  6. "Episode 20, Series 19, Ready Steady Cook – BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  7. "London's hottest doctor on sexual health, size zero and David Cameron". 5 May 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  8. "Channel 4's Dr Christian asks: Cure me, I'm Gay". Channel 4. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  9. Cosslett, Rhiannon Lucy (21 March 2014). "Dr Christian Jessen: 'The public's thirst for gory medical things is insatiable'". The Guardian. London, England. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  10. Percival, Ashley (30 November 2015). "Dr Christian Explains Why He Didn't Wear Gloves For 'Loose Women' HIV Test". HuffPost. New York City. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. Cite web| url=https://w.uktv.co.uk/shows/dr-christian-12-hours-cure-your-street/%7Ctitle=Dr%5B%5D Christian: 12 Hours to cure your Street|publisher=UKTV|date=2018
  12. "Dr Christian's Guide To Growing Up". Goodreads. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  13. "Welcome to the Official website of Dr Christian Jessen". drchristianjessen.com. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  14. Jessen, Christian (1 November 2010). Can I Just Ask?: The 250+ Curious Questions that Off-Duty Doctors Are Most Often Asked. Hay House, Inc. ISBN 9781848504233.
  15. Jessen, Christian (1 January 2015). Dr Christian's Guide to Dealing with the Tricky Stuff. Scholastic UK. ISBN 9781407153926.
  16. Jessen, Dr Christian (5 May 2016). Dr Christian's Guide to You. Scholastic UK. ISBN 9781407165455.
  17. Kirkland, Faye (6 August 2018). "Safety concerns over websites selling prescription drugs". BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  18. Lewis, Grace (7 August 2018). "GPhC looking into concerns about online pharmacy featured on Panorama". Chemist + Druggist. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  19. Kenber, Billy (28 July 2018). "Web entrepreneur faces inquiry over online sale of painkillers". The Times. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  20. Moen, Dan (8 August 2018). "Known WordPress Threat Actor Under Investigation For Prescription-Free Online Pharmacy". Wordfence. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  21. "Dr Christian Jessen To Meet Channel 4 Bosses After Making Drugs Claims On Gay Dating App Grindr". HuffPost. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  22. "Coronavirus: Dr Christian Jessen says Italians are using pandemic as an excuse for 'long siesta'". Independent. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  23. Room 101, s15 e6
  24. "Dr Christian Jessen on Being a Gay Doctor". Ditch the Label. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  25. Laws, Roz (10 May 2009). "Dr Christian Jessen reveals what shocks him". Sunday Mercury. Retrieved 31 May 2009.
  26. "Dr Christian Jessen". British Humanist Association. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  27. https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/health/i-weigh-14-stone-but-in-my-head-i-m-a-7-stone-weakling-6712069.html "I weigh 14 stone but in my head, I'm a 7 stone weakling"
  28. Lewis, Rebecca (22 June 2019). "Dr Christian Jessen throws support behind Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson". Metro. Retrieved 22 June 2019.
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