Darren Harriott talks to consultant clinical psychologist Dr Denise Ratcliffe about the messy, maddening and very human psychology of body image. From childhood comments that stick to the exhausting on-off diet cycle, emotional eating, weight stigma and the reality of bariatric surgery and weight-loss jabs, this is a smart, funny and deeply compassionate conversation about why bodies are never just bodies, and why shame leads to weight gain.

Welcome to ImPerfect: the podcast for anyone who has ever looked in the mirror, opened Instagram, heard the words “BMI”, “clean eating” or “wellness journey”, and immediately needed a lie down.

In this inaugural episode, Darren is joined by NHS doctor, registered associate nutritionist and author Dr Joshua Wolrich to chew the proverbial fat about this lovely marketing term: food noise, about where society has driven body image, weight stigma and the many creative ways diet culture has convinced us to mistrust ourselves.

From personalised “unfattening” trainers and the tyranny of BMI to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, social media algorithms and the dream of an internet filled only with cats, shelves and food that is just allowed to be food, this episode asks what it might take to build a kinder relationship with our bodies. WE LOVED IT.

Why are we making a show about self esteem and body image? What can you expect from us? And who are we bringing on to school us on all of this?

Listen to our trailer and find out what's coming soon!