It has never been Danny Beard’s style to dress things up. In the first few minutes of his interview with Anna Richardson on her podcast, the Drag Race UK winner discusses something much less glamorous than lip-syncs and sequins: his choice to begin using Ozempic. Since he almost casually acknowledged that he had purchased the drug in private to address a problem he had carried since childhood, the subject has been on his mind for several months.
As is customary with these stories, the numbers came first. Within a week, four and a half pounds were gone. Beard kept returning to that particular detail, which made the nausea and vertigo seem worthwhile. He recalls thinking, “I don’t think I can do this again”, but he completely changed his mind after stepping on the scale. Anyone who has followed the rise in weight-loss injections over the past few years will recognize the pattern: the discomfort comes first, and the relief comes just in time to keep people addicted.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Daniel Curtis (Kknown professionally as Danny Beard) |
| Age | 32 |
| Profession | Drag performer, broadcaster, singer |
| Known For | Winner, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, Season 4 |
| Hometown | Liverpool, England |
| Weight Loss Method | Privately prescribed Ozempic (semaglutide) |
| Reported Side Effects | Nausea, dizziness, digestive issues |
| Public Disclosure | Interview on the “It Can’t Just Be Me” podcast with Anna Richardson |
| Reality TV Appearance | Celebrity Big Brother contestant |
| Relationship Status | In a relationship (partner referenced in interview) |
The weight loss itself isn’t what distinguishes Beard’s account. Many celebrities have discreetly acknowledged taking semaglutide medications, frequently using ambiguous, PR-approved language about “lifestyle changes”. Beard was not ambiguous. He gave an unapologetic account of the gastrointestinal turmoil caused by the drug, a side effect that most people only discuss with their doctor rather than a large national audience. He claimed that one night, following a performance, he dozed off on a cream sofa and woke up with his boyfriend lying next to him after an accident. It’s the kind of story that is embarrassing to share and even more embarrassing not to.
The candor with which he disclosed it was almost defiant. He told Richardson, “I feel like I’m putting people off it, but I just want to be honest”, and that statement has a lot of impact. It implies that he was aware of the danger of being open about the negative aspects of weight-loss medications, which could deter people from using a treatment that many people are already using. He appeared to conclude that honesty was more important than appearance.
Additionally, Beard’s boyfriend observed a change in Beard’s mood, which he called “miserable” himself. In discussions about Ozempic, which frequently narrowly concentrate on numbers and side effects rather than emotional cost, that detail tends to be overlooked. The straightforward before-and-after story that is promoted around these medications may be complicated if weight loss occurs while mental and physical health deteriorates. Beard did not provide a neat solution to that conflict. He merely gave a description.
Beneath it all is a much older narrative about body image, emotional eating, and the kind of validation that comes from having strangers compliment your appearance. Beard was direct about that aspect as well, acknowledging that receiving compliments made him feel “valued” and “attractive” in a way he hadn’t felt for the majority of his life. He remarked, “It’s terrible to say, but it’s the truth”. In the midst of the headlines about bowel accidents and bookmakers’ odds, it’s easy to overlook the sadness in that admission.
It’s important to keep in mind that Beard had a difficult relationship with food from an early age, years of fad diets prior to the introduction of semaglutide, and a real history of bullying as a teenager. The NHS has repeatedly warned against using prescription drugs outside of clinical supervision, and none of that justifies or mitigates the health risks associated with doing so. It does make it more difficult to conclude that this was just vanity. Beard believes that weight has a deeper connection to things like attractiveness, belonging, and being noticed.
It remains to be seen if his candor influences how fans or other public figures discuss these substances. In entertainment circles, Ozempic and similar drugs have become so commonplace that an admission such as Beard’s hardly qualifies as scandal anymore it’s practically expected. The degree of detail and the willingness to discuss both the validation and the humiliation rather than just the flattering after-photo are still uncommon.
One version of this tale concludes with a neat lesson about accepting oneself or the risks associated with using medications without supervision. That’s not really what Beard’s account offers. It sits somewhere messier, torn between relief and humiliation, self-assurance and unease, a dirty couch and a compliment that, for once, made him feel important. More than any one statistic, that contradiction is arguably the most truthful statement he has made about it.
It’s difficult to ignore how quickly the conversation broke down as you watch the response develop online. Beard was commended by some for defying the polished celebrity script surrounding weight-loss medications. Others were concerned, understandably, that describing such quick results in such vivid detail might encourage fans to try semaglutide without a doctor’s advice, chasing a quick number on a scale rather than the slower work that doctors typically advise. There’s probably some truth to both responses. Beard doesn’t seem to care which interpretation is correct for the time being. He left the rest up to the person listening after saying what he wanted to say, side effects and all.
i) https://shows.acast.com/it-cant-just-be-me/episodes/the-battle-to-be-skinny-with-danny-beard
ii) https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/showbiz-news/cbbs-danny-beard-feared-partner-31513092
iii) https://www.gaydio.co.uk/north-east/player/podcasts/episodes/the-battle-to-be-skinny-with-danny-beard/
iv) https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-news/cbbs-danny-beard-feared-partner-35120174
v) https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/jake-quickenden-warns-fans-over-31242321