Sara Pascoe: IVF journey paved my comedy path

Comedian Sara Pascoe has expressed that individuals undergoing IVF treatment should feel immense pride, describing it as a significant challenge to one's body. Pascoe, who welcomed her two sons via IVF in 2022 and 2023, shared her perspective on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs.

She stated that discussing IVF in her comedy routines felt like a constructive approach to addressing a subject that often leads to feelings of isolation. Pascoe recounted that the IVF process was initially too emotionally raw for her to joke about, leading her to wait until after her children were born before sharing her experiences publicly.

Pascoe elaborated that she felt ready to incorporate her IVF journey into her stand-up only after her eldest son, Theo, was eight months old. She explained that the safety of knowing her son had survived and was healthy provided the emotional distance needed to discuss the topic humorously and connect with others facing similar situations.

During the interview, Pascoe also touched upon her decision to openly discuss personal matters, including a past abortion at age 17, which she wrote about in her autobiography. She noted that her agent had advised against including an anecdote about her abortion in her 2016 book, but Pascoe felt the importance of sharing outweighed concerns about privacy.

The full episode featuring Sara Pascoe on Desert Island Discs is scheduled to air on BBC Radio 4 and will be available on BBC Sounds from Sunday at 10:00 GMT.