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Mo Gilligan eats nothing but fried chicken for 28 days in his new Netflix documentary.
The award-winning British comedian stars in Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy, which examines the history of fried chicken and how the “big business” of fast food and factory farming affect human health and the environment.
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Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy is the first investigative documentary from Gilligan, who is best known for his work as an observational comic and TV host.
In addition to eating fried chicken three times per day for a month, Gilligan investigated the food’s popularity and learned about both its historical origins and how its ubiquitous marketing and production are affecting people today.
Writing on Instagram, Gilligan said, “I thought I knew chicken. Turns out, I knew nowhere near enough. From South London to the US, I wanted to understand where our obsession with fried chicken comes from, who profits from it, what it means for our health and the planet, and why this one food carries so much history.”
He added, “As a Black British comedian, it was important for me to challenge the stereotypes around Black people and fried chicken, unpack where those ideas came from, and reclaim a dish that’s part of a much bigger story than the one we’ve been told.”
The film is produced by Mindhouse, the company behind Netflix’s Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere and Channel 4’s How to Get Rich with Gary Stevenson.
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‘I can’t wait for you all to see it’
Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy features commentary from people on the street, health experts, and industry workers. Gilligan also visits factory farms and sees firsthand how factory farms pollute the soil, air, and water of their neighbors.
Gilligan said, “I met some incredible people along the way, from historians and farmers to nutrition experts and industry insiders. Every conversation taught me something. This is probably the most exposing thing I’ve ever done, and I can’t wait for you all to see it.”
The new documentary has been compared to 2004’s Super Size Me, which followed filmmaker Morgan Spurlock as he ate nothing but McDonald’s food for 30 days. It has also been compared to Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!, which came out in 2017.
Big Chicken: A Fast Food Conspiracy is streaming on Netflix from August 5, 2026.
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