--- title: "My Mad Fat Diary" year: 2013 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/my-mad-fat-diary" fi1m_id: "my-mad-fat-diary" imdb_id: "tt2407574" tmdb_id: 60616 wikidata_id: "Q6945992" fi1m_score: 88 critics_reviews: 3 published: "2026-10-07T16:38:44.674407+00:00" updated: "2026-10-07T16:38:45.295272+00:00" region: "AZ" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # My Mad Fat Diary (2013) Created by Rae Earl · 45m · Comedy, Drama ## Identity My Mad Fat Diary - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/my-mad-fat-diary - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** my-mad-fat-diary - **IMDb ID:** tt2407574 - **TMDB ID:** 60616 - **Wikidata ID:** Q6945992 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2407574/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/60616, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6945992 **Fi1m score: 88** · Critics: 3 of 6 reviews so far *In a sentence:* A teenage diary that makes us laugh, then regret having been quite so quick to join in > Sharon Rooney makes this funny, frank teenage drama worth the discomfort. Its account of mental illness and body image is unusually humane, though the urge to offer reassurance sometimes gets ahead of the writing. ## Synopsis Rachel ‘Rae’ Earl (Sharon Rooney) is a teenager living with mental illness and anxiety about her body, while trying to make space for the rest of being young. Her world includes Finn Nelson (Nico Mirallegro), Chloe Gemell (Jodie Comer) and Archie (Dan Cohen). Rae keeps a diary, recording thoughts she does not always stop to examine before she writes them down. Her account brings us close to the scrutiny she turns on herself and the difficulty of finding ease among other people. Humour and distress sit alongside each other as she tries to work out who she can be. ## Review *My Mad Fat Diary* is funny, painful television, and we recommend it with a reservation about its occasional eagerness to reassure. Created by Rae Earl, it treats a teenager’s mental illness and distress about her body as part of a life that still has to be lived. There is room for awkwardness, bad judgement and a sense of humour. That last quality matters: Rae gets to be funny without having to be fine. Sharon Rooney plays Rachel ‘Rae’ Earl with a naturalness that makes the more demonstrative storytelling worth accepting. Her performance keeps the jokes close to the self-consciousness that produces them, so laughing never feels quite uncomplicated. We laughed at Rae’s unfiltered account of herself, then felt uneasy about how readily we had joined in. The lead performance makes clear how much distress can sit inside a funny observation about one’s own body. Tom Bidwell’s writing allows the humour to remain sharp without making Rae’s mental health into an easy explanation for everything she says. She has a personality, including thoughts that are unfair or unhelpful, and the programme does not need us to approve of each one. This is where it improves on the tidier sort of teenage drama. The comedy remains part of how Rae thinks about herself and other people. The voiceover is central to that closeness, and it is also where the programme risks overdoing things. With Tim Kirkby and Benjamin Caron among its directors, the series uses its conspicuous visual style to keep us inside Rae’s account rather than watching her from a comfortable distance. We occasionally wanted it to trust Sharon Rooney’s performance without so much help. She can make the turmoil believable without every thought needing further emphasis. Jodie Comer plays Chloe Gemell, and the series benefits from allowing Chloe to be more than someone seen through Rae’s anxiety. Giving her a perspective of her own makes the teenage world feel less conveniently arranged around its lead. It also challenges the temptation to take every judgement in a diary as settled fact. The second series is particularly good at making room for that complication while keeping the humour alive. Our reservation is that the reassurance can become too easy, particularly in the second series. A programme this alert to confused feelings ought to be able to leave us with more of them unresolved; occasionally the wish to comfort takes precedence. The warmth is welcome, but there are moments when it seems to arrive before the difficult work has been done. This does not undo the performances, though it makes the writing feel less exact. Across three series and 16 episodes, with episodes running 45 minutes, this is a manageable commitment rather than an endless one. Its frankness about mental illness and body image makes it more demanding than those numbers suggest, and the comedy is no guarantee of a comfortable evening. We would recommend it most strongly to anyone tired of teenage characters whose troubles exist chiefly to teach a lesson. Start with an episode rather than treating all 16 as a weekend assignment. *Fi1m score 88, published 7 October 2026.* ## Straight answers **Is My Mad Fat Diary worth watching?** *My Mad Fat Diary* is well worth watching for its funny, humane account of teenage mental illness and body image; we score it 88 out of 100. Sharon Rooney keeps Rae’s humour inseparable from her distress, though the writing sometimes offers reassurance before it has worked through the difficult feelings. We recommend it for frank teenage drama rather than comfortable viewing. **How long is My Mad Fat Diary, and what is it rated?** *My Mad Fat Diary* has episodes of about 45m. It is a comedy and drama series. **Where can I watch My Mad Fat Diary in Azerbaijan?** *My Mad Fat Diary* is not on any streaming or rental service in Azerbaijan at the moment. It is available in 6 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is My Mad Fat Diary, and is it suitable for children?** *My Mad Fat Diary* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for younger children; its frank treatment of mental illness and body image can make it emotionally demanding. We would recommend it to older teenagers comfortable with those subjects, with the caution that its humour does not make Rae’s distress easier to watch. **How does My Mad Fat Diary compare to Eighth Grade?** *My Mad Fat Diary* and [*Eighth Grade*](https://film.one/film/eighth-grade) both make teenage self-consciousness funny and painful, and we recommend them for much the same reasons. We favour the series for viewers wanting sustained attention to mental illness, body image and friendships; the film suits those wanting a shorter encounter with teenage social anxiety. Both benefit from lead performances stronger than the writing’s occasional insistence on sympathy. **What should I watch after My Mad Fat Diary?** After *My Mad Fat Diary*, try [*Eighth Grade*](https://film.one/film/eighth-grade) (2018, Fi1m 84): Another painfully close account of teenage self-consciousness, with humour allowed to sting. Then [*Beautiful Thing*](https://film.one/film/beautiful-thing) (1996, Fi1m 80): A tender teenage romance with room for embarrassment, jokes and longing. ### Reviews we read (3) - **The AV Club**, Myles McNutt (A): McNutt gives the series an enthusiastic recommendation, praising its honest, nuanced portrayal of a teenager navigating mental illness and body image. He singles out Sharon Rooney’s lead performance and the show’s distinctive use of voiceover and visual style. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-brilliant-my-mad-fat-diary-finally-comes-stateside-1798187674) - **The Guardian**, Sam Wollaston (90/100, inferred): Wollaston praises the series as honest, painful, realistic and very funny. He singles out Sharon Rooney’s natural, utterly believable lead performance. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/jan/14/my-mad-fat-diary-review) - **Digital Spy**, Catriona Wightman (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the second series consistently funny, heartbreaking and insightful, despite an overly happy ending. They praise its honest portrayal of teenage turmoil and its powerful shift to Chloe’s point of view. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a561141/my-mad-fat-diary-review-how-did-series-two-measure-up/) ## Details - **Created by:** Rae Earl - **Creator:** Rae Earl - **Director:** Benjamin Caron, Tim Kirkby - **Writer:** Tom Bidwell - **Producer:** Matthew Bouch - **Cast:** Sharon Rooney as Rachel 'Rae' Earl; Nico Mirallegro as Finn Nelson; Jodie Comer as Chloe Gemell; Dan Cohen as Archie; Ciara Baxendale as Izzy; Jordan Murphy as Arnold 'Chop' Peters; Darren Evans as Danny Two Hats; Turlough Convery as Liam Owen - **Runtime:** 45m - **Release (Azerbaijan):** 14 January 2013 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tmqLvgUd-s ## Where to watch in Azerbaijan Not streaming, renting or buying in Azerbaijan at the last check. Also available in: CA, FR, GB, IE, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Eighth Grade* (2018), Fi1m 84: Another painfully close account of teenage self-consciousness, with humour allowed to sting. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/eighth-grade.md) - *Please Like Me* (2013): Mental illness, awkward relationships and everyday comedy receive patient, unsentimental attention. - *Girlhood* (2014): Friendship and belonging receive close attention without making adolescence look easy. - *Linda Linda Linda* (2005): Schoolgirl friendship and band practice offer a gentler evening of teenage awkwardness. - *Beautiful Thing* (1996), Fi1m 80: A tender teenage romance with room for embarrassment, jokes and longing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/beautiful-thing.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/my-mad-fat-diary