NHS worker who competed in Gravy Wrestling Championships to ‘escape nine-to-five job’ says he now has ‘gravy addiction’

An NHS worker who competed in the World Gravy Wrestling Championships as an “escape” from his nine-to-five job has said he now has a “gravy addiction” and has the sauce with almost every meal.

Darren Machen, 45, from Featherstone, West Yorkshire, said he had always dreamed of becoming a wrestler, and while at college in 1997 he staged a jelly wrestling match with his friends.

After university, Darren fell into an NHS procurement job and later started comfort eating chocolate biscuits and crisps while doing little exercise until he reached 16st (102kg) in 2024.

However, he decided this year to compete in the World Gravy Wrestling Championships held in Lancashire, hoping the excitement would serve as an escape from his nine-to-five office job.

Competing as The Yorkshire Pudding, Darren wore a T-shirt with a picture of the favourite Sunday roast accompaniment on it, along with a rugby scrum cap, Y-front pants and a cape. He also threw frozen Yorkshire puddings into the crowd and “rolled around in a paddling pool of gravy”.

He lost nearly four stone by taking the weight-loss jab Mounjaro ahead of the annual competition, held this year on August 25.

“I’m very proud of working for the NHS but my job can be challenging,” Darren told PA Real Life.

“I’ve been longing for an escape.

“Next thing I knew I was in a scrum cap and Y-fronts, with a cape, throwing Yorkshire puddings into a 500-strong crowd, rolling around in a paddling pool of gravy.

“I gave it my all with the agility of a flying squirrel and the strength of a raging bull, but unfortunately I lost.

“I’ve developed something of a gravy addiction and I’m planning to do more bonkers events that raise money for charity.”

Growing up in Yorkshire in the 80s, Darren remembers watching wrestling on TV on Saturday afternoon with his grandparents.

“It always filled me with wonder,” he said.

“I loved the theatrics and excitement of it all. The good guys and the bad guys, people like Big Daddy and Giant Haystacks.

“I never thought in a million years I would end up wrestling in gravy though!”

Darren went to Wakefield College in 1997 where he found friends who shared his love of the sport.

“Some of them were into different kinds, like jelly or Japanese wrestling, but we all loved the bizarreness of it,” he explained.

They even staged a wrestling match in a paddling pool of jelly in the school sports hall which resulted in one of his friends being suspended.

Darren remembers the thrill of pretending to be a famous wrestler.

“It’s a shame YouTube didn’t exist then,” he said.

“Otherwise, maybe we’d be millionaires by now. Perhaps we’d have never needed a nine-to-five.”

Despite finding his passion in wrestling, Darren lacked the confidence to pursue it.

After graduating, he fell into a regular nine-to-five job and in 1998 began working in various roles for the NHS.

“My dreams of doing something unique and bizarre disappeared,” he said.

“But earlier this year, I was looking to do something exciting that would also raise money for charity.

“I’d thought about applying for the World Gravy Wrestling Championships several times before, but I’d pulled out because of nerves. This time I went for it.”

Darren said he was conscious of his weight and, with medical advice, started taking weight-loss injection Mounjaro at the start of this year.

The NHS says tirzepatide, also called Mounjaro, is a weekly injection that patients self-administer, making them feel fuller for longer and, therefore, less hungry.

Darren, who is 5ft 10in, said he dropped from 16st (102kg) to 12st 5lb (79kg), which “helped with his agility” in the wrestling arena.

To raise money for the tournament, Darren performed several stunts in character as The Yorkshire Pudding including sprints in costume up the stairs in his local Wetherspoon pub, and wrestling in gravy in his garden.

“All my colleagues thought I was kidding when I told them. They weren’t expecting it at all,” he said.

When the championships arrived, Darren said he was extremely nervous.

He put on a brave face and walked out for his bout with AC/DC anthem Thunderstruck playing as he threw his frozen Yorkshire puddings to the 500-strong crowd.

“The trouble was the competition was in deepest darkest Lancashire,” Darren said.

“I got booed! Kids were throwing their Yorkshire puddings back into the gravy arena.”

Darren was also surprised to be drawn against an opponent who was 6ft 3in.

He said the fight was unscripted, meaning the contestants had to make up the moves as they went along, which he found difficult in the circumstances.

“You’ve got gravy in your hair and eyes. You can hardly see anything,” he said.

“Still, we managed to do some great moves. I clotheslined him, he free-slammed me a few times.”

Despite his weight loss, Darren felt he could have been more agile and nimble around the ring.

Despite his best efforts, the judges voted 3-1 in favour of his opponent, and Darren also lost the popular vote from the crowd.

“I’m obviously very disappointed, but I was told it was one of the most entertaining opening matches, so I’m pleased,” he added.

Darren said the experience gave him a taste both for unusual charity fundraisers – of which he hopes to do more – and for gravy.

“I’m now addicted to it,” he said.

“I have it on just about everything now. I even sometimes just drink it on its own.”

He said it was also a challenge removing the smell after the event.

“I got there in the end with about five showers and a gallon of Lynx Africa,” he explained.

He feels proud to have been a part of an event which raised thousands for charity, and that he personally raised £1,200 for Wakefield and East Lancs Hospices.

He also says he feels very excited by the prospect of entering other events.

“I’ll definitely apply to the gravy wrestling next year,” he said.

“But maybe I’ll call myself The Lancashire Bomber instead and keep my mouth shut.

“That way the crowd might be a bit more sympathetic!”

To donate to Darren’s GoFundMe, visit: gofundme.com/f/gravy-wrestling-to-raise-cash-for-x2-hospices.