‘Call Her Daddy’ Podcast Causes Backlash in Gluten Free and Coeliac Community
Comedian Robby Hoffman sparked major criticism after her podcast ‘hot take’ on coeliac disease backfired
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For many people around the world, coeliac disease remains a life-threatening autoimmune disease which causes continued angst, stress and desperation. For others, even in 2026, it’s considered a punchline.
In a recent episode of the popular US podcast Call Her Daddy, comedian Robby Hoffman caused serious backlash after her comments on coeliac disease and the gluten free diet went viral.
The May 20 episode featured host Alex Cooper with guest Hoffman, Cooper quipped that Hoffman’s cat could be allergic to gluten, but it was where the comedian ran with the gag that created the furore.
"No, it can't be done. It can't be done," Hoffman began. "Is it real or they think they are? … I want to see the outbreak. I want to pick up a roll. We're having rolls tonight. Just a bag of rolls. I don't care if it's the Hawaiian roll, whatever roll. Okay. I don't care if it's a dinner roll. Butter it up. And let's see. Is it Hitch? It better look like Hitch. It better look like Will Smith in Hitch. If it's not Will Smith blowing up in Hitch, I don't know."
Hoffman references a 2005 comedy movie in which Will Smith's character's face swells from an allergic reaction to shellfish.
Hoffman continued with the bit to imply that sufferers are simply faking symptoms for attention. She casts doubt on the existence of autoimmune disease, playing into the trope that it’s nothing but a trend. "It's very recent. It's very recent… It's just, I gotta see (if it’s real)."
Other Coeliacs Have Right of Reply to Podcast Comments
Marie Claire columinst Caitlin Napier had her own response to the controversy, explaining that her “comfort podcast” caused her to feel fury with Hoffman’s remarks.
“To be clear: I love a hot take,” Napier explained. “Life would be deeply boring if we all liked the same things… But autoimmune diseases are not hot takes. You cannot ‘debate’ the legitimacy of a medical condition simply because you personally do not understand it. I was so annoyed I literally could not finish the episode. I had to sit with it for several days before I even wanted to address how wrong it was.”
US-based celiac content creator Phil Hates Gluten argued that no one on the show has perceptive on the subject. “It’s clear neither of these two people have people in their lives who actually has coeliac disease,” he posted. “They don't have a loved one, a family member, a friend, partner, whatever, who has to deal with this.”
Podcast Comments Reinforce Need for Wider Health Education
On one hand, this latest story is another disappointing and frustrating example of a wider social attitude. No matter how much advocacy or effort is invested, there are ignorant people with large platforms who continue to miss the point, either deliberately or otherwise.
The alternative viewpoint is one of resilience and persistence, as the response to the podcast has been greater than the show itself.
No Gluten Gabby would highlight the fact this controversy would fall on Celiac Disease Awareness Month (May), an irony not lost on her or others in this space. “If you’re wondering why we care so much is because these conversations, in main stream media, are the reason the gluten free diet doesn’t get taken seriously and I go to the hospital because of a lack of empathy or common sense,” she posted. “Anyway, happy celiac awareness month.”
This would be one of many examples, with threads on Reddit going into greater detail to discuss what damage and potential knock-on effects these conversations can have. From hospitality workers not taking cross-contamination seriously to dismissing the autoimmune disease as nothing more than a dietary preference, members of the coeliac and gluten free community have had their right of reply.
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