In a South London storage unit rented by Booty Call CIC, a giant inflatable peach is waiting for Pride season.
It’s absurd. It’s brilliant. And according to Daniel Edwards, it might just save a life.
Booty Call CIC might sound like a late-night text you regret, but it’s actually one of the boldest cancer awareness projects emerging in LGBTQ+ spaces right now. It was founded after Daniel (also known as DJ Dallyn) was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 42. No family history. No big warning moment. Just fatigue and what he calls “a dodgy tummy.”
“I almost ignored it,” he says. “That’s the bit that unsettles me now. I nearly died of embarrassment before I nearly died of cancer.”
Instead of shrinking after treatment and surgery, he built something loud.
Booty Call takes conversations about bowel cancer into queer nightlife. Pride activations, karaoke nights, day parties, the inflatable peach: humour first, message second, with shame removed entirely.
“You have to make people smile before you ask them to think about something uncomfortable,” Daniel says. “If I start clinically listing symptoms in a club, people switch off. If there’s a giant peach and a drag queen saying ‘check your bum, hun,’ they lean in.”
We sat down with him to talk shock, survival and why queer communities deserve health messaging that actually feels like it’s for them.
Why call it Booty Call?
“Because it breaks the tension immediately. You laugh. And once you laugh, you’re listening. Embarrassment is one of the biggest barriers with bowel cancer. The name tackles that head on.”
What did diagnosis feel like?
“Surreal. I was working. DJing. Living normally. Cancer wasn’t on my radar at all. When they said the word, it didn’t feel real.”
He pauses.
“There were moments where I was properly frightened about the future. You start thinking very short-term. In survival rates. It’s brutal.”
Why focus on LGBTQ+ spaces?
“Because this is my community. Health inequalities are real, and screening uptake can be lower. People can feel dismissed or awkward talking about symptoms, and a lot of mainstream campaigns just don’t feel culturally fluent.”
Booty Call flips that.
“If we can talk openly about sex, breakups and last night’s antics, we can talk about our bums. It just needs to be done in a way that feels like us.”
Does humour risk trivialising something serious?
“It’s the opposite. Humour creates safety. Once someone feels safe, they’ll ask the real questions.”
He describes people quietly approaching after events to talk about symptoms they’ve been ignoring.
“When someone says they’ve booked a GP appointment because of something we said, that’s everything.”
What’s the real goal?
“That nobody ignores a sign because they feel awkward. Early detection saves lives”
He smiles.
“We can be camp and chaotic. We can stand under a massive inflatable peach! But underneath it, this is about survival.”
Bio
Daniel Edwards (DJ Dallyn) (he/him) is a London-based gay DJ who had bowel cancer and is an advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion in healthcare. Diagnosed at 42 with stage 3 bowel cancer, he was treated with immunotherapy and surgery. A DJ and promoter for over five years, he’s played many venues, including Heaven, The Eagle and The Clapham Grand and co-runs Silly B!tch Disco with DJ Helly Heart.
The next Booty Call event is Traitors Bingo at Saturday Service is on Saturday 21 March, 12:30pm-5pm, at Betty & Joan’s, Hewson Way, Elephant Park, London SE17 1JS, United Kingdom.
The afternoon is hosted by Miss Leigh Ding, with performances from Megan Mia Gemini and Sateva Eva. DJ Dallyn and Helly Heart serve wall-to-wall pop anthems from doors to close.
Saturday Service is a London LGBTQ+ day party done properly!
