How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Remembering Gloria Steinem

It was a privilege to have one of my all-time heroes, the feminist activist, writer and icon Gloria Steinem on How to Fail back in 2020 and we are heartbroken to hear of

David Sedaris - ‘My Father Said I Was A Bad Influence Because I Was Gay’

David Sedaris is one of America’s best-loved humorists, famous for turning the absurdities of everyday life into razor-sharp, deeply human essays. He joins Elizabeth Day

Failure Throwback: Mo Gawdat

This episode with Mo Gawdat originally went out in 2019, but its message feels as relevant as ever. We’re re-releasing it to celebrate the 500th episode of How to Fail.

Failure Throwback: Phoebe Waller Bridge

To mark 500 episodes of How to Fail! To we’re re-releasing the first ever episode with Phoebe Waller Bridge, which originally went out in July 2018. Phoebe Waller-Bridg

Mel Giedroyc - I Lost My Biggest Fan When Mum Died

Mel Giedroyc is a comedian, writer and TV presenter who has been entertaining the nation for over 30 years. Hired in 1996 as a writer for French and Saunders (alongside

Prime Minister Andy Burnham - ‘I’m a better politician for having failed.’

Andy Burnham is the first Prime Minister on How to Fail. Past leaders have run scared of doing a podcast with ‘fail’ in the title - but not this one. As he says in this c

Nikita Gill - Everyone Wants to Be Heard But No One Wants to Listen

Before becoming a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most widely read poets on Instagram, Nikita worked as a cleaner and carer while sharing her poet

Miquita Oliver - I Drank Half a Bottle of Wine Every Morning

Miquita Oliver is a podcaster, TV presenter and all-round brilliant woman. She was just 16 when she burst onto our screens co-hosting Channel 4’s cult music show Popworld

Richard Bacon - ‘I Was Betrayed By My Best Friend’

What connects Barack Obama, a tabloid sting and Love Islander Alex George? Have a Blue Peter badge if you were thinking of Richard Bacon... While the broadcaster and

Remembering Bonnie Tyler

It was a privilege to have Bonnie Tyler on How to Fail back in 2024 - and we are heartbroken to hear of her passing today.    Bonnie was open, funny and moving when she

Charlie Mackesy – ‘Grief propelled me into work that saved me’

In this episode, I sit down with bestselling author‑illustrator Charlie Mackesy, whose work – The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse – has become a global touchstone fo

Anastacia – All My Songs Have Been Good Therapy

Anastacia has released eight albums and sold over 50 million records worldwide. She has collected a total of 227 gold and platinum certifications and counts Elton John as

Mel Giedroyc and AJ Odudu on Body Confidence, Midlife Reinvention and Female Friendship

Welcome to the FIRST EVER How To Fail Roundtable - a format we enjoyed so much we might just keep it. Today, Elizabeth is joined by broadcaster, actor, author and comedia

Kristin Scott Thomas – ‘Having children allowed me to see where I’d gone wrong’

In a career spanning four decades, Dame Kristin Scott Thomas has become one of Britain’s most celebrated actors: Four Weddings and a Funeral, The English Patient, The Hor

Patrick Radden Keefe - ‘Lying Is More Prevalent Than People Think’

What draws an award-winning writer to the darkest corners of human behaviour? Patrick Radden-Keefe is a New York Times bestselling author and staff writer at The New York

Natalie Imbruglia - ‘I love the wisdom of being in my 50s’

*triggers: This episode includes discussion of depression and mental health crises. In 1997 Natalie Imbruglia released her first single, Torn, which sold more than 4 mil

Hannah Murray - ‘Everything Fell Apart’

Hannah Murray found fame when she was just 17, playing the self-destructive Cassie in E4’s Skins. She juggled an English degree at Cambridge University alongside playing

Emily Atack - ‘I’ve forgiven people for unforgivable things’

*triggers: contains description of physical assault Emily Atack left school at 16, confident she wouldn’t need a GCSE for what she wanted to do: act. It turns out, she

Katherine Parkinson – ‘I’m Still Learning How to Be Me’

*triggers: contains description of physical assault Katherine Parkinson is the two‑time BAFTA‑winning actor beloved for The IT Crowd, Doc Martin, Humans and most recent

Emilia Clarke - ‘I’m A Bad Celebrity’

Emilia Clarke is the Emmy‑nominated actor who became a global cultural icon as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones, a role that catapulted her from fresh drama‑school g