How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment
About How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Every success story you've ever been told is incomplete. How To Fail with Elizabeth Day is the part they leave out. Each week, Sunday Times #1 bestselling author Elizabeth Day sits down with someone extraordinary - and asks them about the moments that didn’t go according to plan and how these failures shaped them. Kate Winslet on body image. Malala Yousafzai on rewriting her story. Pamela...
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day episodeslatest 50
#183Nish Kumar - Failure Is Information. Comedians Call It Material.
· 57:06
Nish Kumar is one of the UK’s best-known comedians, known for his impassioned political progressiveness. You might remember him as the host of the topical BBC comedy show, The Mash Report, which ran to great acclaim...
#182Remembering Gloria Steinem
· 58:23
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 her passing at the age of 92. To celebrate her...
#181David Sedaris - ‘My Father Said I Was A Bad Influence Because I Was Gay’
· 52:30
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 on How to Fail to talk about the moments that...
#180Failure Throwback: Mo Gawdat
· 1:01:47
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. Just occasionally, you meet someone who changes...
#179Failure Throwback: Phoebe Waller Bridge
· 51:56
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-Bridge, creator and star of Fleabag, writer of Killing...
#178Mel Giedroyc - I Lost My Biggest Fan When Mum Died
· 57:45
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 best friend Sue Perkins), Mel’s career took off...
#177Prime Minister Andy Burnham - ‘I’m a better politician for having failed.’
· 49:03
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 conversation: ‘if you’ve not succeeded, you have...
#176Nikita Gill - Everyone Wants to Be Heard But No One Wants to Listen
· 54:39
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 poetry online. She moved from New Delhi to Britain in...
#175Miquita Oliver - I Drank Half a Bottle of Wine Every Morning
· 57:19
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 alongside Simon Amstell. Twenty-five years...
#174Richard Bacon - ‘I Was Betrayed By My Best Friend’
· 57:35
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 producer is perhaps best known for the time his Blue...
#173Remembering Bonnie Tyler
· 49:27
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 joined me on How to Fail. Total Eclipse of the Heart...
#172Charlie Mackesy – ‘Grief propelled me into work that saved me’
· 53:36
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 for kindness, vulnerability and hope. Yet Charlie’s...
#171Anastacia – All My Songs Have Been Good Therapy
· 54:02
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 one of her biggest fans. In 2000, she released...
#170Mel Giedroyc and AJ Odudu on Body Confidence, Midlife Reinvention and Female Friendship
· 45:00
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 comedian Mel Giedroyc, and presenting powerhouse AJ...
#169Kristin Scott Thomas – ‘Having children allowed me to see where I’d gone wrong’
· 52:41
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 Horse Whisperer, Tell No One and Slow Horses...
#168Patrick Radden Keefe - ‘Lying Is More Prevalent Than People Think’
· 56:21
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 Yorker. He is known for his acclaimed books...
#167Natalie Imbruglia - ‘I love the wisdom of being in my 50s’
· 52:15
*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 million physical copies worldwide. In her homeland of...
#166Hannah Murray - ‘Everything Fell Apart’
· 1:01:33
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 Gilly in HBO’s Game Of Thrones and went on to...
#165Emily Atack - ‘I’ve forgiven people for unforgivable things’
· 1:00:57
*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 was correct. She starred as Charlotte Hinchcliffe...
#164Katherine Parkinson – ‘I’m Still Learning How to Be Me’
· 48:41
*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 recently, Rivals, the hit Jilly Cooper adaptation that...
#163Emilia Clarke - ‘I’m A Bad Celebrity’
· 54:46
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 graduate to one of the most recognisable faces on...
#162Aline Brosh McKenna - The Rom Com Queen Who Wrote The Devil Wears Prada
· 51:21
Aline Brosh McKenna is the brilliant writer behind some of the most iconic films and TV of our time: The Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses, Morning Glory and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Now, she’s back with The Devil Wears Prada...
#161Richard Gadd - On Shame, Sexuality and Success
· 49:43
Richard Gadd is the creative talent behind Baby Reindeer - the Netflix show which won six Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes and garnered 84.5 million views within its first 45 days. Gadd began in stand-up, and by 2016...
#160Rita Wilson - ‘I’m 69. I’m At My Most Unfiltered.’
· 51:31
The acclaimed actor, singer and producer was born in Los Angeles to a Greek mother and a Bulgarian father who emigrated to the United States in 1949. You might know her from early roles like Bosom Buddies, where she met...
#159Emma Grede - ‘Ambition Is Something I Am Entitled to’
· 54:01
Today’s guest is a female billionaire: the co-founder and CEO of the Good American inclusive fashion brand and a founding partner of SKIMS, the shapewear and loungewear company. Emma Grede’s close working partnerships...
#158Sophie Habboo - I Wish I Had More Boundaries
· 47:18
This week we are joined by podcasting royalty, Sophie Habboo! Habboo found fame on Made In Chelsea, E4’s structured-reality show following the lives of affluent 20-something Londoners where she met fellow cast-mate...
#157Elizabeth's New Show: History’s Greatest Fails
· 33:51
In this debut preview episode of History’s Greatest Fails, Elizabeth Day and Dan Jones argue that the story of Richard’s rise and fall (and rise again) is much more modern that you’d first believe. Not least because of...
#156Amy Jackson Westwick - I Was A Magnet For Narcissists
· 55:17
Amy Jackson Westwick is a major Bollywood film star with some 14 million followers on social media. Yet she grew up in a working class family in Liverpool. So how did a teenager from Merseyside become one of the most...
#155ON FINDING THE ONE… With Miranda Hart, Celeste Barber and Glennon Doyle
· 24:32
This is a special episode, sponsored by Bumble, taking a look at all the different ways we can meet someone: whether you meet young, in your 50s, or post-divorce. The three women in this episode (and four if you count...
#154Chris Appleton - ‘I Felt Shame Before I Felt Love’
· 45:10
Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton has a slew of devoted clients including Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Martha Stewart, as well as millions of Instagram followers and a regular slot offering advice on The Drew...
#153Mel Schilling - ‘She was the embodiment of vibrant life’
· 1:19:57
I never thought I would have to write these words, but here we are. In the wake of my dear friend’s passing, I wanted to reflect on the life of one of the most radiant people I’ve ever met: Mel Schilling. I never quite...
#152ON STARTING OVER AFTER GRIEF… With Stanley Tucci and Geri Halliwell-Horner
· 20:45
Starting over can feel heartbreaking and overwhelming, especially after losing a loved one, and the idea of rebuilding a life can seem impossible. In this episode, Stanley and Geri show us that sometimes moving forward...
#151Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton - ‘We were young and working-class. We were dismissed.’
· 1:00:24
Natasha Hamilton was 16 when she signed a record deal with the girl band, Atomic Kitten. The group went on to sell over 10 million records and achieve three UK Number One singles including Whole Again and The Tide Is...
#150ON MOTHERHOOD… with Jessie Ware and Francesca Segal
· 19:11
Motherhood is often portrayed purely as a joyful, magical chapter of life – and while it certainly can be – we rarely speak openly about the hard, exhausting and deeply challenging truths. In this episode...
#149Rosamund Pike - ‘Failure Is Pretending To Be Someone You’re Not’
· 57:00
Rosamund Pike! What a woman. Famed for her portrayals of razor-sharp, morally complex and deliciously unpredictable characters, she brings that same intriguing duality to this conversation. Thoughtful and quietly...
#148SPECIAL EP: On Fertility and Finding Your Family… with Rebecca Coxon
· 41:15
In this one‑off special, Elizabeth sits down with author Rebecca Coxon to discuss family, fertility and the secrets that have shaped her life: after uploading her DNA to an ancestry site, Rebecca discovered that the man...
#147Toni Laites - Love Island Healed My Toxic Dating Patterns
· 54:51
Toni Laites made history last year as the first American to win Love Island, but her journey to the villa was anything but ordinary. Discovered in Las Vegas working as a cabana girl by the show’s creative director, Toni...
#146ON AMBITION… With Gillian Anderson and Munroe Bergdorf
· 12:20
Ambition can be a powerful force: it propels us forward, sharpens our focus and pushes us to dream bigger. But it can also whisper that we are only as good as our latest achievement - and these two brilliant former How...
#145Baz Luhrmann - ‘I self-medicate with creativity’
· 50:25
Few filmmakers have a style as bold, romantic and unmistakable as Baz Luhrmann. From his breakout debut Strictly Ballroom to the glittering spectacle of The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and the fever-dream...
#144ON SELF ACCEPTANCE... With Pamela Anderson and Rylan Clark
· 23:31
Welcome back to this How to Fail special where we revisit conversations from the archive to highlight particular themes and tap into the wisdom they contain. This week we look at two guests who have learned self...
#143Jennette McCurdy on Reclaiming Her Voice
· 57:06
This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. Listener discretion advised. This might be one of the most powerful conversations I’ve ever had on How To Fail. I don’t say that...
#142ON FAMILY DYNAMICS… With Bella Freud and Danny Dyer
· 21:48
Families are fascinating: how those first bonds shape our understanding of love, security and ourselves. In this episode, we revisit episodes with Bella Freud and Danny Dyer, who each open up about the simultaneous...
#141Mo Gilligan - Fatherhood Is A Gift I Didn’t Know I Needed
· 52:12
Mo Gilligan started out working in retail (think Jo Malone and Levi’s) but quit in 2018 when his online comedy videos went viral. The leap paid off - sell-out tours across the UK, a late-night entertainment show on...
#140ON FINDING LOVE AT ANY AGE… With Luke Evans and Dolly Alderton
· 28:20
We’re taught that love should happen early, and if it doesn’t, something’s gone wrong. But what if that’s not true? In this episode, we hear from past How to Fail guests who found love later, or in their own time. Luke...
#139Shabaz Ali - ‘I’ll be a diversity quota as long as I get paid’
· 49:02
A few years ago, Shabaz Ali was a chemistry teacher in Blackburn. Today, he’s one of the internet’s most beloved creators, best known as Shabaz Says, with millions of fans and a knack for skewering the most outrageous...
#138ON FINDING HOPE IN ADVERSITY… With Sir Chris Hoy and Michael Rosen
· 19:44
This week we’re revisiting two deeply moving conversations that explore what it means to find hope in the face of profound adversity. First, we hear from the 11-time world champion and a six-time Olympic champion, Sir...
#137Golda Rosheuvel - ‘I don’t see my dyslexia as a failure anymore’
· 53:13
Best known for her role as Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton, Golda Rosheuvel is an acclaimed actor of stage and screen. Her career spans powerful theatrical roles including Romeo and Juliet, Jesus Christ Superstar and a...
#136ON THE IMPACT OF EARLY FAME… With Shania Twain and Charlotte Church
· 32:09
Fame isn’t always limousines, five star hotels, champagne and private jets. I find this topic totally fascinating and these two past How to Fail guests give us a glimpse behind the curtain as to what becoming famous at...
#135Martin Freeman - ‘We should be saying no to our kids’
· 53:44
Martin Freeman is one of the most sought-after actors of his generation. Whether it’s Tim in The Office, John - the mild-mannered porn actor in Love Actually, Watson in Sherlock, Bilbo in The Hobbit, the stressed parent...
#134ON PANIC ATTACKS… With Jamie Laing and Fearne Cotton
· 16:51
Panic attacks are wide-spread in today’s society, and yet remain something we rarely talk about openly. So it’s vital that we normalise an experience so many of us share - because talking about it is often the first...
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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day has published 528 episodes so far. This page carries the 50 most recent, newest first.
Who presents How To Fail With Elizabeth Day?+
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is presented by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment.
What is the latest episode of How To Fail With Elizabeth Day?+
The most recent episode is "Nish Kumar - Failure Is Information. Comedians Call It Material.", published on 9 Sep 2026. New episodes appear here as soon as they go out on the programme's feed.
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