Afleveringen
-
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 film Detroit, directed by Kathryn Bigelow.
When the physical and mental stress required from these roles began to take its toll, Murray sought treatment from a reiki healer. From there, her life began to spiral as she became heavily involved with a ‘healing’ organisation whose promises of real-life magic and enlightenment were increasingly seductive. She ended up being sectioned after a psychotic break and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
Now, she has written her first book. The Make-Believe: A Memoir of Magic and Madness is a deeply personal account of these events, written with compulsive lyricism. It takes readers on a journey to the edges of reality, where magic is possible, and where the liminal space between what is real and what is imagined becomes ever more porous.
In this episode we delve into Hannah’s breakdown and what it taught her. We discuss living with BPD, her decision to quit acting and why, as a society, it’s so important to talk about severe mental health conditions - even if it makes us uncomfortable. Plus: when does our modern obsession with ‘wellness’ go too far?
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Introduction
04:30 Acting Roles and Emotional Toll
07:51 The Memoir
09:17 Traumatic Filming and Aftermath
11:57 Failure to Be Happy Always
16:06 Rapture Highs and Bipolar
18:14 Reiki Rabbit Hole and Cult Questions
28:50 Wellness as Addiction
30:25 Hotel Breakdown Begins
32:17 Exorcism and Delusions
33:26 Realizing You're Sectioned
35:18 Medication and Coming Back
36:12 Shame to Compassion
42:55 Bipolar Mania Explained
48:41 Leaving Acting and Moving On
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
On the nature of modern mental health discourse: "What if I want to talk about when I was drinking my own urine on a psychiatric ward? You can’t really say that at a dinner party... there is still a big taboo around psychosis, bipolar, schizophrenia, and other conditions that are less palatable and less kind of cozy."
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
The Make-Believe by Hannah Murray is available now in hardback and audio, read by Hannah https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/471422/the-make-believe-by-murray-hannah/9781529155211
Hannah will be in conversation with Jessie Cave at Kings Place on Friday 5th June. Link to tickets here: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/hannah-murray-in-conversation-with-jessie-cave/
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Jennette McCurdy - discusses childhood fame, toxic family dynamics, eating disorders, grief and how reclaiming her own identity after her mother’s death ultimately set her free: swap.fm/l/DqqwmylXlnMvnfOmG53z
Marian Keyes - the bestselling writer on addiction, creative insecurity and body image: swap.fm/l/3opU8XRCVTQLV4v994U5
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth and Hannah answer listener questions in our subscriber series: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
*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 in the smash-hit comedy The Inbetweeners when she was just 17 and is currently on our screens as Sarah Stratton in Disney+’s hit drama Rivals, as well as co-hosting a new ITV game show, Nobody’s Fool, with Danny Dyer.
But it hasn’t always been easy: she faced sexual harassment and abuse from the age of 10. We talk about the impact this has had on how she now understands her own capabilities and about how her unbreakable bond with her sister, Martha, has helped her survive the toughest challenges.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Introduction to Emily
03:19 Learning Boundaries
05:33 Class and Growing Up
07:39 Paul McCartney Connection
10:00 Failing to Believe In Herself
14:58 Leaving Home at Sixteen
25:10 Inbetweeners Fame Fallout
30:18 Praise for Rivals
31:23 Earning Creative Trust
32:51 Emotional Regulation Struggles
35:40 Forgiveness and Loneliness
37:20 Childhood Trauma and Sex
41:35 Alistair and Finding Home
46:52 Motherhood and Body Image
55:19 Keeping Nice Things and Goodbye
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
So many people don’t take responsibility for their failures…. Which is why this podcast is so great.
Forgiveness is something you have to find in yourself
I hate being called fat - it hurts my feelings.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Emily hosts ‘Nobody’s Fool’, a brand new strategic quiz show with Danny Dyer, available to stream on ITVX, with the final three episodes airing on 30th, 31st May and the final on 1st June at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Katherine Parkinson - Fresh from her latest BAFTA win, Katherine Parkinson joined Elizabeth to discuss the self-doubt, trauma, humour and resilience that shaped her journey from awkward outsider to one of Britain’s most beloved actors: swap.fm/l/CplscDFzT9oyNGV1Oan0
Danny Dyer – the actor and national treasure on identity, anger, vulnerability and learning to break the patterns you were born into: swap.fm/l/L192dU5DZHQnCUjFWuX8
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth and Emily answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
*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 became an international Emmy winner. Fresh from her latest BAFTA win, she joins Elizabeth to reflect on the unexpected turns that shaped her life – from Surbiton to Oxford, from comedy to chaos, and from self‑doubt to a hard‑won sense of confidence.
In this episode, we talk about her childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut, how her brothers are convinced she’s in MI5 (we will never know), the class anxieties that coloured her university years, her lifelong battle with disorganisation and the pressure she put on herself to “earn her place”. Katherine also opens up – for the first time – about a violent assault she minimised for years, the shame she carried and how motherhood has reframed her understanding of fear, safety and resilience.
We also explore the joy she found in acting, the liberation of embracing her own contradictions, the friendships that sustained her and the work that goes into rebuilding after trauma.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
03:48 Northern Ireland Roots
04:06 Why Rivals Works
05:34 Class and Oxford
08:08 Lizzie and Fred Fred
10:51 Jilly Cooper Loss
14:03 Failure One Disorganised
15:46 Exam Breakdown Story
19:14 Fear of Winning
20:52 MI5 and Astronaut Dreams
22:07 Academia vs Acting
23:07 Pressure and Perfectionism
23:59 Choosing the Actor Path
25:23 Facing Unprocessed Trauma
26:04 Assault
30:03 Shame and Cultural Context
33:45 Anxiety and Motherhood
38:56 Anger and Survival Instincts
40:08 Oboe Failure and Braces
42:21 Failing Freely as an Actor
43:49 Happiness and Goodbye
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
“My mum has always said to me, ‘You’re not afraid to fail’”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a company [as Rivals] where everybody makes me laugh so much, and that is literally all I care about.”
“I used to want to be an astronaut.”
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
All episodes of Rivals are now available to stream on Disney+ in the UK and internationally, with new episodes dropping weekly and a second instalment arriving later in the year. In the US, the series is available exclusively on Hulu.
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Danny Dyer – the actor and national treasure on identity, anger, vulnerability and learning to break the patterns you were born into: swap.fm/l/L192dU5DZHQnCUjFWuX8
Miranda Hart – the beloved comedian and writer on anxiety, belonging, people-pleasing and finding the courage to take up space: swap.fm/l/oTScN30b80GflJtO4rgu
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth answers listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 the planet. Since then she’s starred in everything from Me Before You to Solo: A Star Wars Story, won acclaim on the West End and now leads Ponies, a Cold War spy thriller she also produces.
In this episode, we talk about her childhood love of acting, the imposter syndrome that followed early fame, her failure to master mathematics, the terror and denial surrounding her aneurysms, the shattering grief of losing her Dad, the joy of female friendships and…yes, ok…Game Of Thrones.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Cheating Death Opener
00:14 Emilia Clarke Intro
02:54 Ponies And Friendship
03:39 Learning Russian Lines
06:45 Why Acting Means Failure
08:33 Failing At Maths
11:44 Early Acting Spark
14:10 Losing Her Dad
21:09 Failure At Recovery
24:30 Aneurysm In The Gym
27:10 Misdiagnosed Stroke Scare
28:01 Second Aneurysm
29:25 Surgery Goes Wrong
31:37 Relearning and Emotional Shutdown
33:30 Back to Work Too Soon
35:43 Recovery Without Grace
37:40 Healing and New Diagnoses
40:12 Bad at Celebrity
43:01 Game of Thrones Aftermath
46:08 Body Image and Press
48:11 Brows and Beauty Culture
50:40 Self Knowledge and Closing
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
You spend your 20s and 30s trying to be somebody else, and then your 40s are the moment when you go back to who you actually are.
I was blessed that after each of my brain injuries, in my mind, there was no other option but to carry on.
The only good thing about having someone that you love pass away is that every good thing that ever happens, you know it's them.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
All episodes of PONIES will be available on Sky and steaming service NOW in the UK & Ireland from 22 May
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Kate Winslet – the Oscar‑winning actor on reinvention, self‑doubt and the power of starting again at any age: swap.fm/l/qrRLW000eyVDrBz3ZtbI
Gillian Anderson – the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning icon on fame, burnout, womanhood and refusing to shrink herself for anyone: swap.fm/l/7NyZMzkfVOpGyDtlB6k0
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth answers listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 2.
Before Hollywood, Aline studied literature at Harvard and worked as a freelance magazine writer in New York. She was 38 when everything changed with the release of The Devil Wears Prada - and she’s been creating sharp, funny, deeply relatable stories ever since.
In this episode, we talk about writing for Meryl Streep (no biggie) the acting and magazine career that never happened and what life as an award-winning screenwriter *really* looks like. Plus: the motivating advice every single woman needs to hear.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Introduction
03:15 27 Dresses and People Pleasing
04:24 Learning Not to Smallify
07:09 Writing Bold Characters
08:11 Devil Wears Prada Two Return
12:35 ‘Failed’ Acting Dreams
17:31 Working With Great Actors
23:20 Writing Meryl’s Big Speech
25:35 Scrappy Creativity Mindset
26:34 ‘Failed’ Magazine Career
29:00 Screenwriting Doors Open
32:07 Comedy Cred And Awards
35:23 Nine Pilots No Series
41:57 Ask For What You Want
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I wasn't taught to “smallify” myself by my mother, and that's maybe one of her greatest gifts.
If it becomes necessary to apologise to get what you want, I think that’s okay. As long as you're aware that you're doing it... as a tactic or a strategy.
Learning to withstand and be amused by failure is so key and so critical.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Devil Wears Prada 2 is in cinemas now!
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Stanley Tucci - A DWP cast member no less! The iconic Nigel…sorry, Stanley came on HTF and talked about dealing with the loss of his late wife, surviving cancer, finding love again and…failing to swim: swap.fm/l/WCW054IGNZnSnTzEXPTN
Dawn French - Another genius comedy writer who talks about heartbreak, humour, adoption and meeting Jennifer Saunders: swap.fm/l/NJDrzxLKhyi6icOrxmHT
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth and Aline answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 he’d won a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. His work became known for its compulsive storytelling, blending dark comedy with a kind of philosophical kink for asking audiences the most uncomfortable questions.
Now Gadd returns with Half Man, a six-part drama co-production between HBO and the BBC, which Gadd created, wrote, executive produced and stars in.
In this episode we talk through his childhood, how it felt to be abruptly catapulted into being the most googled man on the planet following the release of Baby Reindeer and the complexity of identity and sexuality.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
03:13 Fame and Self Worth
05:37 Writing Dark Truths
06:52 Baby Reindeer Explosion
08:00 Becoming Ruben
09:40 Half Man Meaning
10:57 Workaholism Origins
23:58 Family Support After Trauma
24:30 Comedy Meets Abuse Healing
26:13 Rebuking Shame
27:51 Fame And Re Triggering
29:12 Stubbornness And Casting Martha
33:03 Sexuality Beyond Labels
36:15 Grudges Empathy Forgiveness
40:13 Athlete Failure And Closing
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I never wanted fame. I just liked the idea that one day I would make a piece of art that was culturally important because then maybe I would learn to like myself.
It doesn't matter your intelligence, where you come from, your upbringing, anything… it’s about the hours you put into it. Hard work trumps everything.
I think actually that we have but scratched the surface of sexuality in a way... there are so many complications to it.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
You can watch Half Man on BBC iPlayer every week
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Stephen Merchant - the actor, writer and director on turning 50, failure in stand-up and what he learned from Ricky Gervais when he co-wrote The Office: swap.fm/l/Lta5mlFbVnPHyFb8R1n2
Phoebe Waller-Bridge - the creator of Fleabag talks about ambition, doubt and creating bold work: swap.fm/l/gTCOCJUmXX9t22mTABSa
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth and Richard answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 her future husband Tom Hanks, and from standout turns in films including Runaway Bride, It's Complicated and her unforgettable scene-stealing in Sleepless in Seattle.
Behind the camera, she helped bring My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mamma Mia! to the big screen.
Alongside her film career, Wilson has built a powerful musical voice, releasing albums since 2012 and collaborating with artists like Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson. She now returns to her solo work with her sixth album, Sound Of A Woman, released on 1st May.
In this episode, we talk about growing up in a traditional, private family but later living in the public eye, bringing My Big Fat Greek Wedding to the screen, her friendships with Nora Ephron and Bruce Springsteen - and how her experience of breast cancer reshaped her life and friendships.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
02:39 Sleepless In Seattle Scene Secrets
04:32 Finding Her Voice
07:53 Labels and Late Blooming
13:07 Privacy to Speaking Out
14:56 Greek Wedding Breakthrough
17:43 Drama School Rejections
27:57 Proving Them Wrong
29:03 Onscreen Friendship Magic
31:03 What Friendship Means
32:12 Breast Cancer and Blame
35:07 Honoring Her Father
39:55 Family Secrets and Privacy
45:50 Building Family Values
47:20 Fired as Ticket Taker
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I’ve come to a stage in my life where I’m only now just finding my voice, both metaphorically and literally.
We spend so much of our lives shedding those identities that don't work for us anymore until we get to a place where I am now, which is literally the most unfiltered place you can be when you get to a certain age where you just don’t care what anybody thinks and you can tell the truth more fully.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Sound Of A Woman is out on 1st May
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Ruth Wilson – on refusing Botox, being rejected from Oxford and living with her father’s Alzheimer's: swap.fm/l/ZbkfbAmZFOX0zB2u1iiC
Melanie Chisholm – the former Spice girl on mental health, identity and navigating fame: swap.fm/l/OAU4TwoXfjVLvCdrcSYY
Gloria Steinem – my personal hero: on activism, ageing and redefining success: swap.fm/l/WbcOneXzQpdLfYriAQXE
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Guest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emails
Elizabeth and Rita answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 with the Kardashian family have led her to become an advocate for empowering women through business.
Now, she’s publishing her first book, Start With Yourself, in which she explores everything from building personal resilience to developing self-forgiveness.
In this episode we discuss her East London mindset, her famously controversial (!) attitude towards work-life balance, being a mother of four (her twins were born via a surrogate) and her experience of miscarriage. Female ambition, fertility, the discomfort of hard work…I’m so grateful to Emma for opening up on subjects that are so often shrouded in silence.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
03:02 Ambition Loves Discomfort
05:57 Growing Up East London
07:31 ‘Too Ambitious’
08:34 East London Business Code
11:15 An Employee Mindset
19:13 Work-Life Balance Myth
26:34 Fearless Hustle Mindset
27:53 ITB Rise and Influencers
29:08 LA Office Ego Crash
31:40 Parenting as a Team
32:56 Fertility Reality Check
38:19 Good American Expansion Misstep
46:25 Mother’s Influence
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I have always thought about ambition as something that I am entitled to as long as I work for it.
If you want to be extraordinarily successful… Then extraordinary work is required.
You become confident because you know you can get through things and you know what's on the other side of failure.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Emma’s debut book ‘Start With Yourself’ - is available to buy now
The Testaments, a new Hulu original series, streaming exclusively on Disney+
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Melinda French Gates - another extraordinarily successful female philanthropist, who co-chaired the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the world's largest private charitable organization, for 24 years: swap.fm/l/Zr3OTH30YZpvPRiXIkeX
Mo Gawdat - an incredible guest who has been on How to Fail FOUR times - most recently in December last year to talk about the most common mistakes we make in love: swap.fm/l/Daw9T2DZbicGt0aOZZVX
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Emma answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 Jamie Laing in 2017. The two began dating - and then launched a media empire. Their podcast, NearlyWeds was an instant hit and was rebranded as NewlyWeds when they got married in 2023.
Habboo now runs the hugely successful JamPot podcast production company with her husband and the two served as executive producers on Raising Chelsea, a new three-part Disney+ documentary following the couple as they face the messy, scary and comic reality of becoming parents for the first time.
In this episode Sophie talks openly about her feelings of overwhelm and anxiety in the run up to their wedding, her ADHD diagnosis, the challenges of being a new mum and the importance of setting boundaries.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
03:50 Family Roots And Motherhood
06:39 Ziggy Bay And Marathon Madness
08:35 Failure One: No Boundaries
10:23 One Day Office Job Disaster
16:01 Wedding Overwhelm And ADHD
20:52 Insecurities and Social Situations
21:53 Anxiety and Imposter Feelings
23:05 Therapy and Psychic Rituals
24:18 Sponsor Break The Testaments
26:12 Motherhood and Fear of Failing
29:36 Love Story With Jamie
33:54 A Surprise Voice Note
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
I do always have imposter syndrome and maybe even as a mother... I really struggle with ‘mum guilt’.
Had I been diagnosed with ADHD earlier, I would've been able to understand and have more compassion for myself.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Raising Chelsea is available to watch now on Disney+
The Testaments, a new Hulu original series, streaming April 8 exclusively on Disney+
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Jamie Laing - on anxiety, insecurity and the pressure of fame. Plus his ‘failure’ to have a long-term relationship [spoiler alert: it all worked out just fine!]: swap.fm/l/QXKrzzpg5hULgBpXWMBY
Dorinda Medley - on young widowhood, dealing with anger and what The Real Housewives of New York taught her: swap.fm/l/Q3MPl0zGn9MShaUdGEi4
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Sophie answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 the reality-TV-style discovery of his remains under a Leicester council car park in 2022.
To listen to the full mini-series, head to This is History: History’s Greatest Fails wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube.
And more about this episode: In many ways, Richard’s alleged ‘failures’ — which include allegedly killing the Princes in the Tower and overseeing the demise of Plantagenet rule — overshadow Richard III as the reformer that also existed. He introduced trial by jury and translated many laws into English. But those facts are not often what’s associated with him. He’s more likely to be seen as the villainous caricature of Shakespeare’s Richard III.
He died at the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. And we haven’t been able to stop talking about him since.
Yes, it’s time to consider the story of England’s last Plantagenet king, Richard III — a centuries-old tangle involving alleged murder, Shakespeare, vanquish and one mighty rediscovery.
–
A Sony Music Entertainment production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices.
Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
––
Presented by Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day
Producer - Alan Weedon
Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman
Researcher - Phoebe Joyce
Executive Producer - Simon Poole
Executive Producer for Daylight Productions - Elizabeth Day
Executive Producer - Dan Jones Production Manager - Jen Mistri Production coordinator - Eric Ryan Head of content - Chris Skinner
Special thanks to Alex Lawless, Hannah Talbot, and Selina Ream
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 recognisable British actors working in Bollywood?
Today on How To Fail, she tells us her story.
We discuss growing up too fast, how she broke free from a cycle of narcissistic relationships and how she now manages a blended family (Amy has two sons - one with her husband, the actor Ed Westwick, and one from a previous partner). Plus: what she learned from her years in Bollywood and why she’s ’a petty cow’.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
03:13 Chasing Security Not Fame
04:08 Finding Yourself Again
06:35 Growing Up Too Fast
06:50 Liverpool Childhood Roots
11:27 Pageants to Bollywood Break
24:04 Perfect Family Fantasy
25:21 Romanticising Love
26:40 Back To Back Relationships
27:30 People Pleasing Patterns
29:06 Narcissists And Boundaries
31:53 Leaving And Healing
36:39 Blended Family Reality
39:52 Step Parenting Rules
47:05 Listening To Yourself
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
Security comes in so many different forms - and for me it's peace of mind.
If it doesn't feel right, then it's not right... you've got to actually know how you're feeling and not be afraid to voice it.
[On narcissistic relationships]: I confused controlling behavior for somebody who was loving and caring, and in actual fact it was the complete opposite.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Amy’s podcast ‘What’s the Tea Amy?’ is out now
The Testaments, a new Hulu original series, streaming April 8 exclusively on Disney+
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Lily Allen - on early fame, mistakes, relationships and motherhood: swap.fm/l/8Otj3tpmbH5SF4xjVHTJ
Gillian Anderson - on body image, rebellion and refusing to fit in with other people’s expectations: swap.fm/l/7NyZMzkfVOpGyDtlB6k0
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Amy answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 me!) - are here to show us that finding the love of your life isn’t always straight-forwards, or linear.
First up, you'll hear from the brilliant and hilarious Miranda Hart, who got married when she was 51, and talks through her first date with her now husband. Then Australian comedian Celeste Barber talks about meeting her ‘hot husband’ young, and quickly becoming a step-mum to two young children. Finally, American author Glennon Doyle talks about leaving her marriage for the love of her life, Abby – and co-parenting her three children with her ex-husband in a blended family.
I hope this episode brings you as much laughter, reassurance and warmth as each of those guests have brought me. And hopefully it inspires you to refresh your Bumble profile, or download Bumble now!
Listen to Miranda’s full episode here: swap.fm/l/oTScN30b80GflJtO4rgu
Listen to Celeste’s full episode here: swap.fm/l/qLmwfjyeSolWuFeaHGdt
Listen to Glennon’s full episode here: swap.fm/l/Nd3ZzVy73FXUMupJ4i1q
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/
Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @howtofailpod @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod @elizabday
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 Barrymore Show. His memoir, Your Roots Don’t Define You, is a New York Times bestseller.
But growing up was hard on Appleton: he was the middle of five children and struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia at school. He was bullied by his classmates for being gay - something he didn’t yet understand about himself. At 16, he left school to work full-time and began a serious relationship with his colleague, Kate. By 19, he was a father.
In this episode we discuss imposter syndrome, the darkest moments of his life, shame and the work he’s done to overcome the hurdles he’s faced. And, of course, we talk about the Kardashians.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
02:33 Imposter Syndrome as Fuel
04:24 Red Carpets and Online Pressure
05:27 Hair as Celebrity Identity
07:15 Memoir and Health Wake Up
08:48 Dash the Dog and Comfort
11:02 Shame Coming Out and Healing
22:26 Kids First After Divorce
23:05 Holiday Triggers and Boundaries
24:31 Success Doesn't Heal
25:18 Inner Child Healing Work
27:22 Envy Into Mentorship
30:08 Kardashians on Failure
31:25 Hair Identity and Change
35:18 Comparison and Social Media
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
It’s okay to make mistakes, but I love learning from them and understanding why we make those decisions.
Hair is such a big part of people's identity. It tells who you are.
You can externally excite yourself... But if you're not aligned internally, you still have that sad and lonely feeling.
I think imposter syndrome to an extent is healthy... It keeps me turning up to jobs prepared. I treat every job like it's the first time I've done it.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Chris Appleton’s book Your Roots Don’t Define You, is out now
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Rylan Clark - on public breakdowns, surviving divorce and rebuilding his sense of self.
Dawn French - on comedy, adoption and finding confidence later in life.
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Chris answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 understood the truth of the phrase ‘she lights up a room’ until I met Mel. It wasn’t just the sparkling smile or the sequins she loved wearing or the glittery eyeshadow; it was deeper than that: she wanted others to shine, to feel special and to be loved. To believe themselves worthy of love.To be in Mel’s company was to feel anything was possible. I wanted to re-release this very special episode of How to Fail because it shows so much of the woman she was. It was also the first time I met Mel in person after admiring her for years from afar on our TV screens. I’m so lucky to have known her.Please enjoy getting to know my friend Mel.And if you want to hear more of her extraordinary insights and wisdom, you can listen to her on How To Date [link here: swap.fm/l/92EWhbCOZtcpVjwW1ZhD]. 👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth: Instagram: @elizabday TikTok: @howtofailpod Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod Website: www.elizabethday.orgHave a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcastsTo bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]_________________________________________________________________________Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
-
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 isn’t about letting go of the past, but learning to carry it with you in a way that allows life to continue. Stanley Tucci speaks with brave honesty about the death of his first wife, Kate – the guilt he felt as he tried to move on and the difficult choices he faced while creating a new life for his children.Geri Halliwell Horner reflects on losing her father as a teenager, how that loss shaped her ambition and how writing her novel unexpectedly helped her make sense of long‑held grief.This episode explores love, loss and the resilience that allows us to keep going after such events. I hope it brings you a sense of solidarity or confirmation that we don’t need to erase what came before; sometimes, it becomes the very force that helps us begin again.Listen to Stanley’s full episode of How to Fail here: http://swap.fm/l/WCW054IGNZnSnTzEXPTN Listen to Geri’s full episode of How to Fail here: swap.fm/l/a7i32bvmHld3JFuDmShl 🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:Bereavement support: https://www.cruse.org.uk/ Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/ Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcastsLeave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:Instagram: @howtofailpod @elizabdayTikTok: @howtofailpod @elizabdayWebsite: www.elizabethday.orgHave a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcastsTo bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
-
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 High. But the pressures of fame affected her mental health and made her feel isolated and judged. After five years and the birth of her first son, Hamilton quit the band.
Today, Hamilton tells that story - the one that existed behind the headlines. We talk about the toxicity of 90s and early Y2K media, surviving postnatal depression and financial catastrophe after divorce. Plus we talk about why she set up her own record label, Morpho, to focus on nurturing and empowering young talent rather than - as she puts it - ‘moulding them into a product’. An amazing woman whose resilience should be an inspiration to us all!
Natasha Hamilton’s new single Fantasy is out now.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Introduction
03:15 Forties And Clarity
04:47 Writing Numb
06:03 Morpho Records And Duty Of Care
08:11 Bullied But Born To Sing
14:13 Fame Tabloids And Numbness
21:40 Whole Again And Industry Bias
29:37 Making Peace With The Band
31:17 Rebuilding Sisterhood Again
31:37 Losing Pop Star Identity
32:43 Shock Pregnancy And Isolation
35:17 Postnatal Breakdown And Help
38:12 CBT And Taking Control
40:40 New Career In Beauty
46:00 Divorce Money Chaos And Recovery
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
From the age of 16 I was constantly told who to be: what to do, how to look, how to act - I’d never been given the reins of my own life before.
There is no wrong decision, if it works it works.
I thought: everyone’s judging me for not being thin enough.
Fame was so isolating.
If you’re struggling - talk to someone.
It’s incredible what can happen when you back yourself.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Natasha Hamilton’s new single, Numb, is out now
If you need someone to talk to, the Samaritans are available 24 hours a day: www.samaritans.org or call on 116 123
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Vicky Pattison - on Geordie Shore, self-worth, PMDD and family addiction: swap.fm/l/kUiBIHEkL1y3C9moLdsx
Louise Thompson - on how severe trauma after childbirth, chronic illness and the loss of her former identity forced her to rebuild her life with self-compassion: swap.fm/l/LouiseThompson
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Natasha answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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, singer‑songwriter Jessie Ware reflects on becoming a parent while building a career in the public eye. She talks about the pressure she felt to prove she could do everything at once, the exhaustion that followed and the grounding process of learning to be present rather than perfect.
We also hear from novelist Francesca Segal, who shares the story of her twins’ premature birth and the unexpected reality of early motherhood inside a neonatal ward. She describes the chasm between the idealised story of birth and the lived experience many mothers face.
I hope this episode brings comfort to anyone navigating the complexities of motherhood. May it remind you that every journey is different, that there is no single right way to parent and that you are never alone in this experience.
Listen to Jessie’s full episode of How to Fail here: http://swap.fm/l/8cUuwGs4vc7tAXiPcDab
Listen to Francesca’s full episode of How to Fail here: swap.fm/l/MsPtRFvgP8z18GLPgpdL
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Maternal Support: https://maternalmentalhealthalliance.org/ https://mothersformothers.co.uk/
Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/
Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @howtofailpod @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod @elizabday
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 rebellious, she reflects on a career that has defied neat narratives from the very beginning.
After taking a year out from studying English at University of Oxford to pursue acting, she graduated and stepped straight into the global spotlight as Bond girl Miranda Frost in Die Another Day. From there came a string of unforgettable movies: Pride & Prejudice, Jack Reacher, A Private War and Saltburn. Her chilling performance in Gone Girl earned her an Oscar nomination and she took home a Golden Globe for I Care a Lot. In 2025, she returned to the stage for the first time in 15 years in the National Theatre’s production of Inter Alia.
In this episode, she talks about her ‘failure’ to get married, the realities of raising two sons and her decision not to read a single review of her work for the past 25 years. Plus why she’s ‘constantly in battle’ with her own fear, her failure to be an action movie hero, her miserable attempt to cook a rabbit and whether or not she’s ‘cool’.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
03:18 No reviews rule
06:57 Early perfectionism and stage craft
07:58 Inter Alia and modern womanhood
10:09 Luminate meditation mask
12:42 Failure to learn Chinese
19:09 Onstage mishaps and acting roles
28:59 What Cool Really Means
29:26 Cool Girl vs Amy
32:21 Failing at Being An Action Star
36:52 Failure to Get Married
45:17 Mothering Two Boys
47:28 Smells and Teen Hygiene
48:44 Rabbit Dinner and Being Enough
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
Failure is usually pretending to be someone you’re not.
I don’t think you ever regret having a big love affair - even if goes to shit.
I’m quite a coward. I like to play brave people because I’m not. I’m constantly in battle with my own fear.
Cool means that you can go your own way. You don't give too many, f***s... you can think originally.
I didn’t want to be the sex symbol.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Inter Alia is on at the Wyndham’s Theatre: 19 March - 20 June 2026
Rosamund’s Meditation App is: www.lumenate.co
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
📚 WANT MORE?
Glennon Doyle - on wildness, the end of people-pleasing and why we can all do hard things swap.fm/l/Nd3ZzVy73FXUMupJ4i1q
Phoebe Waller Bridge - on creative control, perfectionism and the fear of being misunderstood swap.fm/l/gTCOCJUmXX9t22mTABSa
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Rosamund answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 who raised her was not her biological father – a revelation that sent her on a remarkable search for the truth about her origins.
Her memoir Inconceivable launches Elizabeth’s new imprint, Big Day Books. Rebecca writes with clarity and compassion about being a donor‑conceived IVF triplet, later donating her own eggs and facing fertility treatment herself – a story of family secrets, shame, resilience and deep love.
You don’t need personal experience of IVF or DNA surprises to be moved by this conversation. Rebecca is thoughtful, emotionally perceptive and quietly courageous. She speaks about having her identity reshaped overnight, the coexistence of gratitude and grief, and the invisible threads that bind us across generations.
This is a discussion about truth, belonging and the ethics and emotions of creating new life – and about redefining family not by biology alone, but through love, choice and understanding.
A deeply honest, intimate and ultimately hopeful discussion – and a very special moment for How to Fail.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
00:00 Intro
01:15 Donor Conceived Truth
02:52 Test Results Moment
05:26 Endometriosis Reality
07:57 Choosing Egg Donation
08:36 US Donor Market
10:26 Recipient Letter Impact
13:58 Dating And Time Pressure
15:53 James And IVF Collapse
20:50 Meeting Donor Rodney
30:47 Pregnancy After Book
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
The experience of watching your friends have babies. Every milestone in their lives feels like a splinter in mine.
I'm still on the shoreline waiting for my time, and I'm standing alongside people who are struggling." — Rebecca describes the mindset she had while finishing her book, just before discovering she was pregnant.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Rebecca’s new book Inconceivable is available to buy now: www.bigdaybooks.co.uk/inconceivable
Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.com
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
_________________________________________________________________________
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices -
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 was persuaded to fly 6,000 miles to Mallorca. The rest, as they say, is history.
But you don’t need to be a Love Island superfan to love this episode. Toni is funny, emotionally intelligent and disarmingly honest. She opens up about living with the chronic illness Ulcerative Colitis, her pattern of choosing the wrong men in the past, working through anxious attachment and the hard-won strength it takes to forgive yourself.
This is a conversation about resilience, self-awareness and what it really means to back yourself - even when the odds (and the public vote) are against you.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE:
03:18 Vegas Sales to Villa Casting
05:36 Saying Yes to Love Island
07:21 Life Inside the Villa
08:33 Votes, Outcasts and Forgiveness
10:57 The Big Three Friendship
14:18 Health Scare and Ulcerative Colitis
28:10 Tourist In London
28:43 Toxic Dating Patterns
32:22 Pressure On Her Relationship
34:57 Fame And Social Media
37:34 Family And Attachment
44:28 Self Criticism And Hate
49:44 Plan For The Future
💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:
There is value in doing nothing and taking a step back and waiting for good things to come.
I always say not all disabilities are visible and people don't really understand what that's like.
🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:
Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/
📚 WANT MORE?
Olivia Attwood - on heartbreak, public scrutiny and building a successful career after Love Island.
Jessel Taank - on infertility, identity and The Real Housewives of New York.
💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts
Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories
👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org
Elizabeth and Toni answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content
Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com
Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan
Engineer: Matias Torres
Assistant Producer: Shania Manderson
Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot
Executive Producer: Alex Lawless
How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices - Laat meer zien
