Podcasts · Society & Culture

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

300 episodes · Explicit

Every success story you've ever been told is incomplete. How To Fail with Elizabeth Day is the part they leave out.

More about the show

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 Anderson on refuting shame. Phoebe Waller-Bridge on creativity. Salman Rushdie on survival. Emilia Clarke on fame. What happens when the people you most admire stop performing and start telling the truth? Five hundred episodes in, we're still finding out.

With sold-out nights at the London Palladium and Sydney Opera House, millions of listeners worldwide, and a British Podcast Award to its name, How To Fail is one of the UK's most successful podcasts. And yes, we're aware of the irony.

Pick an episode. Start anywhere.

An Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment production.

All guest booking is managed from an official Sony Music email address.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcastsTo bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Hanif Kureishi - ‘I Write To Stay Alive’

    · 50 min · S20 E191 · Explicit

    Hanif Kureishi is one of Britain’s most celebrated writers. His debut screenplay, My Beautiful Laundrette, was nominated for an Academy Award, and he went on to write novels including The Buddha of Suburbia and…

  2. Bill Bailey - ‘Rejection Made Me A Better Performer’

    · 49 min · S20 E191 · Explicit

    Bill Bailey is a comedian, musician, writer, actor, director and presenter, known for his brilliant live tours and panel appearances on shows including Never Mind the Buzzcocks and QI. In this episode, Bill discusses…

  3. Bella Mackie - ‘I Will Never “Fix” My Mental Health’

    · 50 min · S20 E190 · Explicit

    Bella Mackie began her career as a journalist, writing for publications including the Guardian, Vice and Vogue, before writing her bestselling debut, Jog On. The book explored how running helped her rebuild her life…

  4. Anthony Scaramucci - My Biggest Failure? Working For Donald Trump

    · 1 h 07 min · S20 E189 · Explicit

    Scaramucci’s 11-day tenure as the White House Communications Chief under President Donald Trump’s first term ended in a blaze of recrimination. Scaramucci was advised by a PR consultant to disappear for five years. He…

  5. Luke Evans, Sarah Solemani & Elizabeth Day: The Making of The Party

    · 38 min · S20 E188 · Explicit

    Luke Evans and Sarah Solemani join Elizabeth to talk about the journey of Elizabeth’s 2017 novel The Party to its new five-part ITV adaptation. Luke stars as the show’s protagonist, Martin Gilmour, and Sarah stars as…

  6. Bonnie Garmus - ‘Adoption Gave Us A Family’

    · 59 min · S20 E187 · Explicit

    Bonnie Garmus was 64 when her debut novel, Lessons in Chemistry, was published. It went on to sell more than eight million copies, spend almost two years on the New York Times bestseller list, was translated into more…

  7. Russell T Davies - On Dr Who, Grief and Gay Representation on TV

    · 57 min · S20 E186 · Explicit

    Russell T Davies has spent decades creating some of Britain’s most beloved and groundbreaking television. After studying English at Oxford, he went from writing for children’s programmes and Coronation Street to…

  8. Sir Paul Smith - ‘People In Fashion Are Insecure’

    · 52 min · S20 E185 · Explicit

    Sir Paul Smith is one of Britain’s most iconic fashion designers, renowned for his sharp tailoring and his sartorial flair. His clothes have an innate sense of mischief: brightly coloured linings, unexpected stripes…

  9. Louise O’Neill - ‘Full Recovery Is Possible’

    · 59 min · S20 E184 · Explicit

    This episode contains references to and descriptions of eating disorders. Louise O’Neill is a bestselling, award-winning Irish author whose fearless writing has helped shape modern feminism. Her fiction is taught on…

  10. Nish Kumar - Failure Is Information. Comedians Call It Material.

    · 57 min · S20 E183 · Explicit

    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…

  11. Remembering Gloria Steinem

    · 58 min · S20 E182 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 53 min · S20 E181 · Explicit

    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…

  13. Failure Throwback: Mo Gawdat

    · 1 h 02 min · S20 E180 · Explicit

    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…

  14. Failure Throwback: Phoebe Waller Bridge

    · 52 min · S20 E179 · Explicit

    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…

  15. Mel Giedroyc - I Lost My Biggest Fan When Mum Died

    · 58 min · S20 E178 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 49 min · S20 E177 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 55 min · S20 E176 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 57 min · S20 E175 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 58 min · S20 E174 · Explicit

    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…

  20. Remembering Bonnie Tyler

    · 49 min · S20 E173 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 54 min · S20 E172 · Explicit

    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…

  22. Anastacia – All My Songs Have Been Good Therapy

    · 54 min · S20 E171 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 45 min · S20 E170 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 53 min · S20 E169 · Explicit

    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,…

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

    · 56 min · S20 E168 · Explicit

    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,…

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

    · 52 min · S20 E167 · Explicit

    *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…

  27. Hannah Murray - ‘Everything Fell Apart’

    · 1 h 02 min · S20 E166 · Explicit

    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…

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

    · 1 h 01 min · S20 E165 · Explicit

    *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…

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

    · 49 min · S20 E164 · Explicit

    *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…

  30. Emilia Clarke - ‘I’m A Bad Celebrity’

    · 55 min · S20 E163 · Explicit

    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…

  31. Aline Brosh McKenna - The Rom Com Queen Who Wrote The Devil Wears Prada

    · 51 min · S20 E162 · Explicit

    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…

  32. Richard Gadd - On Shame, Sexuality and Success

    · 50 min · S20 E161 · Explicit

    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…

  33. Rita Wilson - ‘I’m 69. I’m At My Most Unfiltered.’

    · 52 min · S20 E160 · Explicit

    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…

  34. Emma Grede - ‘Ambition Is Something I Am Entitled to’

    · 54 min · S20 E159 · Explicit

    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…

  35. Sophie Habboo - I Wish I Had More Boundaries

    · 47 min · S20 E158 · Explicit

    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…

  36. Elizabeth's New Show: History’s Greatest Fails

    · 34 min · S20 E157

    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…

  37. Amy Jackson Westwick - I Was A Magnet For Narcissists

    · 55 min · S20 E156 · Explicit

    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…

  38. ON FINDING THE ONE… With Miranda Hart, Celeste Barber and Glennon Doyle

    · 25 min · S20 E155 · Explicit

    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…

  39. Chris Appleton - ‘I Felt Shame Before I Felt Love’

    · 45 min · S20 E154 · Explicit

    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…

  40. Mel Schilling - ‘She was the embodiment of vibrant life’

    · 1 h 20 min · S20 E153 · Explicit

    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…

  41. ON STARTING OVER AFTER GRIEF… With Stanley Tucci and Geri Halliwell-Horner

    · 21 min · S20 E152 · Explicit

    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…

  42. Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton - ‘We were young and working-class. We were dismissed.’

    · 1 h 00 min · S20 E151 · Explicit

    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…

  43. ON MOTHERHOOD… with Jessie Ware and Francesca Segal

    · 19 min · S20 E150 · Explicit

    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,…

  44. Rosamund Pike - ‘Failure Is Pretending To Be Someone You’re Not’

    · 57 min · S20 E149 · Explicit

    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…

  45. SPECIAL EP: On Fertility and Finding Your Family… with Rebecca Coxon

    · 41 min · S20 E148 · Explicit

    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…

  46. Toni Laites - Love Island Healed My Toxic Dating Patterns

    · 55 min · S20 E147 · Explicit

    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,…

  47. ON AMBITION… With Gillian Anderson and Munroe Bergdorf

    · 12 min · S20 E146 · Explicit

    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…

  48. Baz Luhrmann - ‘I self-medicate with creativity’

    · 50 min · S20 E145 · Explicit

    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…

  49. ON SELF ACCEPTANCE... With Pamela Anderson and Rylan Clark

    · 24 min · S20 E144 · Explicit

    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…

  50. Jennette McCurdy on Reclaiming Her Voice

    · 57 min · S20 E143 · Explicit

    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…

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