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Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

How To Fail with Elizabeth Day is a podcast that celebrates the things in life that haven’t gone right and what we might learn from them along the way. Every week, Elizabeth’s guest explores three failures, and what these failures have taught them about how to grow and succeed, better.

We’d love to hear from you! Get in touch with Elizabeth to share your failures, problems or questions - anonymously or otherwise. She'll go through these each week with the help of her very special guests. And remember: a fail shared is a fail halved. https://forms.sonymusicfans.com/campaign/how-to-fail-uk-2023/

An Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Original Production. 
Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow @sonypodcasts 
To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Joe Locke shot to global fame as Charlie Spring in Netflix’s Heartstopper, a role that catapulted him overnight from a schoolboy on the Isle of Man to an Emmy-nominated actor with millions of followers. In this candid conversation, the Heartstopper star reflects on the whirlwind of early success, the pressure of being seen as a role model and why he once felt like he was ‘already 35’ at just 20 years old.

Joe opens up about the challenges of guarding his privacy while navigating fame, learning to embrace his youth and discovering the value of failure in both life and career. From Broadway and Marvel to his West End debut in Clarkston, the Netflix actor shares what it means to grow up in the spotlight, how being raised by strong women shaped him - and why believing in yourself can be the hardest lesson of all.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

01:43 Guarding Privacy in the Spotlight

04:21 Theater and Personal Passions

10:08 Heartstopper and Cast Dynamics

14:38 Navigating Fame and Personal Growth

16:04 Balancing Youth and Career

24:31 Reverse Misogyny and Comfort in Female Spaces

26:37 Future Aspirations 

27:48 Imposter Syndrome in Acting

28:52 Heartstopper Casting Call Experience

32:00 The Struggle with Self-Belief

34:55 Embracing Failure and Personal Growth

40:59 Eyebrows and Acting

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

‘The only way I can be a role model is by being the true version of myself. I'm not aspiring to be a role model, and if that is something that people attribute to me, that's not my fault or my thing to worry about.’

‘I have a lot of growing to do still. And that's okay. I think because of my life, I felt like I've had to be perfect and done and fully ready as an adult, and I'm not there yet. And that's fine.’

‘I think the film industry [has] got a very strong relationship with the class system... And I think that open casting is a great way of making the industry more accessible.’

‘I’ve got reverse misogyny because of my upbringing… if I was choosing a team of people for work, I would never choose a man over a woman. I feel far more comfortable being in spaces with women than I do men.’

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Joe is starring in Clarkston at the Trafalgar Theatre from 17th September - 22nd November clarkstonplay.co.uk

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Erin Doherty - the Adolescence star on acting rejections, social anxiety and figuring out who she is: https://link.chtbl.com/gRxoOXyH 

Andrew Scott - on ‘failing’ to live a heteronormative life and the audition he’ll never forget: https://link.chtbl.com/18dVhMb_ 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw - on resisting type‑casting and handling tricky co‑stars. If you like honest reflections from actors, this is solid: https://link.chtbl.com/wDCLLc94 

💌 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

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Elizabeth and Joe Locke answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: howtofailpod.com 

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 

Sound Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Locke - ‘At 20, I Felt Like I Was Already 35’

Welcome to another special edition of How to Fail, where I revisit conversations from the How to Fail archives. Each week, we shine a light on a particular theme, hopefully offering inspiration, perspective and comfort through the words of past guests.

This week’s theme is on writing - appropriately, because my new book ‘One of Us’ is out this week (25th September)! So it felt only fair that I re-shared a couple of my favourite authors who have guested on How to Fail in the past. 

First up, you’ll hear from Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro, whose episode originally aired in March 2021. He shares thoughtful reflections on creativity, memory and the way stories help us explore both truth and imagination.

Then, we turn to Salman Rushdie, in an excerpt from our original conversation back in June 2024, where he discusses his extraordinary book ‘Knife’ and reflects on the role of stories in making sense of life’s most difficult moments.

I hope these highlights remind you of the power of storytelling, not only as a means of escape but also as a way to process, connect and endure

Listen to Salman Rushdie’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/OE63hsrn

Listen to Kazuo Ishiguro’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/zu0kLq-0 

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

‘One of Us’ is out on 25th September: lnk.to/OneOfUsElizabethDay 

Salman Rushdie’s books: www.salmanrushdie.com

Kazuo Ishiguro’s books: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/14137/kazuo-ishiguro/ 

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro

Content Warning: This episode contains mentions of drug use. 

Mark Ronson is the hitmaker behind some of the most iconic music of the past two decades. A nine-time Grammy-winning producer, DJ, and Oscar-winning songwriter (yes - he wrote “I’m Just Ken”), Ronson has collaborated with legends like Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, Miley Cyrus and Duran Duran. He also produced Amy Winehouse’s era-defining album Back to Black, and his 2014 smash “Uptown Funk” is one of the best-selling singles in history.

In this revealing conversation, Mark shares the creative process behind “Uptown Funk,” his unforgettable first meeting with Amy Winehouse, the 90s New York club scene and how a song from Barbie became a global phenomenon. 

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

02:45 The DJ Booth

04:00 Navigating Family Chaos and Emotional Sensitivity

06:56 The Night People: A Unique Subculture

09:06 Encounters with Celebrities and Substance Experimentation

12:11 The Jay-Z Approach Disaster

21:33 Creating Uptown Funk with Bruno Mars

24:04 The Journey of a Hit Song

25:50 The Concept of Cool

27:42 Guitar Dreams and DJ Realities

29:59 The Importance of Friendship

33:24 Therapy and Personal Growth

35:19 Meeting his wife During COVID

37:26 Industry Exile and a New Beginning

44:14 Creating the Barbie Soundtrack

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"Creativity is almost like a newborn baby. That's just pure, and I'm not sure if that's really affected by esteem or not."

"There was something about the DJ booth, just like almost physically, it was this, that one man command center where I was just the captain. Nobody can get to me. This is my thing."

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Mark Ronson’s new memoir ‘Night People’ is out now linktr.ee/MarkRonson_NightPeople 

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Tracey Thorn - One half of the legendary duo Everything But The Girl, Tracey talks about stage fright, motherhood, anxiety, and unexpected turns in life and career. https://link.chtbl.com/7uRMc582

Mabel - the mega popstar chats creativity, stage fright and trying to be healthy. https://link.chtbl.com/C_XRoNuJ

Emeli Sandé - A chart-topping artist with a deeply moving story of overcoming body-image struggles and personal heartbreak, all while navigating fame. https://link.chtbl.com/XVmX2wuW

💌 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

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com

Elizabeth and Mark Ronson answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: howtofailpod.com 

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 

Sound Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mark Ronson - The Stories Behind ‘Uptown Funk,’ Amy Winehouse & ‘I’m Just Ken’

Welcome to the newest evolution of How to Fail! Each week, I’ll be diving into the archives to spotlight key themes that have come up throughout my conversations with How to Fail guests. I’ll be sharing bite-sized takeaways every Monday to support, inspire and help with whatever you might be going through.

This week’s theme is a big one: we’re talking all about grief.

First, you’ll hear a moving excerpt from my 2019 conversation with Mo Gawdat, who offered deeply validating and helpful advice for anyone navigating the loss of a loved one. Then, we revisit a 2024 episode with Bonnie Tyler, who talks about losing her beloved mother.. 

I hope this episode brings comfort, clarity and a little light to those who need it most.

Listen to Mo Gawdat’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/fnA5IzTi 

Listen to Bonnie Tyler’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/hR7kycoN

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ON GRIEF… With Mo Gawdat and Bonnie Tyler

‘I didn’t think I had that confidence, so I turned those roles down.’

Robin Wright is the legendary star of The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump, House of Cards, and Amazon’s gripping new thriller The Girlfriend. An Emmy-nominated actress, Golden Globe winner and now an acclaimed director, Wright joins How To Fail to talk about fear, self-worth, womanhood, motherhood - and what it means to start over later in life.

She reflects on missed chances in her 20s, turning down roles due to self-doubt, and how playing Claire Underwood helped her channel her inner strength. We discuss ageing, perfectionism, directing while acting and the inequality still embedded in Hollywood. A masterclass in how to fail, get back up, and do it your own way.

Plus: her honest thoughts on working with Tom Hanks and the *worst* experience she’s had with a director.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

11.20 Overcoming fear and self-doubt 

11.30 Reuniting with former co-stars - Tom Hanks!

21.31 Why she turned down roles in her 20s due to fear of failing 

25.30 Self-love and personal growth

26.15 The journey to directing 

35.20 Embracing new challenges later in life 

39.45 Difficult experiences in the industry with a bullying director 

43.00 Dealing with power imbalances

43.30 Her biggest wish for the youth of today (and how not to be controlled by social media)

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"You take care of your babies and if something you see is perilous for your offspring, you will lie under an 18-wheeler truck before the baby's going to, you know what I mean?"

"I wasn't ready. And so I feel that it just takes time, experience... I learned from that by finally failing. Having the confidence to fail."

“You have to learn to fail in front of the camera. And then put your head up and try again.”

“Too old to do what? If you’ve got the energy and the want, do it.”

“I’d feel like a failure if I didn’t help the youth grow up in this chaotic world.”

“I didn’t feel confident enough to take those roles. Now I know - that was the lesson.”

“It was 116 degrees in the desert and I just ran. I had to get away.”

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Robin Wright stars in The Girlfriend, available exclusively on Prime Video 

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Kate Winslet on womanhood, body image and failing to direct (yet) https://link.chtbl.com/ue94wtL4 

Vanessa Williams on playing ice queens https://link.chtbl.com/XuGATIoZ 

Sharon Horgan on creativity, motherhood and control https://link.chtbl.com/lMHAaa-w

💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts

Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories

Share with someone exploring neurodiversity or recovering their voice

👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:

Instagram: @elizabday

TikTok: @howtofailpod

Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod

Website: www.elizabethday.org

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Elizabeth and Robin answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: howtofailpod.com 

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 

Sound Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robin Wright on ageing, confidence and the myth of being ‘too late’

Welcome to this brand-new concept for How to Fail – where I dive into the back catalogue of the How to Fail archives, highlighting specific themes each week to bring you bitesize takeaways! Hopefully these episodes can bring some clarity on similar issues you’re facing or great stories that you might find comfort from. 

This week we’re looking at heartbreak. You’ll hear a highlight from my conversation with philosopher Alain de Botton, originally released in October 2019, who shares wise and insightful advice on how to process and understand heartbreak. 

Secondly, we hear from Jay Shetty, whose episode originally broadcast in May 2023, and gives incredibly validating advice and support for anyone who might have experienced heartbreak of any kind. I hope that this episode will be a beacon of light to anyone who has been or is currently going through this! 

Listen to Alain de Botton’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/RBaS4VUy 

Listen to Jay Shetty’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/-nR18lfT 

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Jay Shetty’s book – 8 Rules of Love www.8rulesoflove.com

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

ON HEARTBREAK... With Alain de Botton and Jay Shetty

You may know Tom Ellis as the devilishly charming lead in Netflix’s Lucifer, or as the lovable Gary in the BBC sitcom Miranda. He's also made waves in the U.S., starring alongside Gina Rodriguez in Players, and appearing in Hulu’s Tell Me Lies, created by his wife, Meghan Oppenheimer.

In 2023, Tom and Meghan welcomed a daughter via surrogate, adding to his role as a proud dad of four. Now, his next big project is the star-studded film adaptation of Richard Osman’s bestselling novel The Thursday Murder Club, alongside Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Richard E. Grant.

In this episode, Tom opens up about modern fatherhood, navigating surrogacy, his fear of needles and what it's really like working on a series about sexual toxicity - with his real-life partner at the helm.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

01:25 From Cardiff to Hollywood

02:11 The Spiritual Journey

04:17 The Thursday Murder Club Experience

06:37 Personal Life and Surrogacy

10:20 Failures and Lessons in Sports

20:09 Discovering Acting

23:50 Being Recognised on the Street

24:04 Medical Green Card Failure

26:35 Discovering Vasovagal Condition

27:45 Becoming a US Citizen

27:54 Political Climate in the US

31:15 Working with his Wife

37:09 Financial Struggles as a Student

43:43 Cats and Family Life

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"I've had to face things that have been really uncomfortable. But I'm glad that I have done, because then I get back to a place of - this is where I should be. Acknowledging when I've been in the wrong place has been hard, but it's something that I've got better at"

On therapy: "I've learned that you're just basically asking someone to ask you the questions that you're scared to ask yourself, because you probably know the answers already"

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Tom Ellis stars in The Thursday Murder Club, available to watch now on Netflix

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Miranda Hart - https://link.chtbl.com/BoBbGenZ 

Richard Osman - https://link.chtbl.com/oo_ct3h3

Tom Daley - https://link.chtbl.com/FGrAfe6J 

💌 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

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Elizabeth and Tom Ellis answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: howtofailpod.com 

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 

Sound Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tom Ellis - Fatherhood, Surrogacy and Years of Therapy

Jameela Jamil is an actor, activist, and founder of the I Weigh movement. From teaching English to starring in The Good Place, Jameela shares the highs, lows, and radical honesty that define her journey. This episode first went out in February 2021. 

We talk about:

Her struggle to be a "good" celebrity

Body image battles and self-kindness

Financial missteps and learning to thrive

Calling out media hypocrisy and sparking global change

Packed with truth bombs and bold insight, this episode is for anyone navigating life, self-worth, and the pressure to fit in.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

02:35 Challenges and Criticisms

03:35 Embracing Failure and Progress

08:47 Navigating Public Criticism

15:14 The Pressure of Being a Female Celebrity

26:57 Mental Health

30:09 Empathy and Self-Reflection

30:25 Struggles with Body Image

31:21 The Impact of Diet Culture

32:26 Realisations and Recovery

36:55 Navigating Compliments and Criticisms

42:25 Financial Failures and Lessons

47:59 Life in Los Angeles

52:02 Future Plans and Activism

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

“I failed at being the kind of woman the media wanted me to be—and thank God for that.”

“I spent years trying to be kind to my body. Now I’m trying to be kind to myself.”

“If you’re not being criticised, you’re probably not saying anything worth hearing.”

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Phoebe Waller-Bridge – The Fleabag creator opens up about creative failure, imposter syndrome, and the messy beauty of storytelling: https://link.chtbl.com/Xr_yQtIZ 

Dolly Alderton – Journalist and author who dives into romantic missteps, self-worth, and the chaos of growing up: https://link.chtbl.com/5pFApeKP 

💌 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

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Failure Throwback: Jameela Jamil

Author of Untamed and fierce truth-teller Glennon Doyle joins me for a raw and revelatory episode, first recorded in July 2020. We dive into:

Why we chase approval instead of trusting our inner voice

Her struggles with body image, love, and emotional resilience

The failures that shaped her—from family breakdowns to learning self-protection

Every moment is unscripted and packed with wisdom. No edits. No filters. Just Glennon, exactly as she is.

Listen when you're ready for honesty that hits like a lightning bolt.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

01:59 Glennon Doyle's Early Life and Struggles

02:11 The Journey to Sobriety 

02:35 Meeting Abby Wambach and Life Transformation

03:01 The Impact of 'Untamed' and Pandemic Challenges

07:47 Writing 'Untamed' and Embracing Wildness

12:54 Personal Transformation

17:11 Redefining Success and Family Dynamics

35:52 Generational Differences and Parenting

36:38 A Mother's Transformation

38:04 Struggles with Thick Skin

38:58 Navigating Feedback as an Artist

51:10 The Scarcity Mindset Among Women

55:52 Body Image and Control

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"If a cheetah can be tamed to forget who she is, so can a woman."

"This life is mine alone, so I have stopped asking people for directions to places they’ve never been."

"The point of being human is not to feel happy—it’s to feel everything."

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – On feminism, failure, and the power of storytelling to reshape identity: https://link.chtbl.com/wqGlGUPi 

Mo Gawdat – Former Google exec turned happiness expert, sharing his journey through grief and self-discovery: https://link.chtbl.com/fnA5IzTi 

💌 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

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Failure Throwback: Glennon Doyle

This week we revisit one of my all-time favourite guests: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, recorded in July 2021. Best known for Americanah and her globally resonant TED Talks, Chimamanda opens up about the profound grief of losing both her parents within a year—and the raw journey of coping in its aftermath.

We talk candidly about:

Her essay Notes on Grief

Being a daughter and the complexities of motherhood

Fertility struggles and writing through pain

Her cultural influence and, yes...Kim Kardashian

It’s heartfelt, honest, and deeply moving. Listen when you're ready to feel.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

03:18 Chimamanda's Background and Family

04:39 Exploring Feminism and Dissatisfaction

06:09 Navigating Sexism and Racism

08:29 Cultural Observations and Gender Roles

14:52 Academic Journey and Career Shift

18:12 Grief, Guilt, and Family Memories

35:04 Delight in Simple Pleasures

35:54 A Mother's Determination

38:11 Medical Malpractice and Loss

41:10 Coping with Grief

42:51 Seeking Comfort in Faith

51:20 Struggles with Writing

53:51 Motherhood and Creativity

01:01:44 Fashion, Individuality, and Social Media

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"I didn’t really intend to become this person who talks about feminism and political things… but my anger and my dissatisfaction just propels me."

"It seems to me that I’ve always known… the world simply does not give women the same dignity it gives men."

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day 

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Danny O’Donoghue on navigating grief: https://link.chtbl.com/Fvd4L7ei 

Julia Stiles on grief and her directorial debut: https://link.chtbl.com/0RdPCiip 

Dorinda Medley on grief, identity and The Real Housewives: https://link.chtbl.com/Lf44HTRS 

💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE?

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Website: www.elizabethday.org

Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

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. 

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ON GRIEF… With Mo Gawdat and Bonnie Tyler

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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