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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

You might know Denise from Coronation Street, Waterloo Road, or as the winner of Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 and a regular panelist on ITV’s flagship panel chat show, Loose Women, or remember when she won Celebrity Big Brother in 2012. 

But what you might not know is the extraordinary story that shaped the strong woman she is. It’s a story of addiction, depression, tabloid phone-hacking and the darker side of fame. It’s also the story of sobriety, recovery and the surreality of having survived post-natal psychosis to become the mother of one of the famous musical frontmen in the world: Matty Healy of The 1975.

In this beautifully candid conversation, Denise opens up about surviving the toughest times but knowing how to celebrate the good ones (and yes, she does give us the inside scoop on being a guest at Charli XCX’s wedding).

This episode is a testament to working-class grit and finding light at the end of the tunnel while never losing your sense of humour. I hope you take as much from it as I did. WE LOVE YOU, DENISE!

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

02:16 Being a 'Hun' and Social Media Fame

04:32 Family and The 1975

09:03 First Failure: Domestic Goddess

14:28 ADHD Diagnosis and Mental Health

18:34 Second Failure: Getting Sober

28:01 Hormonal Chaos and Early Struggles

28:55 Postnatal Depression

30:04 The Depths of Depression

31:15 Mental Health Advocacy

34:07 The Song 'She Lays Down'

38:43 Struggles with Alcoholism

42:21 Finding Sobriety and Love

48:31 A New Chapter in Acting

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

If someone said to me: “You need to lose a limb and if you do, you will never have depression again,” I would have offered both arms like that. And to be honest, I still would.

Depression is the inability to feel extreme sadness. You can't feel happiness, sadness…nothing. It depresses everything about your life.

Giving up alcohol didn't cure my depression, but it stopped compounding it.

I don't believe there is such a thing as a functioning alcoholic because you are physically going to work, but you are functioning on about 10% of your capability.

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

AA: www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk

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

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

📚 WANT MORE?

ON ADDICTION… With Mae Martin and Marian Keyes - an episode that weaves together two powerful conversations about addiction and recovery, exploring how both guests confronted their struggles, rejected shame and ultimately found hope and purpose on the other side. https://play.megaphone.fm/ew3m8bdot1athsleg0xf6a 

Joe Wickes - the fitness coach opens up about growing up with family addiction, how exercise became his refuge and the challenges of staying consistent, compassionate and balanced in both life and parenting. https://play.megaphone.fm/0ii1ky7wtgsnxvxmdo7iwq

Malcolm Gladwell - the bestselling author confesses to ‘failing’ to help a friend with alcoholism. https://play.megaphone.fm/jsbf9r5qr9ophi0vvbornq

💌 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 Denise 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 

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

Denise Welch - I Got Sober For Love

I’m diving into the back catalogue, bringing you moments of insight, laughter and truth from past guests. These themed episodes are a chance to reflect on the universal experiences that connect us all.

This week we’re looking at school and those formative years that shape who we become. You’ll hear from actor Jamie Dornan, originally released in November 2020. Jamie and I went to the same school(!) and discuss what those years taught us.

Then we hear from Senator Bernie Sanders, from his original episode in March 2023. Bernie opens up about being rejected from his high school basketball team and how that early setback taught him resilience. I hope this episode reminds you that school isn’t just about exams or rules, it’s about the people, the lessons, and sometimes the failures that stay with us long after the bell rings.

Listen to Jamie Dornan’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://play.megaphone.fm/6_7a8c2otds3j72e9md4ea 

Listen to Bernie Sanders’ full episode of How to Fail here: https://play.megaphone.fm/bwz0irc7qmiwmmsczajzew 

🔗 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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

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

ON SCHOOL… With Jamie Dornan and Bernie Sanders

Charlotte Church is currently starring in the first ever series of BBC One’s Celebrity Traitors. But she first found global fame as the young classical singer with the voice of an angel. By 22, she had sold 10 million records and performed for popes, presidents and princes. The success came at a devastating personal cost - here, she tells us what really happened and how she found her way into what is arguably her most powerful iteration yet: her healing phase.

This episode was recorded live in Bath earlier this year. 

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

06:33 Reconnecting with Nature

08:55 Psychedelic Experiences and Healing

10:31 Creative Struggles and Musical Journey

16:38 Reflections on the Music Industry

21:09 Family and Ambitions

21:33 Struggles with Patriarchy and Colonialism

22:30 The Symbolism of Tattoos

24:13 Understanding Patriarchy

29:57 Challenges in the Music Industry

31:28 Personal Identity

34:39 Embracing the Wild Woman Archetype

40:08 Balancing Fame and Personal Beliefs

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

There's no two ways about it: I was not looked after, I was not nurtured, I was just totally exploited. I was a commodity and the industry was incredibly razor sharp. 

What makes us advance, is suffering.

I'm dreaming of a world where everybody can start to feel what balance truly feels like.

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Charlotte is starring in Celebrity Traitors on BBC One

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

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

📚 WANT MORE?

Tom Daley - discusses overcoming perfectionism, anxiety, and the fear of failure. He also shares how failure shaped his resilience and coping strategies - like knitting! https://play.megaphone.fm/deiztbmwsrw-vz5by9ajtw 

Claudia Winkleman - talks hilariously about her dislike of perfectionism, her introversion, struggles with sleep and the challenges of living in the present. https://play.megaphone.fm/cszzpxoqqb6_jx2furt7ba

Paloma Faith - reflects on her experiences with rejection and self‑judgment, struggling to conceive, and the tension between her public persona and inner vulnerabilities. https://play.megaphone.fm/rq-vrlg6sla2hyboi6znkq 

💌 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 Charlotte 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 

Live Engineer: Will Kontargyris

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

Charlotte Church - ‘I was totally exploited. I was a commodity’

Welcome back to this How to Fail special, where we revisit powerful moments from the archive that offer insight, perspective and - hopefully - a sense of comfort during life’s more difficult chapters.

This week, to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week (9th to 15th October) and Elizabeth’s new role as ambassador for The Miscarriage Association, we're reflecting on two deeply moving conversations that explore miscarriage, fertility struggles and the resilience required to endure them.

First, you'll hear from Sara Pascoe, who speaks openly about the heartbreak of miscarriage and the anxiety that followed during her IVF journey and eventual pregnancies.

Then we turn to Trinny Woodall, who shares her experience of multiple miscarriages and nine rounds of IVF before the birth of her daughter. Trinny’s story is one of extraordinary strength, persistence and hope.

Whether you're personally affected or simply listening with empathy, I hope these stories bring you comfort, connection or a new perspective.

Listen to Sara Pascoe’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://play.megaphone.fm/czmoofleqk6brln-hzfzqw 

Listen to Trinny Woodall’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://play.megaphone.fm/cubcpqghs06qmd5_v64wgq 

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

The Miscarriage Association: www.miscarriageassociation.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 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 BABY LOSS… With Sara Pascoe and Trinny Woodall

Warning: this episode may contain MIND-BLOWING moments. 

Stephen Grosz is a practising psychoanalyst and a personal hero of mine. He has worked with patients for more than 45 years and his first book, The Examined Life, drew on these experiences. When it was published in 2013, it caused a sensation and went straight to number one in the Sunday Times bestseller list. Since then, hundreds of thousands of readers, including me, have taken it to our hearts.

Now 12 years on from his debut, Grosz is back with Love's Labour, which asks fundamental questions around how to love and be loved in return, drawing on his almost half a century of clinical expertise.

In this episode we discuss why real love causes suffering, why failed marriages are often the best kind, the difference between surrender and submission in relationships, why loss has to be part of being human and how we can be happy. Plus: a fascinating peek into what it’s like to be a psychoanalyst when I get to ask ‘are you ever annoyed by your clients?’

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

02:28 Understanding Attachment to Suffering

04:25 The Role of Denial in Our Lives

06:32 Failures and Self-Perception

07:23 Stephen's Childhood 

21:46 The Power of Unconscious Signals

25:24 Navigating Change and Loss

26:25 The Anxiety of Letting Go

28:22 The Price of Love

29:23 Writing from the Heart

30:16 Support Systems 

32:27 Family Dynamics and Psychoanalysis

36:51 Surrender vs. Submission

45:25 Understanding Pain and Grief

48:25 Final Thoughts and Farewell

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

The aim of life is to see oneself clearly, and the world clearly.

Psychoanalysis is two people not knowing - together. We have to figure it out together, and that means both of us will make mistakes and I will get it wrong.

These failures brought me embarrassment, unhappiness, and pain. I wouldn't wish them away.

Real love is going to hurt

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Stephen’s new book - Loves Labour: www.stephengrosz.com 

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

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

📚 WANT MORE?

Dr Nicole LePera - The Holistic Psychologist sheds light on life’s struggles: https://link.chtbl.com/Tlf5L5Jb 

Emma Reed Turrell - the psychotherapist and author joins Elizabeth to discuss people-pleasing and the art of setting boundaries: https://link.chtbl.com/zthtQyEm 

Alain de Botton - the famed philosopher on how to love and be loved: https://link.chtbl.com/RBaS4VUy 

💌 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 Stephen 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

Stephen Grosz - ‘Real love is going to hurt’

Today, we remember and celebrate the extraordinary life of Jilly Cooper, who has sadly passed away at the age of 88. A literary icon, Jilly captured hearts and imaginations with her wit, warmth, and unmistakable voice. Her novels, especially beloved titles like Riders and Rivals, sold over 11 million copies in the UK alone and most recently inspired the hit Disney+ adaptation that introduced her work to a whole new generation.

I had the immense privilege of speaking with Jilly just last October. She was everything I’d hoped she would be - funny, sharp, generous and inspiring. Today, in tribute to her legacy and the joy she brought to so many, I’m honoured to share the conversation with you again.

___________________________________________________________________

Dame Jilly Cooper. What a legend. For the uninitiated (where have you been?) she’s a journalist and author most famous for her bestselling Rutshire Chronicle series which includes Riders, Polo and Rivals - the latter of which has now made into a hugely popular TV series starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson. In the past, Dame Jilly’s books have been unfairly dismissed as mere ‘bonkbusters’, charting the sex lives of the upper classes. But, as I discover, there’s much more to both her writing - and to her. We talk about her failures with technology, why she wishes she could throw more things away, as well as the terrifying time she lost an entire manuscript on the number 28 bus and had to rewrite it. Plus her experiences of interviewing Margaret Thatcher, her friendship with the Queen, her obsession with beautiful people and ‘macho men’ - and why she’d wholeheartedly recommend adoption to others.

Thank you Dame Jilly. A total sport (but we knew that).

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Remembering Dame Gili Cooper

03:43 Personal Reflections and Literary Success

07:37 Exploring Themes of Masculinity and Beauty

10:15 Family, Loss, and Resilience

11:28 Failures and Fertility Challenges

21:18 Dieting and Body Image

25:12 Interviewing Margaret Thatcher

26:46 Technical Challenges and Writing Process

30:27 Friendship and Social Media

🔗 LINKS:

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: @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

Jilly Cooper: On Failure, Love and Literature

Welcome back to this How to Fail special where we journey through the archive to uncover insight and revisit powerful conversations. Each week, I hand-pick moments that speak to our shared challenges - hopefully offering comfort, clarity, and a renewed sense of perspective for whatever life might be throwing your way.

Your 20s are notoriously a time of instability, during which you attempt to find yourself and figure out who you are. Which is why I wanted to bring you this episode! We hear from Phoebe Waller-Bridge who speaks about her rollercoaster 20s and the wisdom that hindsight has afforded her. Then the singer and actor Lily Allen shares her experiences of that decade which she lived out in the unforgiving glare of the public eye. 

Whether you're navigating this chapter yourself or walking alongside someone who is, I hope this episode offers a sense of solidarity, understanding and light in the darker moments.

Listen to Phoebe Waller Bridge’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/Vmnz_IXz

Listen to Lily Allen full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/7f_TpEQ6

🔗 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 podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

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

ON NAVIGATING YOUR 20s... With Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Lily Allen

We said goodbye to Jane Goodall, who passed away yesterday at 91 after a life that inspired millions. I feel so grateful to have had the chance to speak with her back in July 2022, a conversation I’ll never forget. Today, in honour of her incredible legacy, I want to re-share it with you.

___________________________________________________________________

The legendary Jane Goodall is a scientist, conservationist and humanitarian, whose 60-year study of wild chimpanzees in Tanzania challenged and overturned much of the conventional scientific thinking at the time. Her tireless work over the years - she is now 88 - has won her a legion of admirers, including David Attenborough, Leonardo di Caprio, Prince Harry and Greta Thunberg who calls Goodall ‘a true hero’.

She joins me to talk about the resilience of hope, whether chimpanzees have a sense of failure, her own failures in language, correspondence and motherhood, and her belief in the next generation. This was one of the most enlightening podcast interviews I've ever had the privilege of doing. Please listen!

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Introduction and Tribute to Jane Goodall

01:47 Early Life and Career

04:14 The Concept of Hope and Optimism

08:55 Groundbreaking Work with Chimpanzees

15:16 Challenges and Triumphs 

20:22 Reflections on Failure and Success

29:18 The Power of Imagination and Early Influences

30:22 Exploring Animal Friendships

32:43 Roots and Shoots: A Movement for Change

37:37 Spiritual Experiences and Beliefs

44:58 Challenges and Failures

49:48 Reflections on Parenting and Influential Figures

54:26 Messages of Hope and Resilience

 

🔗 LINKS:

Jane Goodall Institute:

https://janegoodall.org/

https://www.janegoodall.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 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

Jane Goodall on Optimism, Hope and Conservation

You’ll know Letitia Wright from her standout roles in Black Panther, Wakanda Forever, Black Mirror and Top Boy. She won the BAFTA Rising Star award in 2019 and is currently starring in Not Your Superwoman at The Bush Theatre, London. 

But Letitia’s journey hasn’t always been lined with red carpets. Born in Guyana and raised in Tottenham, North London, she’s faced her share of challenges including depression, anxiety and experiencing the pressure to fit in from a young age. In this episode, Letitia opens up about dealing with online bullying, rejection and the lessons she’s learned along the way.

She speaks powerfully about the importance of faith, friendship and resilience, sharing how those pillars helped shape the person she is today.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

02:36 Childhood Memories 

11:44 Audition Failures

22:20 Online Bullying and Its Impact

24:40 Struggles with Acting Roles

25:53 Dealing with Negative Thoughts

26:51 Overcoming College Torment

28:59 Finding Purpose in Acting

30:12 Battling Depression

35:41 Directing Debut Challenges

43:36 Processing Grief and Moving Forward

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

"I had to decide: no matter what anyone says about me, whether they like something I do or whether they don’t, I have to do this for me because this is my dream, this is my talent. This is something God has given to me and I have to see it through."

“When it doesn’t go your way it tests your character. Who will you be after that point?”

“Something greater is on the other side of failure.”

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Letitia is starring in Not Your Superwoman at The Bush Theatre: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/not-your-superwoman/ 

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

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

📚 WANT MORE?

Matt Haig - on surviving depression and managing his own mental health: https://link.chtbl.com/u2XVtjE7 

Dr Alex George - on grief, family and identity issues: https://link.chtbl.com/CcYCGIec 

Simu Liu - Letitia’s fellow Marvel superhero spills the beans: https://link.chtbl.com/YNXXD65e 

💌 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 Letitia 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

Letitia Wright - ‘I was bullied… now I’m Black Panther’

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. Each week, I select moments that can offer perspective, comfort and encouragement for whatever you might be going through.

Since September is National Recovery Month, we’re exploring the theme of addiction. First, we hear from comedian, writer and actor Mae Martin, who joined me in April this year. They spoke candidly about their experiences with addiction and recovery. Their honesty and humour shine through, reminding us that vulnerability can be a powerful force for change.

Then we hear from bestselling author Marian Keyes, who came on HTF just before lockdown, in February 2020. She shares her own journey with addiction and sobriety - her warmth and insight offer reassurance that recovery is possible and that life after addiction can be full of meaning and joy.

I hope this episode provides understanding, solidarity and light to anyone who may be struggling or supporting someone they love.

Listen to Mae Martin’s full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/F50L9kqQ 

Listen to Marian Keyes’ full episode of How to Fail here: https://link.chtbl.com/qHVhGxfP

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Dr Gabor Maté - His episode of How to Fail [https://link.chtbl.com/CDrr2-7_] and Recovery Resources: www.drgabormate.com 

Mae Martin - linktr.ee/maemartin 

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

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ON ADDICTION... With Mae Martin and Marian Keyes

Actor, writer and director Stephen Merchant joins How To Fail this week and is reflective, fascinating and - yes - even funny. We talk about what he learned from Ricky Gervais when co-writing The Office, on feeling rattled turning 50 and how it’s hard to fail as a stand-up comedian (but he got over it).

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

17:16 Height and Humor

17:50 Reflections on Failure and Success

22:12 Stephen Career Journey

30:50 The Office and Ordinary Lives

32:46 The Comfort of Rewatchable Comedies

33:53 Exploring Dark Roles in Acting

35:42 Embracing Height as an Advantage

37:37 School Experiences and Early Ambitions

45:18 The Journey to Comedy and Stand-Up

52:41 Lessons from Stand-Up Comedy

58:48 Realizing No One Has Life Figured Out

01:03:39 Reflections on Success and Happiness

Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com

Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan

Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Lawrence-Tickell

Senior Producer: Selina Ream

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Head of Marketing: Kieran Lancini

How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

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Stephen Merchant: ‘Most famous people are f**cked up’

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