How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Episodes
Richard Gadd - On Shame, Sexuality and Success
29 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Rita Wilson - ‘I’m 69. I’m At My Most Unfiltered.’
22 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
I’m so unbelievably thrilled that Rita Wilson chose How to Fail for her FIRST EVER podcast appearance. The acclaimed actor, singer and producer was ...
Emma Grede - ‘Ambition Is Something I Am Entitled to’
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 shap...
Sophie Habboo - I Wish I Had More Boundaries
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are joined by podcasting royalty, Sophie Habboo! Habboo found fame on Made In Chelsea, E4’s structured-reality show following the li...
Was Richard III a failure?
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 E...
Amy Jackson Westwick - I Was A Magnet For Narcissists
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Liver...
ON FINDING THE ONE… With Miranda Hart, Celeste Barber and Glennon Doyle
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 p...
Chris Appleton - ‘I Felt Shame Before I Felt Love’
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton has a slew of devoted clients including Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Martha Stewart, as well as millions of I...
Mel Schilling - ‘She was the embodiment of vibrant life’
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
ON STARTING OVER AFTER GRIEF… With Stanley Tucci and Geri Halliwell-Horner
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Starting over can feel heartbreaking and overwhelming, especially after losing a loved one, and the idea of rebuilding a life can seem impossible. In ...
Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton - ‘We were young and working-class. We were dismissed.’
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
ON MOTHERHOOD… with Jessie Ware and Francesca Segal
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
Rosamund Pike - ‘Failure Is Pretending To Be Someone You’re Not’
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Rosamund Pike! What a woman. Famed for her portrayals of razor-sharp, morally complex and deliciously unpredictable characters, she brings that same i...
On Fertility and Finding Your Family… with Rebecca Coxon
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Toni Laites - Love Island Healed My Toxic Dating Patterns
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 La...
ON AMBITION… With GILLIAN ANDERSON AND MUNROE BERGDORF
02 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Baz Luhrmann - ‘I self-medicate with creativity’
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Few filmmakers have a style as bold, romantic and unmistakable as Baz Luhrmann. From his breakout debut Strictly Ballroom to the glittering spectacle ...
ON SELF ACCEPTANCE... With Pamela Anderson and Rylan Clark
23 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
Jennette McCurdy on Reclaiming Her Voice
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode includes discussion of eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. Listener discretion advised. This might be one of the most...
ON FAMILY DYNAMICS… With Bella Freud and Danny Dyers
16 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Families are fascinating: how those first bonds shape our understanding of love, security and ourselves. In this episode, we revisit episodes with Bel...
Mo Gilligan - Fatherhood Is A Gift I Didn’t Know I Needed
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mo Gilligan started out working in retail (think Jo Malone and Levi’s) but quit in 2018 when his online comedy videos went viral. The leap paid off ...
ON FINDING LOVE AT ANY AGE… With Luke Evans and Dolly Alderton
09 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We’re taught that love should happen early, and if it doesn’t, something’s gone wrong. But what if that’s not true? In this episode, we hear...
Shabaz Ali - ‘I’ll be a diversity quota as long as I get paid’
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
A few years ago, Shabaz Ali was a chemistry teacher in Blackburn. Today, he’s one of the internet’s most beloved creators, best known as Shabaz Sa...
ON FINDING HOPE IN ADVERSITY… With Sir Chris Hoy and Michael Rosen
02 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re revisiting two deeply moving conversations that explore what it means to find hope in the face of profound adversity. First, we hea...
Golda Rosheuvel - ‘I don’t see my dyslexia as a failure anymore’
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Best known for her role as Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton, Golda Rosheuvel is an acclaimed actor of stage and screen. Her career spans powerful theatri...
ON THE IMPACT OF EARLY FAME… With Shania Twain and Charlotte Church
26 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Fame isn’t always limousines, five star hotels, champagne and private jets. I find this topic totally fascinating and these two past How to Fail gue...
Martin Freeman - ‘We should be saying no to our kids’
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Freeman is one of the most sought-after actors of his generation. Whether it’s Tim in The Office, John - the mild-mannered porn actor in Love...
ON PANIC ATTACKS… With Jamie Laing and Fearne Cotton
19 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Panic attacks are wide-spread in today’s society, and yet remain something we rarely talk about openly. So it’s vital that we normalise an experie...
Marisa Abela - ‘You never expect to be told you have cancer at 23’
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
You’ll know Marisa Abela from HBO’s critically acclaimed hit Industry, where her portrayal of Yasmin - a brilliant, volatile young woman with ambi...
On Failed Meditation
12 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
It’s claimed that meditation can fix everything. If you speak to anyone on the topic, they claim it will reduce your anxiety, make you slimmer, resu...
Margaret Cho - They Told Me I Was Too Fat To Play Myself
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains description of addiction, eating disorders and discussion of suicide. Our guest today is the pioneering comedian, actor and ac...
ON MONEY WORRIES… With Fern Brady and Simon Cowell
05 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Money worries are far more common than we like to admit: from keeping you awake at night to quietly shaping your choices and decisions, financial anxi...
Failure Throwback: Bear Grylls
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bear Grylls has achieved worldwide fame as one of the most recognised faces of survival and outdoor adventure. A former SAS soldier, he has climbed Ev...
Sophie Willan - From Foster Care to Alma’s Not Normal
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode contains very strong language and isn’t suitable for small ears. Sophie Willan is a double BAFTA award-winning writer, comedian and a...
Bella Freud - Learning To Trust Herself
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Fashion icon Bella Freud on abandoning psychics, learning to trust herself and realising that what happens next is entirely up to her. Freud is a de...
ON FRIENDSHIP… With Dawn French and Vogue Williams
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve always been obsessed with friendship - how it shapes us, challenges us and often goes uncelebrated. In this episode, both Dawn French and Vogue...
Alex Hassell - Rivals, Rejection and Taking Acid at Alton Towers
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might know the star of Rivals for his revealing role in the hit Disney+ show, but did you know about his dramatic allium allergy?! I thought not. ...
ON PERSPECTIVE… With Adeel Akhtar and Pat Cummins
08 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Perspective is something we all chase - because when it slips, life can feel chaotic and overwhelming. But when we find it again, everything becomes a...
Mo Gawdat - The 3 BIGGEST Mistakes We Make In Finding Love
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I don’t often have repeat guests on How To Fail but Mo Gawdat is the exception. When he first came on this podcast in 2019, he fundamentally changed...
ON IVF… With Jessel Taank and Paloma Faith
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We don’t talk about this enough, even though so many of us face it personally or through someone we love. Real Housewives of New York star, Jessel ...
Ruth Wilson - Be Challenged By What Disgusts You
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ruth Wilson MBE has made a habit of tackling psychologically demanding roles. You’ll know her from playing a mother grieving the loss of her child i...
ON REJECTION… With Mel B and Nicole Scherzinger
24 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all face rejection, no matter who we are. In this episode we revisit conversations with two extraordinary women who have faced rejection and overco...
Michelle Yeoh - On typecasting, fertility and THAT Oscars speech
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Yeoh has created a legendary body of work that defies easy categorisation. You’ll know her from cult classic Kung Fu Cinema, Everything Eve...
ON PARENTING…with Andy Cohen and Caitlin Moran
17 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today, we’re chatting all about parenting on How To Fail! We’ll be revisiting some of the most meaningful moments from the archive - the ones that...
Kelly Brook - I’m In My Don’t Give A Damn Era!
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Just a heads-up that in this episode we talk about late miscarriage. I am so grateful to Kelly for opening up about something that affects and speaks ...
ON REALITY TV… With Dorinda Medley and Captain Sandy
10 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you know me at all, you’ll know that I am a huge advocate for reality TV. So what better reason to have a little trawl through my archives than t...
Malala Yousafzai - I Am Not Who You Think I Am
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You might think you know about Malala. But you’d be wrong. For so many years, she stood as a symbol of resistance: the teenage girl who was shot by ...
ON EMBARRASSING MOMENTS… With Dan Levy and Phoebe Waller-Bridge
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this How to Fail episode where we journey through the archive to revisit some of the best bits. This week we’re keeping it light and...
Jon Bon Jovi - Fame is a liar and a thief
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We have a bonafide legend on How To Fail: the American singer, songwriter, guitarist, actor and philanthropist who, along with his band, sold more tha...
ON BODY IMAGE… With Martine Wright and Paloma Faith
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Body image is a common theme on How to Fail. It’s something everyone at some point has either struggled with personally, or knows someone who has. ...
Denise Welch - I Got Sober For Love
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 flags...
ON SCHOOL… With Jamie Dornan and Bernie Sanders
19 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 refl...
Charlotte Church - ‘I was totally exploited. I was a commodity’
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 classi...
ON BABY LOSS… With Sara Pascoe and Trinny Woodall
12 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to this How to Fail special, where we revisit powerful moments from the archive that offer insight, perspective and - hopefully - a sense...
Stephen Grosz - ‘Real love is going to hurt’
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Warning: this episode may contain MIND-BLOWING moments. Stephen Grosz is a practising psychoanalyst and a personal hero of mine. He has worked with ...
Jilly Cooper: On Failure, Love and Literature
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
ON NAVIGATING YOUR 20s... With Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Lily Allen
05 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Jane Goodall on Optimism, Hope and Conservation
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 spe...
Letitia Wright - ‘I was bullied… now I’m Black Panther’
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
ON ADDICTION... With Mae Martin and Marian Keyes
28 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 c...
Joe Locke - ‘At 20, I Felt Like I Was Already 35’
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro
21 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 parti...
Mark Ronson - The Stories Behind ‘Uptown Funk,’ Amy Winehouse & ‘I’m Just Ken’
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 decade...
ON GRIEF… With Mo Gawdat and Bonnie Tyler
14 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Robin Wright on ageing, confidence and the myth of being ‘too late’
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
‘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, H...
ON HEARTBREAK... With Alain de Botton and Jay Shetty
07 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
Tom Ellis - Fatherhood, Surrogacy and Years of Therapy
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Failure Throwback: Jameela Jamil
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 high...
Failure Throwback: Glennon Doyle
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Failure Throwback: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Sir Tony Robinson - ‘I learned comedy as a defence mechanism’
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Recorded with a live audience in Cambridge, this captivating conversation delves deep into the life and career of a cultural force of the last half-ce...
Fern Brady - ‘I make more money in comedy than I ever did from stripping‘
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this searingly funny and deeply affecting live conversation, Elizabeth speaks to stand-up comedian, author and Taskmaster favourite Fern Brady abou...
Dorinda Medley on Grief, Identity and The Real Housewives: ‘I was angry. I was lost. I felt like I got cheated.’
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the life you thought you’d built - the one with love, money, recognition - seems to slip away? This week, Elizabeth speaks to Dori...
Vanessa Williams - ‘It would be hard to be married to me!’
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As a recording artist, Vanessa Williams has earned 13 Grammy nominations and racked up over 212 million digital streams over the course of her eight a...
Suzi Ruffell - ‘I didn’t know I was gay until I saw Titanic’
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special live edition of How to Fail, Elizabeth is joined by comedian Suzi Ruffell. Suzi has performed five sellout runs at the Edinburgh Fring...
Pamela Anderson - ‘It wasn’t about being pretty, it was about being brave’
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I can’t believe I get to say this but…PAMELA ANDERSON! ON HOW TO FAIL! The one and only! A woman I grew up watching on TV, Pamela was an icon...
Melinda French Gates - ‘Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you’re wise’
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Melinda French Gates studied computer science and economics and completed an MBA before joining a tech start-up called Microsoft, in 1987. She rose th...
Monica Lewinsky - ‘I would have liked a more normal life’
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Monica Lewinsky is an activist, podcaster and producer. At the age of 24, Lewinsky, a White House intern, found herself in the eye of a global scand...
AJ Tracey - ‘Buying my mum a house will always be my proudest achievement’
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Rapping phenomenon and Tottenham Hotspur superfan AJ Tracey joins us this week to talk about supporting his mum through her cancer journey, the press...
How To Cope With A Friendship Break-Up - with Cynthia Nixon - Special Release
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cynthia Nixon joins Elizabeth to answer YOUR questions and failures including: whose failures would you most like to hear (dead or alive) how to cope ...
Cynthia Nixon - ‘Being brave is feeling scared and doing it anyway’
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Whilst Cynthia Nixon’s versatility is beyond question, it's fair to say that she has become permanently associated with one character, Miranda Hobbs...
Christine McGuinness - ‘I don’t want to hold back anymore - I date women! So what?’
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
TW: discussions around anorexia and sexual abuse. In an incredibly powerful episode (and a How To Fail first), Christine McGuinness speaks publicly...
Vicky Pattison - ‘You don't become old and wise if you haven't been young and daft’
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Vicky Pattison was 22 when her life changed and she was cast in reality TV show Geordie Shore. She was on the show for nine seasons between 2011 and 2...
Dannii Minogue - ‘I hit low points where I thought: “I just can’t take this any more.”
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In her most revealing interview to date, Dannii Minogue talks openly about the pressures of fame, the relentless comparisons with her sister, Kylie, a...
Julia Stiles - ‘I ran in the other direction from fame’
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many of us who grew up in the the 90s, Julia Stiles was an integral part of our coming of age. Her portrayal of the clever, acerbic Kat in 10 Thin...
John Bishop - ‘I’ve always wanted someone to say: you’re good enough’
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John Bishop has been a hugely successful stand-up comedian for 25 years. Yet that wasn’t his first dream, which was to play football. We discuss his...
Simon Cowell - ‘I often think: what gives me the right to judge people?’
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Simon Cowell has built an entertainment empire on his ability to say exactly what he thinks and an uncanny ability to judge the public mood. From l...
Celeste Barber: the FUNNIEST woman on the internet
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My guest today has been an integral part of my feminist awakening. Celeste Barber’s instagram posts - which parody the unattainable standards of the...
Emma Dabiri - ‘We are still so obsessed with how we look’
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy theatre. Emma Dabiri is a broadcaster, histori...
Sally Phillips - ‘I saw Colin Firth and thought - he’s mine!’
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at London’s Barbican Theatre. Sally Phillips has appeared in a string of the...
Mae Martin - 'Everything I do is about proving those high school bullies wrong.'
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over on Failing with Friends this week, Mae Martin talks about self-care, how to stop pushing people away and we tackle a listener’s failure to be m...
Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything'
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over on Failing with Friends this week, JVN and I get into relationship therapy and the perfect length of shorts on a man. To hear JVN tackling your f...
How To Date: BONUS EPISODE - Your dating questions answered…
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For this bonus episode, Elizabeth and Mel open up the post bag to answer the burning questions YOU have when it comes to dating… And, let’s just s...
Sam Ryder - ‘Fame is like giving a dog a treat every single day. You get used to it.’
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Over on Failing with Friends - Sam Ryder talks about panic attacks, how to forgive, and (in a How To Fail first) why he likes to cut his toenails outd...
How To Date: The most important relationship you’ll ever have
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For the final episode of How To Date (sob!) Mel and Elizabeth look at the most important relationships any of us can have in our lives: the one with o...
Olivia Attwood - ‘It’s either vodka and a gay club until 5am, or hyperbaric oxygen’
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Olivia Attwood first appeared on our TV screens in 2017 as a contestant in the third series of Love Island, and instantly became a star due to her dry...
How To Date: How to cope with heartbreak and rejection
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Elizabeth and Mel face one of the most challenging parts of dating: heartbreak and rejection. We are joined by life coach and author Michelle Elman...
Erin Doherty - ‘Lean Into Your Truth’
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To hear more of Erin offering advice on listener failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Eri...
How To Date: Taking it to the next level
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Things are going well… So Elizabeth and Mel are taking it to the next level where they are getting just that little bit more serious. In this epi...
Gugu Mbatha-Raw - ‘Have I ever worked with an awful co-star? Maybe one or two’
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Friendship advice: ‘Are you a radiator or a drain?’ To hear more from Gugu tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://...