How To Fail With Elizabeth Day - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day — Arts
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

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

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

Copyright: © Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

Latest Episodes:

How To Date: BONUS EPISODE - Your dating questions answered… Mar 31, 2025

Show notes

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 say, we cover A LOT of ground.

After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk

Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating! We want to make it a safe, fun and rewarding experience for everyone. If you’d like to join us, we’ve put together our very own How To Date Good Dating Pledge, consisting of 10 simple ‘Dating Commandments’. Have a look and sign up for free now at www.thepodclass.co.uk

If you don’t want to wait each week for new episodes join our wonderful community of subscribers where you can binge all episodes now, ad free, all at once. Follow the link to sign up:

https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/

A Daylight and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

Morrisons terms & conditions

Morrisons Easter Egg offer - Majority of stores and online. Morrisons Daily varies. More Card/App required. 18+. 189g-198g ,without More Card £4 each. Ends 20/04.

Morrisons buy 6 or more bottles of alcohol offer - Majority of stores, max 36. Excludes Scotland & Morrisons Daily. More Card/app required. Selected 75cl bottles. Online varies. Ends 21/04. Please drink responsibly.

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

Sam Ryder - ‘Fame is like giving a dog a treat every single day. You get used to it.’ Mar 26, 2025

Show notes

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 outdoors. To hear Sam tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

Sam Ryder is a British singer-songwriter who started posting covers on TikTok during the pandemic that ended up catching the eye of Sia, Elton John and Justin Bieber. He represented the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022, placing second only to Ukraine. It was our highest-scoring entry in 24 years. In one of my favourite ever episodes, Sam talks about the pressures of fame, the challenge of keeping ego in check, the transformative power of gratitude and why he thinks Dolly Parton is ‘the supreme being’.

We also talk about tracks from Sam Ryder’s upcoming album, including his single ‘White Lies’ out 21st March.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

01:08 Early Life and Career

03:26 The Wedding Singer Years

08:20 Rising to Fame

18:36 The TikTok Breakthrough

23:56 Failures and Reflections

24:58 The Illusion of Positivity

26:35 Groundedness and Realistic Thinking

27:56 The Role of Faith and Spirituality

30:48 Ego and Gratitude

33:44 Navigating the Music Industry

40:45 Family and Personal Life

43:36 Reflections on Success and Failure

46:00 Famous Encounters and Final Thoughts

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: Matias Torres Sole & 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.

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

How To Date: The most important relationship you’ll ever have Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

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 ourselves.

We unpack what this means in practical terms. How do we nurture a healthy sense of self-respect - and why can this sometimes feel so challenging? How can we ensure interdependence rather than co-dependence? We explore why being clear about your own worth is a fundamental building block in any sustainable relationship with another person. And we are joined by two VERY special guests who offer unique insights into what Mel and Elizabeth are actually like in a relationship…

After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk

Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating! We want to make it a safe, fun and rewarding experience for everyone. If you’d like to join us, we’ve put together our very own How To Date Good Dating Pledge, consisting of 10 simple ‘Dating Commandments’. Have a look and sign up for free now at www.thepodclass.co.uk

If you don’t want to wait each week for new episodes join our wonderful community of subscribers where you can binge all episodes now, ad free, all at once. Follow the link to sign up:

https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/

A Daylight and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

_______________________________________________________________________

Morrisons terms & conditions

Majority of stores and online. Subject to availability. Morrisons Daily may vary. More Card/App required, 16+. Flowers £6 without More Card. Chocolates 210g, £6 without More Card. Ends 30/03

Wine or Fizz offer excludes Scotland and Morrisons Daily. Majority of stores, max 36. More Card/app required. Selected 75cl bottles. Online varies. Ends 30/3. Please drink responsibly.

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

Olivia Attwood - ‘It’s either vodka and a gay club until 5am, or hyperbaric oxygen’ Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

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 humour and gobby relatability. You might also know her as a regular panellist on Loose Women or from her hit documentaries for ITV. Last year, she launched her podcast, Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right, which promptly went to Number 1 in the UK charts. On today’s episode, we talk about everything from reality tv to her diagnosis with ADHD; from her love of gay clubs and medi-spas to failed relationships, the lessons friendship has taught her, the fact she hasn’t always loved being the centre of attention (no, honestly) and why she’s never watched herself back on Love Island. An absolute gem of an episode with a true woman’s woman.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

02:09 Early Life and Overcoming Shyness

03:38 Dealing with Dyslexia and ADHD

08:19 Navigating Relationships and Codependency

13:08 The Importance of True Friendships

18:20 Finding Independence and Self-Worth

23:36 Body Image and Self-Care

26:24 Discovering the Power of Weight Training

27:24 Balancing Health and Lifestyle Choices

28:30 Embracing Workaholism

29:47 Navigating Emotional Vulnerability

30:20 The Struggle with Crying

37:17 Family Dynamics and Expressing Love

41:32 Coping with Loss

44:04 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

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

Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Head of Marketing: Kieran Lancini

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

How To Date: How to cope with heartbreak and rejection Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

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 who went through a devastating, public break-up after being notified via an Instagram DM that her fiance of 24-hours had been cheating on her. Michelle, Mel and Elizabeth explore the impact an experience like this can have and how best to cope with it. We discuss surviving rejection and the lessons that heartbreak can teach us, in time. Plus: how to feel hopeful again and embrace the ‘what next?’ stage of self-discovery.

After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk

Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating! We want to make it a safe, fun and rewarding experience for everyone. If you’d like to join us, we’ve put together our very own How To Date Good Dating Pledge, consisting of 10 simple ‘Dating Commandments’. Have a look and sign up for free now at www.thepodclass.co.uk

You can find out more about Michelle Elman by visiting her website here.

If you don’t want to wait each week for new episodes join our wonderful community of subscribers where you can binge all episodes now, ad free, all at once. Follow the link to sign up:

https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/

A Daylight and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

_______________________________________________________________________

Morrisons terms & conditions

More Card T&C’s: https://www.morrisons.com/more/terms-and-conditions/

General T&C’s https://groceries.morrisons.com/content/terms-and-conditions?srsltid=AfmBOor2xSfFNVtu22I9z5plcQkO6kId8jZ3NSdAF4X4Mt8JQkhO_ylQ

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

Erin Doherty - ‘Lean Into Your Truth’ Mar 12, 2025

Show notes

To hear more of Erin offering advice on listener failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

Erin Doherty’s big break came playing Princess Anne in The Crown. She’s now back on our screens as Mary Carr, the leader of a real-life Victorian female crime gang, in A Thousand Blows (written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight). Erin talks about acting rejections, struggling with social anxiety, her approach to friendships, how she was *almost* a professional footballer and why dating a woman for the first time felt like ‘coming home.’

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

03:48 Portraying Mary Carr in 'A Thousand Blows'

06:59 Reflections on Playing Princess Anne

08:18 Personal Insights and Reactions to the Queen's Death

12:08 Failures and Lessons from Drama School Auditions

21:43 Reconnecting with Old Friends

22:58 Romantic Relationships and Love

25:51 Embracing Sexual Identity

28:32 The Impact of 'Chloe' on Friendship

30:52 Childhood Friendships and Their Endings

32:03 Commitment to Characters

36:02 Navigating Fame and Friendships

40:23 Trumpet Tales and Final Thoughts

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: Matias Torres Sole & 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.

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

How To Date: Taking it to the next level Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

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 episode, Mel and Elizabeth look at exclusivity and commitment and what it takes to build a strong foundation for a lasting relationship. Plus: how a partner’s past plays into your future together.

After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk

Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating! We want to make it a safe, fun and rewarding experience for everyone. If you’d like to join us, we’ve put together our very own How To Date Good Dating Pledge, consisting of 10 simple ‘Dating Commandments’. Have a look and sign up for free now at www.thepodclass.co.uk

If you don’t want to wait each week for new episodes join our wonderful community of subscribers where you can binge all episodes now, ad free, all at once. Follow the link to sign up:

https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/

A Daylight and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

_______________________________________________________________________

Morrisons terms & conditions

More Card T&C’s: https://www.morrisons.com/more/terms-and-conditions/

General T&C’s https://groceries.morrisons.com/content/terms-and-conditions?srsltid=AfmBOor2xSfFNVtu22I9z5plcQkO6kId8jZ3NSdAF4X4Mt8JQkhO_ylQ

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

Gugu Mbatha-Raw - ‘Have I ever worked with an awful co-star? Maybe one or two’ Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

Friendship advice: ‘Are you a radiator or a drain?’ To hear more from Gugu tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is an actor who firmly resists typecasting: her West End debut was as Ophelia in Hamlet; while on-screen she has tackled everything from Belle, to a victim of sexual assault in the hit drama The Morning Show. Her co-stars have included Jennifer Aniston, Matthew McConaughey, Kiefer Sutherland and Will Smith. Now, Mbatha-Raw returns to Apple TV+ with the second season of psychological thriller Surface. Although consistently a high-achiever, Gugu’s failures have shaped her in important ways - including one failure she shares in common with a former HTF guest, namely Mr Jamie Dornan…

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

03:20 The Empathy Discussion

04:51 Navigating Fame and Criticism

06:54 Running Point and Glorious

12:56 The Fear of Failure

15:01 Music and Personal Growth

19:33 Relationships and Self-Discovery

28:12 Self-Validation and Personal Growth

28:28 Understanding and Processing Trauma

29:57 Therapy and Taking Breaks

30:57 Finding Love with Dani

34:00 The Importance of Family Values

40:19 Parenting Challenges and Lessons

46:49 Navigating Infertility and Step-Parenting

50:24 Business Failures and Lessons Learned

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: Matias Torres Sole & Gulliver Lawrence-Tickell

Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Head of Marketing: Kieran Lancini

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

How To Date: Red and Green Flags Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Mel and Elizabeth look at the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs that can help us understand whether a potential partner is right for us. That’s right, we’re exploring the red flags that should have us running for the hills, the green flags that signpost a healthy relationship and the amber or pink ones that lie somewhere in-between.

We are joined by an expert in the field - social worker and bestselling author, LalalaLetMeExplain - to discuss how to spot these flags, what they really mean in the early stages of dating and how to embrace the positive signs when they appear…

After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk

Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating! We want to make it a safe, fun and rewarding experience for everyone. If you’d like to join us, we’ve put together our very own How To Date Good Dating Pledge, consisting of 10 simple ‘Dating Commandments’. Have a look and sign up for free now at www.thepodclass.co.uk

You can buy a copy of Lala’s book, Block, Delete, Move On: it’s not you, it’s them here

If you don’t want to wait each week for new episodes join our wonderful community of subscribers where you can binge all episodes now, ad free, all at once. Follow the link to sign up:

https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/

A Daylight and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

_______________________________________________________________________

Morrisons terms & conditions

More Card T&C’s: https://www.morrisons.com/more/terms-and-conditions/

General T&C’s https://groceries.morrisons.com/content/terms-and-conditions?srsltid=AfmBOor2xSfFNVtu22I9z5plcQkO6kId8jZ3NSdAF4X4Mt8JQkhO_ylQ

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

Kate Hudson - ‘Fame is a tumultuous machine’ Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Kate Hudson’s comedic turn in How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days made that movie one of the greatest romantic comedies of the noughties, and her performances in everything from Bride Wars to Glass Onion have each been totally scene-stealing.

This month, she stars in Running Point, a new Netflix comedy from Mindy Kaling, and she has just released her first album, Glorious. Her failures are open, honest and so very wise.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Intro

03:20 The Empathy Discussion

04:51 Navigating Fame and Criticism

06:54 Running Point and Glorious

12:56 The Fear of Failure

15:01 Music and Personal Growth

19:33 Relationships and Self-Discovery

28:12 Self-Validation and Personal Growth

28:28 Understanding and Processing Trauma

29:57 Therapy and Taking Breaks

30:57 Finding Love with Dani

34:00 The Importance of Family Values

40:19 Parenting Challenges and Lessons

46:49 Navigating Infertility and Step-Parenting

50:24 Business Failures and Lessons Learned

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

Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

Head of Marketing: Kieran Lancini

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

Related Podcasts