How To Fail

“It was a shock for me to even qualify.” Ellie Simmonds on How to Fail 🎙️ Comment “Ellie” and I’ll send you the link to the full episode via DM 💕

Paralympic swimmer-turned-TV-star Ellie Simmonds OBE has won five - count ‘em, FIVE - Gold Medals. And if that doesn’t make you feel inadequate, let me tell you that her first two were at the age of 13. She’s also set two world records. But - and here’s the fascinating bit - she admits she learned far more ‘from the races that didn’t go well’. Ellie talks to me about putting an intense amount of pressure on herself, never being able to switch off and how she still struggles with that now - especially when it comes to getting enough sleep. She also speaks movingly about being adopted as a baby and growing up in a family that celebrated difference. And we chat about why there’s still so much more education needed around disability, how being disabled has taught her the fundamental power of self-acceptance and why travel has helped her to counter her fear of being out of control. Inspiring is an overused word, but dammit I’m using it here because this woman TOTALLY DESERVES IT. Thank you so much, Ellie. Comment the word “Ellie” and I’ll send you a link in your DMs to listen to the full episode. #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofail #podcast #podclip #podclips #elliesimmonds #paralympics #teamgb #paris2024

Guenther Steiner opens up about the painful reality of missing out on valuable moments with his daughter as she grew up, a sacrifice he made to fulfil the demands of being a Formula 1 team principal. #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofail #podcast #podclips #guenthersteiner #drivetosurvive #formula1 #f1 #parenting #fatherhood

Why is there an absence of female F1 drivers? Hear what Guenther Steiner has to say on How to Fail. 🎙️ #podcast #podclips #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofail #f1 #drivetosurvive #guenthersteiner #itsguenthertime #totowolff #f1driver

FOOKIN ‘ELL IT’S GUENTHER STEINER! Look, had I a clue who Guenther Steiner was before I became obsessed with the Netflix hit show F1: Drive to Survive? I confess: I had not. In fact, I’d never watched a Formula 1 race. But that’s all changed because of THIS MAN - breakout TV star, former F1 team principal and straight-talking legend. As a guest, he did not disappoint. First of all, he turned up early because, as he says in the episode, being late makes him stressed and managing stress is about controlling the things you can control (punctuality) and letting the other stuff go. Secondly, he’s taller than I am! A rare occurrence (although both Pat Cummins and Greg James put in a good show). Thirdly, he’s unabashedly hilarious and sweetly honest about his newfound fame, which he says he can’t understand. We talk about failure in sport, how to keep calm in high pressure situations and what Toto Wolff is really like. Plus, Guenther’s regrets at not spending enough time with his family and why there are no women drivers in F1. The only question that stumped him was when I asked what his favourite car was - you’ll just have to listen for the answer. And you get to hear me do my Guenther impression - in front of the man himself. (He was kind enough to laugh). Even if, like me, you’ve never watched Formula 1, I promise you that you’ll find something to love in this conversation. Comment the word “GUENTHER” and I’ll DM you the link to the full episode or, you can listen now, wherever you get your podcasts. #podcast #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofail #howtofailpodcast #guenthersteiner #formula1 #tv #drivetosurvive #podclips #f1

@adeadepitan on #howtofail 🎙️ discussing how a childhood experience has resulted in over 40 years of trauma. #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofail #podcast #podclips #trauma #podcasting

TW: contains references to racist abuse and racially-aggravated violence. This is probably one of my favourite episodes of all time, and I don’t say that lightly. The former championship wheelchair basketball star turned TV presenter, Ade Adepitan, came into the How To Fail studio with an open heart and a moving story to tell. He blew us all away. Ade talks about growing up working-class, Black and disabled and how the intersection of these left him feeling he had to prove himself twice as much. He talks about letting his parents down and a family estrangement that lasted 10 years. We chat about the impact of leaving Nigeria, aged three, and how that has continued to shape his outlook on life. We also discuss his own self-perceived failure to protect his friend from a racist attack as a teenager - and how what happened changed all their lives forever. Plus: the 2005 documentary where he broke down in front of cameras while trying to climb a volcano and his fear that he had let himself and the disabled community down. AND - in a first for How To Fail - his failure to take a compliment (trust me, I tried). Thank you Ade. You’re a legend. And I appreciated the sweatshirt.

@patcummins30 on #HowToFail - listen to the full interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️ #howtofail #howtofailpodcast #howtofailwithelizabethday

Welcome, welcome to How To Fail’s MONTH OF SPORT. Wahoo! Over the next four weeks, we’re talking to the great, the good (and the sweary) from the world of elite sport. We start as we mean to go on with one of the greatest cricketers of all time: Australian captain, Pat Cummins. Look, I’ll be honest, I know very little about cricket, but I do know I like Pat Cummins a whole lot. And he has so many amazing things to share beyond the pitch about protecting your time, channelling your energies and a practical guide to saying no (he gives us his top three tips and, trust me, they are SO helpful). This is also a very moving interview, where Pat opens up about losing his beloved mum to breast cancer and what that experience taught him about prioritising family. This is someone for whom resilience and tenacity are key - after becoming a professional cricketer at 18, he spent the next 5 years plagued with injuries and played less cricket than ever before. Pat recounts how he kept going and what he loves to do when he’s not on the pitch (it involves fixing fences slowly…and quite badly). Thank you so much, Pat. You might never be a great farmer, but you’re a dab hand with the old bat and ball and a lovely interviewee. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts! 🏏 #howtofail #patcummins #cricket #australiancricket #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofailpodcast

Failing with Friends - on the latest episode of our subscriber series, we discuss overcoming procrastination, getting tasks done, and feeling like we have achieved…”Be like a tree and let the dead leaves fall” You can subscribe now for £3.99 a month by visiting howtofailpod.com - you get an exclusive FWF episode every week and can listen to How To Fail completely ad-free! You can send in your failures using the link in the bio. We’re here to listen. No problem is too big or too small - remember, you can’t fail at failing. #failingwithfriends #viral

@shafakelif on personality and the different and conflicting voices in our heads “there is a dictatorship inside, when one voice suppresses all the others, that’s not healthy” Listen to the full #HowToFail interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️ #howtofailwithelizabethday #elifshafak

@shafakelif on #HowToFail - listen to the full interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️ #howtofailwithelizabethday #elifshafak

I could listen to Elif Shafak speak for HOURS. The eloquence of this woman! She speaks like most of us would aspire to write and is just the wisest, most generous and beautiful soul. Of course, you’ll know her as a critically acclaimed and award-winning author of both fiction and non-fiction. Her novels include The Bastard of Istanbul, The Forty Rules of Love, Three Daughters of Eve and 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. Her works have been translated into 57 languages and have been nominated for several literary awards including the Booker Prize. She’s also a political activist, advocating for women’s rights and freedom of speech. Her new novel, There Are Rivers In the Sky is out next month. As an interviewee, Elif is as clever, open-hearted and truthful as you’d expect. We discuss her abandonment by her father, her championing of ‘the other’, her fear of silence and her unexpected love of heavy metal music (SHE WRITES WHILE LISTENING TO IT!) We also talk about the limits of language, gender fluidity and how important it is for all of us to cultivate ‘inner democracy’ rather than being ruled over by a critical internal dictator 🤯 More perfectly expressed truth bombs like *this* in the full episode which you can listen to now, wherever you get your podcasts. And if you want to subscribe to listen ad-free, get a bonus Failing With Friends episode each week and all 12-episodes of a whole new podclass, How To Write A Book, you can do so for £3.99 a month at the link in my bio. #howtofailpodcast #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofail #elifshafak #authorsofinstagram #bookstagram

Failing with Friends - on the latest episode of our subscriber series, we discuss relationships and communicating when going through grief…”Maybe it’s leading with that love, and the happy memory of that love”. You can subscribe now for £3.99 a month by visiting howtofailpod.com - you get an exclusive FWF episode every week and can listen to How To Fail completely ad-free! You can send in your failures using the link in the bio. We’re here to listen. No problem is too big or too small - remember, you can’t fail at failing. #failingwithfriends #viral

@thescriptofficial discusses the concept of ‘the perfect five-minute me,’ explaining that one therapy session isn’t enough because it’s not until after the first five minutes that you start to reveal your true self. Listen to the full #HowToFail interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️

@thescriptofficial on #HowToFail - listen to the full interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️ #howtofailwithelizabethday #dannydonoghue #thescript #viral

Danny O’Donoghue - ‘The only justification for pain is art’ Description:  Danny O’Donoghue is best known as the lead singer of The Script and a former coach on singing talent show The Voice. But the last year of his life has been overshadowed by personal tragedy: the death of his bandmate and best friend Mark Sheehan at the age of 46. In his first full-length interview since Mark’s death, Danny opens up about how he navigated grief, how he spiralled into alcohol abuse and how he managed to find a way to survive through therapy and faith. It’s an extraordinary story, movingly told with great profundity. Danny’s failures include failing music in school and dropping out (he was finally diagnosed with Dyslexia earlier this year), the failure of his first record deal and failing to look after himself physically and spiritually as an adult.  Thank you, Danny, for being so open and for your willingness to show a vulnerability that I know will help many others who are struggling with loss. #howtofail #thescript #dannyodonoghue #howtofailwithelizabethday #howtofailpodcast

Failing with Friends - on the latest episode of our subscriber series, we discuss what to do when your friend invites their “friend with benefits” to a girls night… You can subscribe now for £3.99 a month by visiting howtofailpod.com - you get an exclusive FWF episode every week and can listen to How To Fail completely ad-free! You can send in your failures using the link in the bio. We’re here to listen. No problem is too big or too small - remember, you can’t fail at failing. #failingwithfriends #viral

@djsaracox discusses how she tries to stay true to her own voice, which she describes as being “the most freeing and the most joyful”. Listen to the full #HowToFail interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️

@djsaracox on #HowToFail - listen to the full interview now, wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️ #howtofailwithelizabethday #saracox #viral