How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment

  • 45 minutes
    Emma Dabiri - ‘We are still so obsessed with how we look’

    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, historian, and bestselling author whose work delves into the complexities of identity, culture, and race through art history and current affairs. She's now written a number of books - culture shifting works which are a radical re-imagining of what we consider to be beauty. Her first book was an Irish Times bestseller and inspired a conversation around race that led to change regulations in schools and in the British Army. It was later adapted into an award-winning documentary. She's a fellow in African studies at London, SOAS and is the mother of two boys.


    Over on Failing with Friends, Emma talks about advice for someone in the audience who feels their singleness is a failure; what success looks like; when to know when to stop fertility treatment, and Elizabeth and Emma’s thoughts on Botox among other things!


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


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


    🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [howtofail] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/howtofail


    Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan

    Mix Engineer: Richie Lee

    Live Engineer: Will Kontargyris

    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 [email protected]


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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

    23 April 2025, 4:00 am
  • 52 minutes 20 seconds
    Sally Phillips - ‘I saw Colin Firth and thought - he’s mine!’

    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 most influential and hilarious comedy series of all time - from Smack The Pony, Miranda, The Thick of It and Veep. Not forgetting, of course, her star turn as Bridget Jones’s best friend, Shazza, in the hugely popular movie franchise.  Alongside her professional success, Phillips has also been an important voice in the neurodivergent community. Her eldest son, Olly, has Down syndrome and Sally is a tireless campaigner for disability rights.


    So why, then, does she never feel she’s made it as a ‘serious’ actress? And why is she so obsessed with Clown School? And - pressing question - why have she and Colin Firth never been a thing?


    Over on Failing with Friends, Sally answers questions from the live audience at the Barbican: they discuss red and green flags in partners, and what Hugh Grant is REALLY like and whether Sally and Renée Zellweger really are friends or whether she might just be making it up?

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


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


    🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [howtofail] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/howtofail


    Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan

    Engineer: Matias Torres Sole & Gulliver Lawrence-Tickell

    Live Engineer: Will Kontargyris

    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 [email protected]


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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

    16 April 2025, 4:00 am
  • 53 minutes 1 second
    Mae Martin - 'Everything I do is about proving those high school bullies wrong.'

    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 messy in their twenties. To hear Mae Martin's brilliant advice, join our community of subscribers: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content


    Canadian comedian, writer, producer and singer/songwriter Mae Martin joins Elizabeth to talk about making music, the importance of pronouns and being diagnosed with ADHD. We also discuss their hit Netflix show Feel Good, going to rehab as a teenager and their borderline addiction to escape rooms (they've done 50 in three years...absolutely zero judgement here).


    Mae Martin’s new album ‘I’m a TV’ is out now.



    🌎 Get an exclusive 15% discount on your first Saily data plans! Use code [howtofail] at checkout. Download Saily app or go to to https://saily.com/howtofail



    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 [email protected]


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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

    9 April 2025, 8:10 am
  • 50 minutes 13 seconds
    Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything'

    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 failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content


    Jonathan Van Ness, one fifth of Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye,  three-times New York Times bestseller, podcaster, business magnate and all-round icon is on the pod this week. JVN joins us to talk about TV show cancellations, almost getting cancelled, business failures and learning that validation is an inside job. Plus: the Queer Eye makeover they still regret. And: what would JVN do to Donald Trump's hair?


    To check out JVN’s hair products go to: https://www.spacenk.com/uk/brands/j/jvn-hair


    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 [email protected]


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

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

    2 April 2025, 4:00 am
  • 41 minutes 49 seconds
    How To Date: BONUS EPISODE - Your dating questions answered…

    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

    31 March 2025, 4:00 am
  • 56 minutes 13 seconds
    Sam Ryder - ‘Fame is like giving a dog a treat every single day. You get used to it.’

    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.


    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 [email protected]


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

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

    26 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 59 minutes 48 seconds
    How To Date: The most important relationship you’ll ever have

    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

    24 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 51 minutes 48 seconds
    Olivia Attwood - ‘It’s either vodka and a gay club until 5am, or hyperbaric oxygen’

    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.


    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 [email protected]


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

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

    19 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 46 minutes 43 seconds
    How To Date: How to cope with heartbreak and rejection

    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

    17 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 48 minutes 41 seconds
    Erin Doherty - ‘Lean Into Your Truth’

    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.’


    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 [email protected]


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

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

    12 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • 51 minutes 15 seconds
    How To Date: Taking it to the next level

    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

    10 March 2025, 5:00 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App