PINCH ME, IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING? Yes, yes it is. Ok. Deep breaths. For my season finale, I bring you the one and only Bernie Sanders: the longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history; unofficial leader of the US progressive movement and a two-time former Presidential candidate. He joins me to talk about his failed attempts to win the Democratic Party nomination, his failure to make his high school basketball team and the time he unwittingly went viral for wearing a pair of mittens to President Biden's inauguration. It's a conversation that will make you think and possibly make you angry (but that, as he explains, can be a good thing). It was an honour to meet Senator Sanders and although he doesn't much like talking about himself, I gave it my best shot. I think this is probably his most personal interview yet. I found his reflections on how his childhood shaped his political outlook really fascinating. And I posed so many questions about whether he cries and where he puts his disappointment that he actually asked me if it was a therapy session. My answer? 'Basically, yes.' He had the good grace to laugh. -- Bernie Sanders's new book, It's Ok To Be Angry About Capitalism is out now and available to order here. -- My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, is published on 30th March and is now available to preorder - at half price - here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Bernie Sanders @berniesanders

For International Women's Day, I bring you - NO BIG DEAL - Margaret Atwood. The Booker-Prize winning author of numerous works including The Blind Assassin, Cat's Eye and Alias Grace, has been a pioneer in the depiction of women in literature, redefining the dystopian novel with her revolutionary 1985 book, The Handmaid's Tale, which went on to sell eight million copies and been adapted into a hit TV show. Atwood's work is visceral, wise and sharply intelligent, so it's safe to say I was ever so slightly intimidated by the prosepct of interviewing her. But oh my goodness, what an utter delight she was. We talked about everything from astrology to cults to witchcraft and the scapegoating of women over the millennia. And we discuss her failures in needlework, musicals and a failed novel that led, circuitously, to the conception of The Handmaid's Tale. I was on a high after this conversation for days and I hope you will be too. -- Margaret Atwood's new collection of short stories, Old Babes in the Wood, is out now and available to order here. I can also highly recommend subscribing to her excellent Substack. She recently wrote here about her experience of coming on this podcast - including the email she sent me outlining her failures prior to recording which is quite possibly one of the most lyrical emails I've ever been sent. Find that here. -- My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, will be published next month and is now available to preorder - at half price - here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Margaret Atwood @MargaretAtwood

One of the only times my friend Fran has been truly impressed by a podcast guest was when I sent her a picture of me recording with Greg James. During the pandemic, Fran and her family would listen to him on Radio 1 every morning and he helped them through those long lockdown days with a necessary a dose of good cheer. Many people around the country will relate to that story: since 2018, Greg has hosted BBC Radio 1’s iconic breakfast show, attracting around five million listeners every day. He's got one of the most beloved and familiar voices in broadcasting, so it's a total joy to welcome him to How To Fail. He joins me to talk about his failures in cricket, in fame and...dog ownership. -- Greg James's new Formula 1 podcast, The Fast and the Curious is available to listen wherever you get your podcasts, along with his cricketing podcast, Tailenders, and Teach Me A Lesson with Greg James and Bella Mackie. His chldren's books, co-authored with Chris Smith, are avaialble to buy here. -- My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, will be published next month and is now available to preorder - at half price - here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Greg James @gregjames

For a long time, Joan Bakewell has been a professional inspiration to me: a broadcasting superstar whose professional longevity is a testament to her talent, curiosity and hard work. She is a few months shy of her 90th birthday but still as busy as ever, presenting Portrait and Landscape Artist of the Year for Sky Arts. She’s also a peer of the realm and the president of Birkbeck, University of London. Baroness Bakewell joins me to talk about her extraordinary career interviewing everyone from Marcel Duchamp to Nelson Mandela. Plus: sexism, class, her failure to become an actress, her memories of the Blitz, her two divorces and her long-running affair with the esteemed playwright Harold Pinter. It was such an amazing conversation and a real honour for me to talk to this thoroughly wonderful woman. -- My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, will be published next month and is now available to preorder - at half price - here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Joan Bakewell @JDBakewell

TW: rape, racism and transphobia I have admired this woman from afar for many years and was so honoured when she agreed to sit down with me for How To Fail. Munroe Bergdorf is impossible to summarise: she is an activist, model, writer and broadcaster but those words can't accurately convey how much she has done to shape our culture. In her UTTERLY BRILLIANT new book, Transitional, Munroe draws on her own experience to reveal just how deeply ingrained transitioning is in human experience. It's a book that explores change and the fluidity of identity and relationships, sexuality and gender and it's so, so powerful. She joins me to talk about the long journey to live her truth and how she overcame a lack of self-worth to understand she was worthy of healthy relationships. We talk about how she navigated PTSD, panic attacks and anxiety and about her refusal to play by the rules. It is an extraordinary conversation, as befits an extraordinary person. But please do be aware that we cover some traumatic territory, including Munroe's violent rape at the hands of a stalker. I am so grateful to Munroe for her courage in talking about it. Such stories are urgently necessary to share in order to attack misplaced stigma and shame, and Munroe emerges from everything she talks about with strength, grace and integrity intact. This is not a story of being defined by trauma, but of overcoming it - and of continuing to fight for change. -- Transitional by Munroe Bergdorf is published tomorrow and availabe to order here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Munroe Bergdorf @munroebergdorf

Rick Edwards is a broadcaster, author and podcaster. He's the co-host of Radio 5 Live’s Breakfast Show and presents the podcast Eureka alongside the quantum physicist Dr Michael Brooks. He's also, as it happens, my ex-boyfriend. In this episode, we not only discuss Rick's past failures but we do a post-match analysis of our own break-up. It's not often you get a chance to pore over your former relationship with an ex and enough time has elapsed (20 years, but...y'know...who's counting?) for us to feel able to do it. We hope that anyone listening who is currently going through heartbreak takes some comfort from knowing this is possible. Shout out to our respective spouses for being thorouglhy excellent people (Hi Emer and Justin! Thank goodness we're with you). Also: there's a memorable anecdote involving Rick, a tube journey and a pair of underpants that has to be heard to be believed. You're welcome. -- Rick’s podcast Eureka! Getting under the skin of science is available on all podcast platforms. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/eureka/id1612482633 -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Rick Edwards @rickedwards1

Big Zuu is a double Bafta winning TV cook who presents Big Zuu’s Big Eats on Dave. His former guests have included Jimmy Carr, Katherine Ryan and Mel B. He's also a grime MC rapper who has released four albums. He joins me to talk about the impact of his upbringing - his mum arrived to a West London council estate from Sierra Leone when she was pregnant with him and it's an extraordinary story of resilience and survival over adversity. We also discuss his ADHD diagnosis in adulthood and how it's transformed his life, racism in football and how he learned to channel his energy into the right things. This was such an enlightening - and funny - chat. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Big Zuu @itsbigzuu

SPENCER MATTHEWS! I confess, I enjoyed this conversation SO MUCH. It's not just because I'm an unabashed viewer of Made in Chelsea from the early days.* It's also because I've watched Spencer transcend his (decidedly not great) reality TV persona to become a successful entrepreneur, broadcaster, husband and father. I've always had a soft spot for him even though I've never actually known him, partly because he's got a great sense of humour and real self-awareness. All of which makes him a delight to interview. He joins me to talk about his failures in reality TV, his realisation that alcohol was becoming a problem in his life, the subsumed grief he felt after his beloved older brother Mike died while climbing Everest and his own desire to pursue extreme sporting endeavours. Please listen, even if you have preconceptions. We got on so well, and I really valued his openneness - I truly felt I could ask Spencer anything: and I often did. *If you're also a die-hard MIC fan, I get him to talk about that iconic break-up scene with Louise by Putney Bridge. It's a riveting insight into how reality TV is made. You're welcome. -- Spencer's podcast, Big Fish, is available to listen to here Clean Co non-alcoholic spirits are available to buy here The Michael Matthews Foundation, set up in memory of Spencer's late brother, is a charity which funds education projects in Africa and Asia. You can find out more, and donate, here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Spencer Matthews @spencermatthews

I can't find the right words to do enough justice to Yusra Mardini's story. I think it's best that you just listen to the episode. Suffice it to say, she's one of the most impressive people I've ever met. Yusra grew up in Damascus. When war broke out, she and her sister embarked on a perilous journey to Germany to seek asylum. En route, they nearly died when the dinghy they were using to cross the Aegean sea had an engine failure. Yusra and her sister Sara - both competitive swimmers - jumped overboard and helped to pull the boat to safety, saving all 18 people on board. Yusra went on to compete in the 2016 Olympics, to become the youngest ever UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and to publish a memoir that has now been made into a Netflix movie, The Swimmers. Listen now to hear Yusra telling her story. It's unbelievably powerful. -- The Swimmers is available to watch on Netflix -- Choose Love does amazing work for refugees. If you'd like to donate or learn more, please visit their website here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Yusra Mardini @yusramardini

TW: miscarriage; infertility. Oh Alex Jones, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Like many of you, I already felt I knew Alex before I met her. She is one of the most trusted and famliar faces on our TV screen as co-host of BBC's The One Show. But in person, she was EVEN lovelier than I could have imagined: warm, funny and totally genuine. She's currently presenting an extraordinary documentary series on the W Channel which saw her train as a fertility assistant at one of Britain's leading clinics. Making Babies is one of the most emotional - and accurate - portrayals of fertility I've ever seen. Alex joins me to talk about this, as well as her own experience of miscarriage. We talk about how she got fired from her first job for a number of hilarious professional errors of judgement - including the time she locked the future King in the toilet. And we discuss her self-perceived failure to understand the mental health challenges faced by loved ones, including her husband. It's such a brave and authentic conversation and I'm really grateful to her for opening up about it to me. -- Alex Jones: Making Babies is being broadcast on the W channel on Thursdays at 8pm. The channel can be found on Freeview, SkyTV and Virgin Media. -- Failosophy for Teens: A Handbook for When Things Go Wrong by Elizabeth Day is my first ever book for young adults is out now, available here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Alex Jones @alexjonesthomson

We're back for a brand new season. Well...you didn't think we were ever GONNA GIVE YOU UP did you? (See what I did there?) My childhood self is utterly thrilled that we get to open Season 16 with the legendary Rick Astley. The singing superstar who gained worldwide fame in the 1980s with hits such as Never Gonna Give You Up and who is now being discovered by a whole new generation thanks to the viral internet phenomenon known as Rickrolling (don't worry - I didn't know what this was either: he explains it on the pod). Now 56, Astley has 8 consecutive UK top 10 hits, more than 40 million album sales and 3 million TikTok followers to his name. Besides which, he's a thoroughly nice man. We talk about his difficult upbringing, his failure to grow up and his inability to give up drinking good wine. Prepare yourself for a lot of entertainment, some laughs, a side-order of self-deprecation and yes, a few tears too. -- My Plan To Save The Planet, the new album by Rick Astley is out now and avaiable to order here. -- Failosophy for Teens: A Handbook for When Things Go Wrong by Elizabeth Day is my first ever book for young adults and it's out TOMORROW, 5th January 2023, and available to purchase here. -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Rick Astley @officialrickastley

TW: discussions around suicide The period between Christmas and New Year can be tough for many. That's why I wanted to bring you an episode designed to help you feel less alone, where my guest talks openly about his own mental health and his desire to make others take care of theirs. Roman Kemp has presented the Capital FM breakfast show since 2017, attracting a weekly audience of almost six million. In August 2020, his best friend and the producer of his radio show, Joe Lyons died by suicide. Lyons’ death was deeply shocking to all who loved him, leaving Kemp bereft, angry and searching for answers. Kemp went on to present an acclaimed BBC documentary on male suicide and wrote a bestselling book, Are You Really OK? packed full of personal reflections and practical advice. Here, Roman talks about the impact of Joe's death, about this own mental health and destigmatising the conversation around these issues. Along the way, we chat about his failed driving test, his failed career moves and what it was like having George Michael as a godfather (pretty great, as it turns out). A moving, enlightening and ultimately uplifiting conversation. I hope you take something from it. If you've been affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, call Samaritans for free on 116 123. -- Are You Really OK? by Roman Kemp is out now. The charity set up in Joe's name is here: Joe's Buddy Line -- My new book for young adults, Failosophy for Teens, is a handbook for when things go wrong and is out on 5th January, available to preorder here -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Roman Kemp @romankemp

All this week, I'll be dropping the recordings of our How To Fail live shows, held at Shoredtich Town Hall earlier this year. On our final night, we welcomed Craig David to the stage and we were treated to a beautiful, vulnerable conversation (with added singing!) Craig brought such generosity and open-heartedness to this event, both with me and with the audience. Listen to be uplifted, inspired and also to hear Craig's note-perfect rendition of Fill Me In during the Q&A. -- This episode was recorded live at Shoreditch Town Hall on 8th October 2022 and sponsored by Stripe & Stare https://stripeandstare.com/ -- What's Your Vibe? by Craig David is out now https://www.waterstones.com/book/whats-your-vibe/craig-david/9781529109726 -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Craig David @craigdavid

All this week, I'll be dropping the recordings of our How To Fail live shows, held at Shoredtich Town Hall earlier this year. Today it's the turn of the very lovely Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The kitchen disco queen joins us to talk about being dropped by her record label, being rubbish at drawing and the challenges of juggling all the different aspects of her life (tbf she does have five children). Along the way, we discover she used to have a thriving black market enterprise selling Blue Peter badges in the playground - the SHOCK! -- This episode was recorded live at Shoreditch Town Hall on 7th October 2022 and sponsored by Beija London https://beija.london/ -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Sophie Ellis-Bextor @sophieEB

TW: eating disorders All this week, I'll be dropping the recordings of our How To Fail live shows, held at Shoredtich Town Hall earlier this year. Now, I know we shouldn't have favourites. Having a podcast and labelling one of your episodes as your 'favourite' is akin to choosing your preferred child. But, sod it, this is one of my favourite conversations of all time. Caitlin Moran is as brilliant, witty and generous as you might expect. Here, she talks about the terrible sadness of realising her daughter had an eating disorder and how she didn't deal with it in the right way at first. She also talks about childhood insecurities, learning to love herself, the joy of female solidarity and plenty more. You will laugh. But you might also cry, so do bring some tissues. -- This podcast was recorded on 6th October 2022 in Shoreditch Town Hall and is sponsored by Sweaty Betty. You have a chance to get 20% off everything until 14th December with the code HOWTOFAIL20. That’s 20% off everything until 14th December with the code HOWTOFAIL20 on sweatybetty.com Terms and conditions apply, and can be found on sweatybetty.com -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Caitlin Moran @caitlinmoran

All this week, I'll be dropping the recordings of our How To Fail live shows, held at Shoredtich Town Hall earlier this year. To kick off, I asked back one of our most cherished guests of all time: the inimitable Mo Gawdat. As regular listeners of How To Fail know, Mo first appeared on this podcast way back in season four. His interview blew my mind and changed how I lived my life. I asked him back during the first Covid-19 lockdown to help us navigate our way through the crisis. And now, here he is again: my very special friend, on how to handle anxiety, how to cope with grief (and keep on living through unimaginable loss), how to be happy and how to lean into love. -- This episode was recorded live at Shoreditch Town Hall on 5th October 2022 and sponsored by Sweaty Betty. You have a chance to get 20% off everything until 14th December with the code HOWTOFAIL20. That’s 20% off everything until 14th December with the code HOWTOFAIL20 on sweatybetty.com Terms and conditions apply, and can be found on sweatybetty.com -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Mo Gawdat @mo_gawdat

Dame Sheila Hancock is one of our most esteemed actresses: her 1966 Broadway debut in Entertaining Mr Sloane earned her a Tony nomination and on TV, she has appeared in everything from Dr Who to Kavanagh QC, in which she starred alongside her late husband, John Thaw. She has also been a semi-regular contestant on the BBC Radio 4 panel game Just a Minute since - wait for it -1967. The 89-year-old Dame Sheila joins me to talk about her crippling stage fright, her failure to enjoy the moment, her memories of being a wartime evacuee and her critical inner voice that means she's only ever able to remember the bad reviews while forgetting all the good ones. Enjoy! -- Old Rage by Sheila Hancock is out now: https://www.waterstones.com/book/old-rage/sheila-hancock/9781526647443 -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Sheila Hancock @4SheilaHancock (Twitter) @sheilahancocknews (Instagram)

TW: discussions around suicide, infertility and miscarriage Trinny Woodall has been part of my life for years - even if we had never actually, well...met. Like many of you, I was riveted by the success of the makeover TV programme she presented with Susannah Constantine, What Not To Wear. Later, I would start buying Trinny London products and became mildly obsessed with their quality and efficacy (my make-up routine is now approximately 95% quicker). When she took to social media, I watched her Instagram styling videos looking for brilliant fashion tips. All in all, I felt we were friends even though she had no idea of this fact. I'm not alone: many of you have requested Trinny as a guest and now, finally, I'm thrilled to oblige. In person, she is as frank, funny and real as you would expect. But what I didn't expect was the generous gift of her incredible honesty - we talk about how she navigated everything from business failure to addiction. We talk about her experiences with IVF and miscarriage. And she tells us about the death by suicide of her former partner and how she was left fearful of failing her daughter as a single parent. It's a BEAUTIFUL conversation and my love for Trinny has grown exponentially since (plus, we have now actually met in person and I can confirm she's wonderful). -- If you've been affected by any of the issues discussed on today's episode, contact Samaritans via phone, for free, on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Trinny Woodall @trinnywoodall

Today, in a special bonus episode, I have the joy of bringing you one of my favourite people - the broadcaster, journalist and now charity boss, Jo Elvin. She's an Australian powerhouse who I've been lucky enough to work with over several years (first when she was the editor of Glamour, then later when I became a columnist for You magazine under her reign) and now I just get to hang out with her as mates, which is even better. She joins me to talk about the end of Glamour as a print magazine and having to make her beloved staff redundant, a failure in friendship where she felt she let down someone whose child was very ill and a struggle to control her temper (but, I ask: does it really *have* to be controlled?!). -- This episode is sponsored by Peloton – a fitness experience for your body and mind, so motivating and exhilarating that you’ll come back to it time and time again. Find out more by visiting https://www.onepeloton.co.uk/ -- If you enjoyed this episode, do consider donating to Jo's incredible charity, Children With Cancer UK www.childrenwithcancer.org.uk -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Jo Elvin @jo_elvin

TW: discussion around suicide, body dysmorphia and disordered eating. For my season finale, I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to interview one of the most amazing people I know. Conveniently, that person is also my husband, Justin Basini, so it was pretty easy to co-ordinate diaries. As well as being my husband (arguably his most important qualification) Justin is also a highly successful entrepreneur and CEO. In 2015, he founded Clearscore, an app which provides free credit scores and reports, along with advice to help consumers make better financial decisions. It has now grown to over 18 million users, 460 employees and several international offices and is one the UK's leading fintech companies. Justin joins me to talk about his first major business failure leading to a serious breakdown in his mental health and how he got through that. We also talk about his self-perceived failures in friendship. And in one of the most honest and eye-opening chats we have ever had, we discuss his negative body image - not a thing that you often hear men discussing, and I'm so grateful to Justin for being so honest as I know it will help countless people. Along the way, we talk about how we met (thanks, Hinge), how I massively embarrassed myself on our first meeting, the joy of second marriages and the Justin Basini Funnel Theory on Dating (TM). I hope you enjoy listening to this one. It was a very special episode to me personally but I truly believe it's a very special episode full stop. -- You can learn more about Clearscore here: https://www.clearscore.com/ -- How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com -- Social Media: Elizabeth Day @elizabday How To Fail @howtofailpod Justin Basini @justinbasini (he only has Twitter and LinkedIn like a SERIOUS BUSINESSMAN)