This is a very special one-off edition of How to Fail, where I bring you a peek behind the paywall to hear one of my favourite subscriber editions of ‘Failing with Friends’. If you’re not already a subscriber (and if not, why not, quite frankly?) then this is a little glimpse of what we’ve been up to. Failing With Friends is where my lovely listeners write in and ask for advice about their failures, problems or just to say hello. In this episode, the highly-acclaimed author, Sir Salman Rushdie kindly stayed on after his interview with me, to help answer your questions.  Salman certainly lived up to his role as Agony Uncle, revealing his thoughts on people who bulls**t, his hack for writer’s block, and even giving excellent dating advice. I hope you enjoy it! And if you do, don’t forget to subscribe for a weekly Failing With Friends episode as well as the chance to listen to How To Fail completely ad-free. (You also get exclusive access to the How To… channel and will be able to binge all 12 episodes of How To Write A Book). 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 Manager: Lily Hambly Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Tickell and Josh Gibbs 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

Ellie Simmonds, a five-time Gold Medal-winning Paralympic swimmer, reflects on her impressive journey, including winning her first gold at just 13. She candidly discusses the pressure she places on herself and her struggles with sleep. Growing up in an adoptive family that embraced differences shaped her identity and resilience. Ellie emphasizes the need for better education around disability and shares how travel helped her cope with anxiety. Her story is a powerful testament to embracing uniqueness as a superpower.

The first thing Guenther Steiner said when he walked into the HTF studio was: ‘Recently your guests have been Shania Twain and Salman Rushdie, are you sure you want me and haven’t made a mistake?’ This tells you almost everything you need to know about the breakout star of Netflix’s F1: Drive to Survive and former Haas team principal: he’s hilarious, he’s modest and he still finds his newfound fame fairly baffling. Although he’s known for his fruity vocabulary alongside his racing skills, I confess that the only person to swear in our chat was me. Guenther was an incredibly charming guest - honest, thoughtful and kind. We talked 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 have to listen for the answer. 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 Manager: Lily Hambly Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Tickell and Josh Gibbs 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

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 and we talk about his own self-perceived failure to protect his friend from a racist attack as a teenager - and how what happened changed all their lives. We also talk about a 2005 BBC 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 You can catch Ade presenting Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympic Games this summer. As always, I’m desperate to hear about your failures. Every week, my guest and I choose a selection to read out and answer on our special subscription offering, Failing with Friends. We’ll endeavour to give you advice, wisdom, some laughs and much, much more. 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 Manager: Lily Hambly Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Tickell and Josh Gibbs 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

Pat Cummins, the Australian cricket captain and one of the greatest cricketers ever, opens up about resilience shaped by loss. He shares heartfelt insights about his mother's death from cancer, which shifted his priorities towards family over cricket. He discusses balancing elite sports with family life, offering practical tips on setting boundaries. Pat also reflects humorously on his farming life and the joys of rediscovering simple pleasures beyond competition, while lightheartedly touching on cricket superstitions.

Elif Shafak, a celebrated Turkish-British author, discusses her passion for storytelling and the power it holds in social justice. She emphasizes the importance of 'otherness' and how it shapes identity. Shafak reflects on personal family dynamics, particularly the lasting effects of her father's absence. The conversation explores language nuances between Turkish and English, the immigrant experience, and why indifference is her greatest fear. Her new novel, *There are Rivers in the Sky*, also makes an appearance, highlighting the vital role of narratives in bridging divides.

Danny O’Donoghue, lead singer of The Script, opens up about grief, alcohol abuse, therapy, and faith after losing his bandmate Mark Sheehan. He shares his failures, including music struggles and self-care neglect. The podcast explores emotions, mentorship, childhood, and spirituality, providing insight into overcoming challenges and finding success.

Experienced authors Sara Collins, Sharmaine Lovegrove, and Nelle Andrew discuss where book ideas come from and how to know if they're worth pursuing. They share insights on developing ideas, creating characters, and crafting successful novels. The podcast touches on evaluating the value of ideas, creating engaging book pitches, and the importance of arrogance and ethics in storytelling.

Broadcaster and author Sara Cox discusses her upbringing, career setbacks, and successes. From being a 'ladette' to hosting radio and TV shows, she shares her journey with humor and honesty. Topics include her farming roots, failures in controlling Sacha Baron Cohen, and the media's treatment of her. Cox reflects on learning from her parents' divorce, embracing her talents, and overcoming self-doubt. A candid and entertaining conversation about failures and triumphs.

Actor Danny Dyer discusses his challenging childhood, acting career, drug addiction, and resilience. He shares stories about forgetting lines on stage after smoking crack, psychic experiences, concerns about fame for his daughter, and his royal heritage. The conversation also touches on his struggles with smoking, fame, social media, and choosing love over hate.