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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodMargaret Atwood @MargaretAtwood Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodGreg James @gregjames Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodJoan Bakewell @JDBakewell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TW: rape, racism and transphobiaI 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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodMunroe Bergdorf @munroebergdorf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodRick Edwards @rickedwards1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodBig Zuu @itsbigzuu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 hereClean Co non-alcoholic spirits are available to buy hereThe 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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodSpencer Matthews @spencermatthews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 @elizabdayHow To Fail @howtofailpodYusra Mardini @yusramardini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex Jones, co-host of BBC's The One Show and presenter of a documentary series on fertility, discusses her own experience of miscarriage, her training as a fertility assistant, and the emotional toll of IVF cycles. She also shares hilarious professional errors, including locking King Charles in a toilet, and talks about understanding mental health challenges faced by loved ones. This brave and authentic conversation provides insight into the realities of fertility and mental health.

Rick Astley, singing superstar from the 80s, talks about his difficult upbringing, failure to grow up, and love for good wine. He discusses his unexpected resurgence through Rick Rolling, connections on TikTok, and reflections on fame. He also shares surreal encounters with the Foo Fighters and how his music impacted a young boy's life.