How To Fail With Elizabeth Day Failing With Friends

Q. What connects the grandson of Pakistani immigrants, the son of a seamstress and bus driver,  one of eight children raised in a three-bedroomed council flat in Tooting, a human rights lawyer, former Labour Cabinet Minister, Liverpool football fan AND the Mayor of London?

A. They are ALL Sadiq Khan.

At 53, Khan has lived many lives - in his latest incarnation, he is the three-time London Mayor (although he says he wants to serve for six terms). Today, he joins me on How To Fail to discuss the personal and professional failures that shaped him - from being rejected as a teenage cricketer and realising the rules were rigged against him to protecting his family and suffering terrible racist abuse. He talks about struggling to belong in a world dominated by posh white public schoolboys and how he finally decided to accept himself. Plus: why politicians should be allowed to change their minds and why he still visits his mum every day.



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

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



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

Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London but he might as well be known as the man with a thousand sayings at his fingertips. He has at least one quotable piece of wisdom to deploy for every bit of advice he gives, which lends this episode of Failing With Friends a proper hint of class. Thanks, Sadiq!
We discuss why you should never compare yourself to others; why you can’t be it if you can’t see it and his secret to a strong marriage - with reference to Nelson Mandela, of course.
As ever, I’m so thankful to you for taking the time to write in and please keep your failures, questions and problems coming. I love hearing from you and my guests are often surprised at how good they are at giving advice!


Do you have something to share of your own? 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

Vogue Williams is already a multi-talented broadcaster and businesswoman so it’s no surprise she turns out to be a pro at giving advice too. Join us to discuss imposter syndrome, dealing with low self-esteem, failed IVF (a hard relate from me) and just what IS a normal amount of sex to be having?
As ever, I’m so thankful to you for taking the time to write in and please keep them coming. I love hearing from you and my guests are often surprised at how good they are at giving advice!
Do you have something to share of your own? 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

Ugh I just adore this woman. I had a girl crush on her from afar and recently was lucky enough to meet her properly when she interviewed me on tour. Let me tell you that Vogue Williams is EVEN BETTER in person than she is on screen or in our ears. You’ll know her as one half of one of the UK’s most downloaded and hilarious podcasts - My Therapist Ghosted Me - and as the star of several TV shows, including Channel 4’s The Jump where she met her now husband, Spencer Matthews. The couple have three young children, and a very entertaining podcast of their own.

But it almost didn’t turn out this way - she started out pursuing a career in…wait for it…the building industry.  She joins me to talk about this, as well as being ‘a rotten egg’ at school, how she deals with anxiety, why Spencer would have lost her if he hadn’t given up drinking and - in a really memorable conversation - her failures in friendship.

I loved talking to Vogue, but then I always do. She’s so smart and funny and a woman’s woman to her core.

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

Angel has had a tough time over the last year, but is great at offering advice. Listener questions this week include: what to do if you struggle in group settings, the challenge of getting on the property ladder, a fear of academic failure, and that age-old chestnut: dating in your 30s.

As ever, I’m so thankful to you for taking the time to write in and please keep them coming. I love hearing from you and my guests are often surprised at how good they are at giving advice!

Do you have something to share of your own? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com

How to Fail LIVE: https://bit.ly/HTF-LIVE

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

You will probably know Angel Strawbridge from Escape to the Chateau, the hugely popular TV show she fronted with her husband, Dick. You might also recognise her from her trademark vintage style, bestselling books and bright red hair.

Escape to the Chateau, which followed the Strawbridges as they renovated a dilapidated French castle with no water, no electricity or heating (with two young children in tow) ran for nine seasons before coming to an end in 2022. Shortly afterwards, an audio recording of Angel speaking angrily to an unknown man was leaked. It made headline news - this is the first time Angel has ever spoken publicly about her so-called ‘explicit rant’. Today, she gives her side of the story. I’m grateful for her honesty and her willingness to discuss everything that happened. 

Angel’s other failures include her struggles with dyslexia at school and taking time to find true love (but - spoiler alert - it was worth the wait).



As always, I’d LOVE 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



Join Dick and Angel on their Forever Home UK Tour this Autumn

For tickets and info visit  www.fane.co.uk/dick-and-angel



Production & Post Production Manager: Lily Hambly  

Studio and Mix Engineer: Gulliver Tickell and Josh Gibbs

Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile



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