Christine McGuinness - ‘I don’t want to hold back anymore - I date women! So what?’

Christine McGuinness - ‘I don’t want to hold back anymore - I date women! So what?’

Author: Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment June 4, 2025 Duration: 50:31
TW: discussions around anorexia and sexual abuse. In an incredibly powerful episode (and a How To Fail first), Christine McGuinness speaks publicly about her sexuality for the first time. She reveals she had a long-term relationship with a woman before her marriage to comedian Paddy McGuinness and that she’s now dating women again. She refuses to label her sexuality - as she puts it: ‘I want love for me’. What an honour to be part of Christine’s journey to live her truth! You will already know Christine as a TV personality, author, businesswoman and prominent autism advocate. The mother of three autistic children, she has made critically acclaimed documentaries including Our Family and Autism, with her then-husband, as well as penning a series of autism-inclusive children’s books and launching a range of sensory-positive clothing. Despite serious adversity (her father was a heroin addict, she endured bullying at school and suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a family member), Christine is a total inspiration and has achieved so much. She’s about to launch her first podcast, Situationships, in which she and her co-host Sophie Gravia delve into listeners’ dating and relationship dilemmas. ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Intro 00:52 An Inspiring Journey 02:30 Challenges and Triumphs of Motherhood 05:01 Raising Neurodivergent Children 08:03 The Importance of Asking for Help 12:52 Reflecting on Childhood and Autism 20:23 The Journey of Self-Discovery 23:41 Navigating Public Attention 24:35 Discussing Divorce and Public Perception 26:07 Challenges of Sexuality in the Public Eye 28:09 Living Authentically 31:13 Reflections on Relationships 41:40 Friendship and Trust Issues 43:28 Motherhood and Personal Growth 45:47 Concluding Thoughts and Future Hopes Elizabeth and Christine answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Have something to share of your own? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com All episodes in June are brought to you by @arlalactoFREE - all the taste, easier to digest. Listen to our bonus episode brought to by ArlaLactoFREE with Vicky Pattison here: https://link.chtbl.com/VickyPattison 🌎 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: Matias Torres Studio Engineer: Gulliver Tickell Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali Senior 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 you Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's a quiet revolution happening in how we think about success, and How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is right at the heart of it. This isn't about schadenfreude or wallowing in misfortune. Instead, Elizabeth Day has created a space where the most interesting conversations begin with a simple, radical premise: our lowest moments are often our greatest teachers. Each episode, a guest-from celebrated artists and thinkers to everyday people with extraordinary stories-sits down to examine three significant failures from their own life. The magic lies in the excavation, as Elizabeth guides the discussion toward the unexpected wisdom and resilience that emerged from those setbacks. You'll hear the raw honesty in their voices, the laughter that comes with hindsight, and the profound clarity that failure can uniquely provide. This podcast, presented by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment, digs into the messy, human stuff of life that connects us all, transforming shared vulnerability into a source of collective strength. It’s a reminder that the path to any meaningful achievement is rarely a straight line, but a series of instructive detours. The show actively invites listeners to reflect on their own stories, fostering a genuine community around the idea that we can all succeed better by understanding where we've previously stumbled. Tune in for conversations that are as comforting as they are challenging, and which might just change your perspective on what it means to live a well-lived life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Podcast Episodes
ON WRITING... With Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:18
Welcome to another special edition of How to Fail, where I revisit conversations from the How to Fail archives. Each week, we shine a light on a particular theme, hopefully offering inspiration, perspective and comfort t…
ON GRIEF… With Mo Gawdat and Bonnie Tyler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:28
Welcome to the newest evolution of How to Fail! Each week, I’ll be diving into the archives to spotlight key themes that have come up throughout my conversations with How to Fail guests. I’ll be sharing bite-sized takeaw…
Robin Wright on ageing, confidence and the myth of being ‘too late’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:50
‘I didn’t think I had that confidence, so I turned those roles down.’ Robin Wright is the legendary star of The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump, House of Cards, and Amazon’s gripping new thriller The Girlfriend. An Emmy-nom…
ON HEARTBREAK... With Alain de Botton and Jay Shetty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:17
Welcome to this brand-new concept for How to Fail – where I dive into the back catalogue of the How to Fail archives, highlighting specific themes each week to bring you bitesize takeaways! Hopefully these episodes can b…
Tom Ellis - Fatherhood, Surrogacy and Years of Therapy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:40
You may know Tom Ellis as the devilishly charming lead in Netflix’s Lucifer, or as the lovable Gary in the BBC sitcom Miranda. He's also made waves in the U.S., starring alongside Gina Rodriguez in Players, and appearing…
Failure Throwback: Jameela Jamil [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:34
Jameela Jamil is an actor, activist, and founder of the I Weigh movement. From teaching English to starring in The Good Place, Jameela shares the highs, lows, and radical honesty that define her journey. This episode fir…
Failure Throwback: Glennon Doyle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:01
Author of Untamed and fierce truth-teller Glennon Doyle joins me for a raw and revelatory episode, first recorded in July 2020. We dive into: Why we chase approval instead of trusting our inner voice Her struggles with b…
Failure Throwback: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:02
This week we revisit one of my all-time favourite guests: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, recorded in July 2021. Best known for Americanah and her globally resonant TED Talks, Chimamanda opens up about the profound grief of lo…
Sir Tony Robinson - ‘I learned comedy as a defence mechanism’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:45
Recorded with a live audience in Cambridge, this captivating conversation delves deep into the life and career of a cultural force of the last half-century. Known of course for his iconic role as Baldrick in Blackadder,…