Emma Dabiri - ‘We are still so obsessed with how we look’

Emma Dabiri - ‘We are still so obsessed with how we look’

Author: Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment April 23, 2025 Duration: 43:00
This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy theatre. Emma Dabiri is a broadcaster, historian, and bestselling author whose work delves into the complexities of identity, culture, and race through art history and current affairs. She's now written a number of books - culture shifting works which are a radical re-imagining of what we consider to be beauty. Her first book was an Irish Times bestseller and inspired a conversation around race that led to change regulations in schools and in the British Army. It was later adapted into an award-winning documentary. She's a fellow in African studies at London, SOAS and is the mother of two boys. Over on Failing with Friends, Emma talks about advice for someone in the audience who feels their singleness is a failure; what success looks like; when to know when to stop fertility treatment, and Elizabeth and Emma’s thoughts on Botox among other things! To hear Emma tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com 🌎 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: Richie Lee Live Engineer: Will Kontargyris 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 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 MONEY WORRIES… With Fern Brady and Simon Cowell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:48
Money worries are far more common than we like to admit: from keeping you awake at night to quietly shaping your choices and decisions, financial anxiety affects us all - especially after a season of festive indulgence.…
Failure Throwback: Bear Grylls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:51
Bear Grylls has achieved worldwide fame as one of the most recognised faces of survival and outdoor adventure. A former SAS soldier, he has climbed Everest, circumnavigated the British Isles on a jet ski, rowed naked in…
Sophie Willan - From Foster Care to Alma’s Not Normal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:08
This episode contains very strong language and isn’t suitable for small ears. Sophie Willan is a double BAFTA award-winning writer, comedian and actor, perhaps best known for her BBC comedy drama, Alma's Not Normal. But…
Bella Freud - Learning To Trust Herself [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:42
Fashion icon Bella Freud on abandoning psychics, learning to trust herself and realising that what happens next is entirely up to her. Freud is a designer and creative whose clothes have adorned the likes of Zadie Smith,…
ON FRIENDSHIP… With Dawn French and Vogue Williams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
I’ve always been obsessed with friendship - how it shapes us, challenges us and often goes uncelebrated. In this episode, both Dawn French and Vogue Williams get honest about the beauty and the messiness of it all. Despi…
Alex Hassell - Rivals, Rejection and Taking Acid at Alton Towers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:58
You might know the star of Rivals for his revealing role in the hit Disney+ show, but did you know about his dramatic allium allergy?! I thought not. Alex Hassell might be best known for his portrayal of the dashing boun…
ON PERSPECTIVE… With Adeel Akhtar and Pat Cummins [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:03
Perspective is something we all chase - because when it slips, life can feel chaotic and overwhelming. But when we find it again, everything becomes a little clearer. In this episode, actor Adeel Akhtar reflects on a tim…
Mo Gawdat - The 3 BIGGEST Mistakes We Make In Finding Love [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:24
I don’t often have repeat guests on How To Fail but Mo Gawdat is the exception. When he first came on this podcast in 2019, he fundamentally changed my mindset and my approach to life. Back then, he was on a mission to m…
ON IVF… With Jessel Taank and Paloma Faith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:51
We don’t talk about this enough, even though so many of us face it personally or through someone we love. Real Housewives of New York star, Jessel Taank, opens up about her three-year journey to become a mum; the strain…
Ruth Wilson - Be Challenged By What Disgusts You [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:07
Ruth Wilson MBE has made a habit of tackling psychologically demanding roles. You’ll know her from playing a mother grieving the loss of her child in The Affair, a sociopathic research scientist in Luther or even from he…