Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything'

Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything'

Author: Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment April 2, 2025 Duration: 48:13
Over on Failing with Friends this week, JVN and I get into relationship therapy and the perfect length of shorts on a man. To hear JVN tackling your failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Jonathan Van Ness, one fifth of Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye,  three-times New York Times bestseller, podcaster, business magnate and all-round icon is on the pod this week. JVN joins us to talk about TV show cancellations, almost getting cancelled, business failures and learning that validation is an inside job. Plus: the Queer Eye makeover they still regret. And: what would JVN do to Donald Trump's hair? To check out JVN’s hair products go to: https://www.spacenk.com/uk/brands/j/jvn-hair ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Intro 01:40 Journey to Fame 02:23 Struggles with Self-Acceptance 06:02 The Floater Story and Podcasting 08:54 Marriage and Personal Growth 10:22 Queer Eye and Cultural Impact 14:01 Challenges in Trump's America 25:09 Navigating Business Challenges 25:15 The Overwhelming Process of Fundraising 25:56 Learning the Business Side 26:14 Facing Bankruptcy and Finding a New Partner 27:25 The Stress of Transition 28:18 Lessons in Business Growth 31:16 Dealing with Media and Public Perception 33:52 Reflections and Moving Forward 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 Coordinator: Eric Ryan Studio and Mix Engineer: Matias Torres Sole & Gulliver Lawrence-Tickell 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

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]

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ON GRIEF… With Mo Gawdat and Bonnie Tyler [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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ON HEARTBREAK... With Alain de Botton and Jay Shetty [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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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,…