Vanessa Williams - ‘It would be hard to be married to me!’

Vanessa Williams - ‘It would be hard to be married to me!’

Author: Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment July 16, 2025 Duration: 50:33
As a recording artist, Vanessa Williams has earned 13 Grammy nominations and racked up over 212 million digital streams over the course of her eight albums. Her most popular hit, Save The Best For Last, was Number 1 for five weeks in 1992. She is also a highly successful stage and screen actor, appearing in Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. She is currently starring on the West End stage as Miranda Priestly in the musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada. It’s all a long way from her historic crowning as the first African-American Miss America in 1983 - she was later forced to resign after unauthorised photos taken when she was a student were leaked without her consent.  Vanessa joins us for an honest, hilarious and no-holds-barred conversation about her childhood, her romantic relationships, and - in a How To Fail first - why she regrets sending her daughter to boarding school. Elizabeth and Vanessa answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content 00:00 Intro 02:47 Overcoming Scandal and Achieving Success 06:24 The Joys and Challenges of Stage Performance 10:31 Reflecting on Miss America 18:30 Family and Personal Reflections 23:40 Looking at Transparency and Shared Struggles 24:11 The Impact of Losing a Mother 26:00 A Mother's Influence on Trust and Relationships 28:51 Navigating High School Friendships and Trust Issues 30:07 Romantic Relationships and Parental Approval 34:58 Coping with Parental Loss and Family Dynamics 43:41 Musical Legacy and Family Bonds Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com  I have an upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for my new novel One of Us. Full show details here: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan   Studio & Sound Engineer: Matias Torres 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 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
How To Date: BONUS EPISODE - Your dating questions answered… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:49
For this bonus episode, Elizabeth and Mel open up the post bag to answer the burning questions YOU have when it comes to dating… And, let’s just say, we cover A LOT of ground. After you’ve listened, you can get all the r…
How To Date: The most important relationship you’ll ever have [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:48
For the final episode of How To Date (sob!) Mel and Elizabeth look at the most important relationships any of us can have in our lives: the one with ourselves. We unpack what this means in practical terms. How do we nurt…
How To Date: How to cope with heartbreak and rejection [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:43
Elizabeth and Mel face one of the most challenging parts of dating: heartbreak and rejection. We are joined by life coach and author Michelle Elman who went through a devastating, public break-up after being notified via…
Erin Doherty - ‘Lean Into Your Truth’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:41
To hear more of Erin offering advice on listener failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Erin Doherty’s big break came playing Princess Anne in The Crown. She’s now…
How To Date: Taking it to the next level [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:15
Things are going well… So Elizabeth and Mel are taking it to the next level where they are getting just that little bit more serious. In this episode, Mel and Elizabeth look at exclusivity and commitment and what it take…
How To Date: Red and Green Flags [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:04
Mel and Elizabeth look at the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs that can help us understand whether a potential partner is right for us. That’s right, we’re exploring the red flags that should have us running for the hill…

«1...678910