Philippa Perry: How close have you come to death?

How close have you come to death?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A recurring Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Philippa Perry said elsewhere, not written here

I’m closer today than I was yesterday.

The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 5 June 2021 source ↗

Others on this question

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Seann Walsh

When I was about two, I accidentally knocked a boiled kettle on myself. I am scarred, in many ways, from that.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 31 January 2026 source ↗

Munroe Bergdorf

Before transitioning, I had a severe eating disorder. The doctor said, “Your body’s shutting down and if you don’t improve your mental and physical wellbeing, you’ll die.” Shortly after that, I started transitioning medically and my eating disorder resolved.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 5 July 2025 source ↗

Sandi Toksvig Danish and British broadcaster, comedian and writer

I’ve had a surprising number of near-death experiences: I was nearly blown up by a landmine in Sudan; I was stranded on the Zambezi river at night; I was bucked off a rodeo horse in Arizona and had to be airlifted to hospital; and, worst of all, I once ate a Pot Noodle.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 March 2018 source ↗

Jake Shears Singer and songwriter; co-lead vocalist of Scissor Sisters

Five years ago, a concrete plug, a little bigger than a baseball, fell off a building on Hollywood Boulevard when I was riding in an open convertible. It shattered the windshield. It really shook me. I still have it on my mantel.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 17 July 2021 source ↗