Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A verbatim recurring question in The Guardian's Q&A series.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 May 2026 source ↗
In order to raise money to pay for myself to go to the National Youth Theatre, I performed a medley of my drama school speeches and some songs for my entire school. Considering I can’t sing, this was terrible. I did U Remind Me by Usher and Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T’s. They paid £2 each – basically, to laugh at me.
I bumped into an old schoolteacher and her even more ancient and deaf sister, and she shouted to her, “Remember Esther? Now she writes books … ABOUT HERSELF.”
I once walked up to Harriet Walter while she was having lunch on her own because I thought I knew her, and then when I got up to the table I realised I didn’t know her, I just recognised her because she was Harriet Walter.
I was in Oliver! when I was 10 and I peed myself on stage in front of however many people the Palladium holds. It was the stuff of nightmares.
In the back of my mind I just assumed I’d be in a boyband at some point.
Everything’s temporary, and how to make aioli.
I’d be happier being myself younger.
Like nothing’s a problem.
Pigeons. One got stuck in my flat once for quite a long time and it really changed how I feel about them.
People singing in the street.
Romola Garai, Rita Wilson, Daryl McCormack, Tuppence Middleton, Meghan Trainor, Layton Williams
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