TA
I did a corporate gig early in my career, and they opened the buffet in the middle of my set and everybody left.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 November 2023 source ↗
The question
When were you most embarrassed?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A verbatim recurring question in The Guardian's Q&A series.
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Others on this question
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Harlan Coben
American author
I was followed by a mob of fans when I was doing a photoshoot in Paris. When I signed autographs for them during a break, one remarked: “Who the fuck is Harlan Coben? I told you it wasn’t Bruce Willis.”
Rose Ayling-Ellis
British actress
Rapping the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme on national television.
Being an actor is inherently embarrassing. You have to embrace it.
Bryn Terfel
Welsh bass-baritone singer
One horrible afternoon in Chicago when I forgot my words in The Marriage of Figaro, in a role I’d sung hundreds of times.
More from Tom Allen
View profile →Not understanding myself until I was in my 30s.
Never save anything for best.
I once had to sit on a sleigh and pretend to be Bing Crosby for a corporate party. I had to mime to White Christmas over and over again.
The greatest athlete we never knew we had.
On holiday in Spain with my family about 20 years ago. Sad, but true.
The fear of nightmares.
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