I used to be an ear-piercing specialist when I was 16, and had to pierce babies’ ears. It was horrendous. I had to practise on my friends – several have misplaced piercings.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 November 2020 source ↗
The question
What is the worst job you have ever had?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
The Guardian's long-running Q&A repeatedly asks this standing question, with minor tense variation.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I used to be an ear-piercing specialist when I was 16, and had to pierce babies’ ears. It was horrendous. I had to practise on my friends – several have misplaced piercings.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 November 2020 source ↗
Selling fire alarms at 18 or 19.
I haven’t really had a job. I used to work at my dad’s garden centre in my late teens, but it was just messing around.
Giving barium enemas. I used to be a radiographer in Coventry.
Several: cutting the local vicar's lawn, shovelling shit from a stable, waiting tables, picking up and washing actors' smelly pants and socks.
For Good, from the bit in Wicked the Musical where the two witches go their separate ways. The lyrics are about people coming to your life for a reason, who might not stay very long, but there’s a reason they’ve played a part in your life. I well up thinking about it.
On BBC Breakfast, I accidentally said “fuck” on air. My microphone had been turned on when I wasn’t in the room. It went out across the telly and they had to apologise.
Scary, because when you really love, it means that you are really scared of losing it as well.
Some famous people. I am not giving you names.
Falling off what we in Middlesbrough call a “tarzy”, a bungee rope. I was swinging on it, fell and broke my arm.
As a good friend.
Erin O'Connor, Viv Albertine, Emeli Sandé, Rose Tremain, Siri Hustvedt, Martin Clunes
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