Viv Albertine
Australian-born British musician and writer
I am going straight to cremation like David Bowie, so there would be no funeral.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
Question
What is the worst job you have done?
Craft & work
Question
Aside from a property, what is the most expensive thing you have bought?
Money & investment
Question
What would you like to be remembered for?
Death & what remains
Question
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Failure & regret
Question
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
Failure & regret
Question
How close have you come to death?
Death & what remains
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
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.
The Guardian, Honest playlist, The Guardian, 15 February 2026 source ↗
Others on this question
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Malorie Blackman
British writer
What A Wonderful World, by Louis Armstrong.
Bella Freud
British fashion designer
Get Up, Stand Up by Bob Marley.
David Gandy
British model
She’s Gone by Hall and Oates, but with the words changed to He’s Gone.
More from Steph McGovern
View profile →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.
A poster for The Godfather, my favourite film, signed by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and everyone. I got drunk at a children’s charity auction and started buying everything!
As a good friend.
Some famous people. I am not giving you names.
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.
Falling off what we in Middlesbrough call a “tarzy”, a bungee rope. I was swinging on it, fell and broke my arm.
More on death & what remains
- What would you like to be remembered for? 214 answers
- How close have you come to death? 209 answers
- If you had only one day left to live, how would you spend it — and what would you deliberately avoid doing? 54 answers
- What happens when we die? 51 answers
- What would you like to leave your children? 44 answers
- How would you like to die? 44 answers
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