The question
What disappointment has stayed with you longest?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
This exact question recurs in The Guardian's institutional Q&A pool.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Not keeping off the last 5lbs.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 August 2026 source ↗
That my competitive pole vault career ended at the age of 15.
Not having my own chatshow. Yet!
Being phoned by the prime minister and sacked from my role as a home office minister in front of 100 people I was about to speak to. But to be fair to Tony, he did appoint me in the first place.
Not taking more time out from work for holidays.
At the election of Joe Biden, thinking we were out of the woods. Wrong.
Don’t answer every question you’re asked.
“Let’s face it, you’re not Ingrid Bergman.” I was 19 and he was a potential boyfriend. My only thought at the time was: “I’m not?”
Fifteen years ago, I totally forgot my lines on stage and was mortified. We skipped two pages of dialogue and took three minutes off the play – to the delight of the audience!
Climate change.
A dress designer.
Rhys Ifans, Paul Theroux, Dominic West, Beth Ditto, John Bishop, David Guetta
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