Failure & regret

What has been your biggest disappointment?

369 answers answered between 1995 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

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Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 2 Arts and letters 310 Politics and public life 25 Business and finance 11 Technology 1 Sport 19
Read by age Any age Before thirty 16 In their thirties 58 In their forties 82 In their fifties 81 In their sixties 73 Seventy and beyond 54
Order Earliest first Most recent Surprise me
David Schwimmer American actor
The lack of role models in leadership in the US, in particular our government.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 September 2007 source ↗
Pamela Anderson Canadian-American actress and model
That after I collected countless signatures on a petition, the Queen's Guard still wear bearskin hats.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 January 2008 source ↗
Boy George British musician
Getting arrested in New York and discovering how lacking in morality US law enforcers are. Being handcuffed to a metal trolley in Bellevue Hospital because I cut my foot while being dragged from a police car, and listening to nurses chatting about hair products as I screamed for something to stop me hallucinating.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 February 2008 source ↗
Ed Balls British broadcaster and politician
That my competitive pole vault career ended at the age of 15.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 1 November 2008 source ↗
Richard Hammond English journalist, television presenter, and author
Failing my driving test first time; that was a disappointment on a geological scale.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 January 2009 source ↗
Jeremy Kyle English radio and television presenter
My ears – disappointments that grow bigger each year.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 July 2010 source ↗
Clare Balding English broadcaster, journalist, TV presenter and author
My A-level grades – but I got over it.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 January 2011 source ↗
Hugh Dennis British comedian and actor
At the time, it was the fact that my first marriage didn't work, but subsequently that proved to be a good thing.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 12 February 2011 source ↗
Richard Hawley English musician
That my dad didn't live to let me share my present success with him – we just ran out of time, Pop.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 February 2011 source ↗
Kathy Burke British actress
As a kid, discovering my brain wasn't controlled by The Numskulls from The Beezer.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 April 2011 source ↗
Rob Lowe American actor
That I wasn't able to stay on The West Wing longer.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 August 2011 source ↗
Heston Blumenthal English chef
When we bought the contaminated oysters and I made the decision to close the Fat Duck, not knowing if I would ever open again.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 October 2011 source ↗
Jennifer Egan Novelist, short story writer
That Al Gore was denied the American presidency in 2000.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 November 2011 source ↗
Cuba Gooding Jr American actor
I wanted to meet Quentin Tarantino for Django Unchained but he had Jamie Foxx in mind – that one hurt.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 June 2012 source ↗

1 answer from members

Not being able to start my own company

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