Failure & regret

Which moment embarrassed you most?

126 answers answered between 2004 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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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On the record

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

Mike Skinner English rapper
My brother was singing Yellow Submarine on stage with his class. I was singing along with them, showing off cos I knew all the words. The song ended suddenly and I was the only one in the whole hall who sang, 'We ...'
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 January 2009 source ↗
Rosie Jones British comedian and actress
One time I got so drunk in the Soho theatre in London that I fell asleep in the disabled toilet for two hours. People still call the toilet Rosie’s Bedroom.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 31 December 2022 source ↗
Daryl McCormack Irish actor
Missing a cue on stage. I had to come on and move a piece of furniture with another actor and I completely forgot. I looked at the monitor and said, “Why is he standing on his own?” And somebody said, “Aren’t you meant to help him?”
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 February 2023 source ↗
Jack Whitehall English comedian, actor, presenter and writer
I was bumped as a guest on The Justin Lee Collins show for Bianca from EastEnders.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 April 2023 source ↗
I once did a record store signing in LA, which I had no business doing. No one was there – just staff. They were getting ready to close the shop and sweeping up.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 August 2023 source ↗
Forty-eight hours after giving birth, I sent a picture that someone had sent me of their baby to a WhatsApp group, thinking it was my son (they kind of looked similar). Mortifying.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 November 2023 source ↗
Paapa Essiedu British actor
In order to raise money to pay for myself to go to the National Youth Theatre, I performed a medley of my drama school speeches and some songs for my entire school. Considering I can’t sing, this was terrible. I did U Remind Me by Usher and Hey There Delilah by the Plain White T’s. They paid £2 each – basically, to laugh at me.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 November 2023 source ↗
At the TV Baftas last year I was wearing these heels that had stiff bows on the front. One heel locked into the other bow and I went arse over tit.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 February 2024 source ↗
I once asked a young woman if she had ever heard of the musician Laura Marling, insinuating I knew Laura Marling, to which she replied: “I am Laura Marling.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 March 2024 source ↗
Eleanor Tomlinson English actress
I’ve never seen Star Wars (I know!) and on my first day of a recent job, I’m sitting next to this very friendly actor. I ask if he has much experience with motion capture. He says, “Yes.” I say “Oh great! What have you worked on?” He says, “I’m Mark Hamill.”
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 May 2024 source ↗
Meghan Trainor American singer-songwriter
When I was 11, I went down a water slide and my bottoms didn’t go with me. Everyone saw my bare white butt.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 June 2024 source ↗
Falling flat on my face in Billy Elliot on Boxing Day when I was 14. I fell smack bang at the end of my number. I was mortified.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 December 2024 source ↗
Olly Alexander English singer and actor
At the Mighty Hoopla festival, Kimberley and Nicola from Girls Aloud joined me on stage for a Girls Aloud song. I completely forgot the words.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 March 2025 source ↗
Helen Mirren was in the elevator with me at the National Theatre. She pressed the button but it didn’t move. I said, “Fancy seeing you here and being stuck in an elevator.” And she said, “Was that meant to be funny?” I apologised, and she laughed. Even talking about it now, it feels so awkward and embarrassing.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 October 2025 source ↗
One of the first TV appearances that our band made in America, on the Craig Ferguson show. I forgot the lyrics to Little Lion Man and then broke two strings.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 21 February 2026 source ↗
When my trousers split on stage in Burn the Floor in Australia. I had always been warned to wear my flesh underwear and I did not that day.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 March 2026 source ↗
In my 20s I was in a show called The Unauthorised Autobiography of Samantha Brown. The actor who played my dad messed up his lines and it made me laugh so hard that I ended up peeing my pants.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 April 2026 source ↗
Congratulating Dua Lipa on managing to release a single in such a tough industry, because I thought she was a struggling indie artist. I Googled her the next day and realised that she has 88 million followers.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 May 2026 source ↗

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