Failure & regret

Who most deserves an apology from you, and why?

212 answers answered between 1998 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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.

Add your answer

On the record

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 1 Arts and letters 181 Politics and public life 13 Business and finance 5 Sport 12
Read by age Any age Before thirty 4 In their thirties 37 In their forties 46 In their fifties 47 In their sixties 40 Seventy and beyond 32
Order Earliest first Most recent Surprise me
Mike Skinner English rapper
To my dad for not making it back to Birmingham to see him while I was in London doing The Streets.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 January 2009 source ↗
David Haye British boxer
A few ex-girlfriends in my teens. I didn’t know how to treat a lady.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 April 2016 source ↗
Victoria Pendleton British cyclist
Lots of people, mainly for being so absent from their lives while I was concentrating on sport. I’d also like to say sorry to my dad’s mum, because, aged four, I told her she was the worst cook in the world.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 July 2017 source ↗
Jess Phillips British politician
Luke. It’s hard growing up with a heroin addict, and I treated him in his vulnerability in a way I would never have treated anyone I worked with.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 April 2018 source ↗
Sara Pascoe English comedian, presenter, writer
I didn’t learn to be intimate with people until I was in my 20s, so I was a very bad friend in my teens. There was a girl I was best friends with at college; I always used to kiss the boys she liked. I’d like to apologise to her.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 July 2018 source ↗
Nish Kumar British stand-up comedian and presenter
Most of the people that saw me do comedy between the years 2007 and 2012.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 February 2019 source ↗
Greg James British author, broadcaster, comedian, and presenter
The person who had to empty the bin on that train to Oxford.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 March 2019 source ↗
Mo Farah British track and field athlete
Probably my wife, because sometimes I do crazy things.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 April 2019 source ↗
Kate Nash British musician
Everyone I ever met in 2007, because I was definitely about two hours late.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 25 May 2019 source ↗
Michelle Dockery British actress
A teacher at my secondary school. We used to write and sing songs about him. Sorry, Sir! You were a great teacher.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 January 2020 source ↗
Alice Eve British actress
To all my teachers – I’m sorry I thought class was a paying audience.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 April 2020 source ↗
Joe Wicks British fitness coach, television presenter and author
I would like to say sorry to my ex-girlfriend. I was with her for 10 years. I wish I’d treated her with more respect and been kinder at the end.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 May 2020 source ↗
Clara Amfo Broadcaster
I never said it out loud, but I had this “Why aren’t you like the other mums?” energy towards my mum. Now I am an adult, I am happy that she came here from Ghana and remained who she was, but for a long time I resented her.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 August 2020 source ↗

0 answers from members

Nobody has answered this one yet.

More on failure & regret