Best Ella Abbott Podcasts (2025)

1
Dannii Minogue - ‘I hit low points where I thought: “I just can’t take this any more.” 58:33

2d ago58:33

58:33

In her most revealing interview to date, Dannii Minogue talks openly about the pressures of fame, the relentless comparisons with her sister, Kylie, and navigating a divorce that left her broke. It’s an extraordinary conversation with a woman who found fame as a 10-year-old in her native Australia. As a teenager Dannii, signed a record deal and act…

1
Julia Stiles - ‘I ran in the other direction from fame’ 55:26

9d ago55:26

55:26

For many of us who grew up in the the 90s, Julia Stiles was an integral part of our coming of age. Her portrayal of the clever, acerbic Kat in 10 Things I Hate About You was a radical reinvention of the blonde teenage female rom-com lead. Her roles in Save The Last Dance and Mona Lisa Smile spoke to our adolescent feminist awakenings and catapulted…

1
John Bishop - ‘I’ve always wanted someone to say: you’re good enough’ 56:44

16d ago56:44

56:44

John Bishop has been a hugely successful stand-up comedian for 25 years. Yet that wasn’t his first dream, which was to play football. We discuss his failure to do so professionally, his challenges at school, the working-class upbringing that shaped him and how comedy saved his marriage when he and his wife were at the ‘decree nisi stage’ of divorce…

1
Simon Cowell - ‘I often think: what gives me the right to judge people?’ 1:01:58

23d ago1:01:58

1:01:58

Simon Cowell has built an entertainment empire on his ability to say exactly what he thinks and an uncanny ability to judge the public mood. From launching Pop Idol in 2001, The X Factor in 2004 and the cultural behemoth Britain’s Got Talent in 2007, he has been at the helm of primetime around the world for over a quarter of a century. His TV shows…

1
Celeste Barber: the FUNNIEST woman on the internet 53:37

1M ago53:37

53:37

My guest today has been an integral part of my feminist awakening. Celeste Barber’s instagram posts - which parody the unattainable standards of the fashion and beauty industry - are both hilarious and revolutionary. Her work has helped a generation of women to feel better about their bodies - and made her a star in the process. (Plus she’s been bl…

1
Emma Dabiri - ‘We are still so obsessed with how we look’ 45:00

1M ago45:00

45:00

This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at Dublin’s Bord Gáis Energy theatre. Emma Dabiri is a broadcaster, historian, and bestselling author whose work delves into the complexities of identity, culture, and race through art history and current affairs. She's now written a number of books - culture shifting works which …

1
Sally Phillips - ‘I saw Colin Firth and thought - he’s mine!’ 52:20

1M ago52:20

52:20

This episode of How To Fail was recorded in front of a live audience at London’s Barbican Theatre. Sally Phillips has appeared in a string of the most influential and hilarious comedy series of all time - from Smack The Pony, Miranda, The Thick of It and Veep. Not forgetting, of course, her star turn as Bridget Jones’s best friend, Shazza, in the h…

1
Mae Martin - 'Everything I do is about proving those high school bullies wrong.' 53:01

2M ago53:01

53:01

Over on Failing with Friends this week, Mae Martin talks about self-care, how to stop pushing people away and we tackle a listener’s failure to be messy in their twenties. To hear Mae Martin's brilliant advice, join our community of subscribers: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Canadian comedian, writer, producer and singer/songwriter M…

1
Jonathan Van Ness - 'I was one wrong thing away from losing everything' 50:13

2M ago50:13

50:13

Over on Failing with Friends this week, JVN and I get into relationship therapy and the perfect length of shorts on a man. To hear JVN tackling your failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Jonathan Van Ness, one fifth of Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye, three-times New York Times bestseller, podca…

1
How To Date: BONUS EPISODE - Your dating questions answered… 41:49

2M ago41:49

41:49

For this bonus episode, Elizabeth and Mel open up the post bag to answer the burning questions YOU have when it comes to dating… And, let’s just say, we cover A LOT of ground. After you’ve listened, you can get all the resources and worksheets discussed at www.thepodclass.co.uk Mel and Elizabeth are on a mission to revolutionise the world of dating…

1
Sam Ryder - ‘Fame is like giving a dog a treat every single day. You get used to it.’ 56:13

2M ago56:13

56:13

Over on Failing with Friends - Sam Ryder talks about panic attacks, how to forgive, and (in a How To Fail first) why he likes to cut his toenails outdoors. To hear Sam tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Sam Ryder is a British singer-songwriter who started posting covers on Tik…

1
How To Date: The most important relationship you’ll ever have 59:48

2M ago59:48

59:48

For the final episode of How To Date (sob!) Mel and Elizabeth look at the most important relationships any of us can have in our lives: the one with ourselves. We unpack what this means in practical terms. How do we nurture a healthy sense of self-respect - and why can this sometimes feel so challenging? How can we ensure interdependence rather tha…

1
Olivia Attwood - ‘It’s either vodka and a gay club until 5am, or hyperbaric oxygen’ 51:48

2M ago51:48

51:48

Olivia Attwood first appeared on our TV screens in 2017 as a contestant in the third series of Love Island, and instantly became a star due to her dry humour and gobby relatability. You might also know her as a regular panellist on Loose Women or from her hit documentaries for ITV. Last year, she launched her podcast, Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s…

1
How To Date: How to cope with heartbreak and rejection 46:43

2M ago46:43

46:43

Elizabeth and Mel face one of the most challenging parts of dating: heartbreak and rejection. We are joined by life coach and author Michelle Elman who went through a devastating, public break-up after being notified via an Instagram DM that her fiance of 24-hours had been cheating on her. Michelle, Mel and Elizabeth explore the impact an experienc…

1
Erin Doherty - ‘Lean Into Your Truth’ 48:41

3M ago48:41

48:41

To hear more of Erin offering advice on listener failures, join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Erin Doherty’s big break came playing Princess Anne in The Crown. She’s now back on our screens as Mary Carr, the leader of a real-life Victorian female crime gang, in A Thousand Blows (written by Peaky Bli…

1
How To Date: Taking it to the next level 51:15

3M ago51:15

51:15

Things are going well… So Elizabeth and Mel are taking it to the next level where they are getting just that little bit more serious. In this episode, Mel and Elizabeth look at exclusivity and commitment and what it takes to build a strong foundation for a lasting relationship. Plus: how a partner’s past plays into your future together. After you’v…

1
Gugu Mbatha-Raw - ‘Have I ever worked with an awful co-star? Maybe one or two’ 49:02

3M ago49:02

49:02

Friendship advice: ‘Are you a radiator or a drain?’ To hear more from Gugu tackling your failures join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content Gugu Mbatha-Raw is an actor who firmly resists typecasting: her West End debut was as Ophelia in Hamlet; while on-screen she has tackled everything from Belle, to a vi…

1
How To Date: Red and Green Flags 59:04

3M ago59:04

59:04

Mel and Elizabeth look at the subtle (and not-so-subtle) signs that can help us understand whether a potential partner is right for us. That’s right, we’re exploring the red flags that should have us running for the hills, the green flags that signpost a healthy relationship and the amber or pink ones that lie somewhere in-between. We are joined by…

1
Kate Hudson - ‘Fame is a tumultuous machine’ 1:01:10

3M ago1:01:10

1:01:10

Kate Hudson’s comedic turn in How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days made that movie one of the greatest romantic comedies of the noughties, and her performances in everything from Bride Wars to Glass Onion have each been totally scene-stealing. This month, she stars in Running Point, a new Netflix comedy from Mindy Kaling, and she has just released her firs…

1
How To Date: Communication - dating dos and don’ts 55:25

3M ago55:25

55:25

The first date has gone well for Elizabeth and Mel (the chemistry was sizzling, quite frankly) so now we turn our attention to the murky waters of early-stage communication in dating. Psychotherapist, author and podcaster Emma Reed-Turrell joins Elizabeth and Mel this week to break down how to communicate with clarity and kindness, without ever los…

1
Simon Callow: ‘Scottish reeling almost killed me.’ 44:12

3M ago44:12

44:12

Simon Callow is a critically acclaimed actor, director, author and star of classic movies such as Room with a View, Shakespeare in Love and Howards End. However, it’s his part as Gareth in Four Weddings and a Funeral that many took to their hearts. Callow’s failures include a childhood rejection that still haunts him, a play he directed which was s…

1
How To Date: The first date 54:22

3M ago54:22

54:22

Mel and Elizabeth continue their dating journey and today, we’ve reached one of the most nerve-wracking, yet potentially thrilling, milestones: the first date. Our guest is the fabulous Ryan Lanji, cultural producer, winner of Netflix’s Big Flower Fight and all-round icon. Ryan joins us to break down everything from the lead-up to the date, how to …

1
Jessel Taank - ‘Real Housewives? It’s like Game of Thrones’ 53:58

4M ago53:58

53:58

Jessel Taank is the first South Asian housewife and the breakout star of her debut season of The Real Housewives of New York in 2023. In this episode we speak openly about the challenges of conceiving her twin sons through IVF and the misplaced shame she felt at not being able to have children naturally. Her failures include failing to overcome Ind…

1
How To Date: How to meet someone 53:56

4M ago53:56

53:56

Elizabeth and Mel get into the exciting, terrifying and sometimes overwhelming world of how on earth to meet someone. We discuss online dating and IRL encounters and how to navigate it all without losing our self-esteem. Our guest this week is the brilliant Sharmaine Lovegrove, whom many of you might already know as one of the hosts of our previous…

1
Nick Grimshaw - 'I told The Guardian I was gay before I told my parents' 52:56

4M ago52:56

52:56

Broadcaster and author Nick Grimshaw joins Elizabeth to talk about failing his maths GCSE, failing his business and communications degree, his failure to be present, and failing at New Year’s resolutions. Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com Production & Post Production Coordin…

1
Introducing How To Date: Am I ready to date? 52:01

4M ago52:01

52:01

Elizabeth and Mel look at one of the most important yet daunting questions: “Am I ready to date?” Whether you’re returning to the dating world after divorce, heartbreak, loss or simply wondering if it’s the right time to put yourself out there, this episode explores what it really means to be ‘date ready’. After you’ve listened, you can get all the…

1
Dame Harriet Walter - ‘I wish I’d had all this attention when I was 40’ 55:42

4M ago55:42

55:42

Olivier and Emmy-award-winning Dame Harriet Walter must have acting in her blood: her uncle is the legendary horror star Christopher Lee, she turned down a place at Oxford in favour of drama school, and began her career at the Royal Shakespeare Company. On screen you’ll know her from Killing Eve, Ted Lasso, The Crown or as Lady Caroline in Successi…

1
Sharon Horgan - ‘My marriage failed but it had such a positive impact on my life’ 48:43

4M ago48:43

48:43

Sharon Horgan is a writer, actor and director. She has an uncanny ability to craft complex, compelling and heartfelt characters who find comedy even in the darkest of situations: just like in her hit series Bad Sisters - which has won a Peabody Award and four Emmy nominations. You’ll also know her from the BAFTA-nominated show Pulling, plus starrin…

1
Stephen Merchant: ‘Most famous people are f**cked up’ 50:33

5M ago50:33

50:33

Actor, writer and director Stephen Merchant joins How To Fail this week and is reflective, fascinating and - yes - even funny. We talk about what he learned from Ricky Gervais when co-writing The Office, on feeling rattled turning 50 and how it’s hard to fail as a stand-up comedian (but he got over it). Have something to share of your own? I'd love…

1
Failure Throwback: Geena Davis 1:01:46

5M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

The final episode in our run of throwback episodes is the one and only Geena Davis - this one went out on 9th November 2022. This is what I wrote at the time: I am obsessed with today's guest and I'm not even going to pretend otherwise. Geena Davis, the star of such seminal movies as Tootsie, Beetlejuice, Thelma & Louise, A League of Their Own and …

1
Failure Throwback: Jamie Dornan 1:10:19

5M ago1:10:19

1:10:19

I’m revisiting some of my favourite episodes this Christmas. This week it’s Jamie Dornan, whose episode went out when we were in deepest, darkest lockdown, on 24th November 2020. This is what I wrote at the time: You’ll know Jamie from starring on our screens in The Fall, Fifty Shades of Grey, and more recently The Tourist. He joins me to talk abou…

1
Failure Throwback: Phoebe Waller-Bridge 1:01:57

5M ago1:01:57

1:01:57

I’ve hand-picked some of my favourite episodes of all time to revisit this Christmas, so today’s a very special one. Phoebe Waller-Bridge was my first EVER guest on this podcast when I launched in July 2018. A year after that, almost to the day, I welcomed her back to talk about how her life had changed in the interim [spoiler alert: she’d become a…

1
Sir Chris Hoy - ‘There’s no cure but I still find hope’ 57:32

5M ago57:32

57:32

It was an honour to record this episode. We overuse words such as ‘hero’ and ‘inspiration’ but Sir Chris Hoy is both. Not only is he one of Great Britain’s most successful Olympic athletes (during a record-breaking career as a sprint cyclist, he won six gold medals, one silver medal, and 11 world championships) but he’s currently living with a Stag…

1
Kirsty Young - ‘The great benefit of age? You give less of a f**k.’ 52:18

6M ago52:18

52:18

When I started How To Fail, I had a list of dream guests. Kirsty Young was on it. Not only because she’s one of the greatest interviewers of all time but also because her style of broadcasting (especially during her time on Desert Island Discs) is the standard I aspire to every week on this podcast. Her intelligence, warmth and ability to listen - …

1
Luke Evans - ‘If I didn’t have to take my top off on a movie set, I’d let myself go’ 57:07

6M ago57:07

57:07

Lovely, lovely, LOVELY Luke Evans. I think he’s quite possibly one of the nicest men in Hollywood - a bona fide A-Lister after star turns in Beauty and the Beast, The Hobbit, Fast & Furious, to name but a few. And yet, his early life was challenging. Raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, he was unable to be open about his sexuality for fear of banishment …

1
Andy Cohen - ‘Madonna says I’m a trouble-making queen’ 52:41

6M ago52:41

52:41

Andy Cohen doesn’t just shape the culture. He is the culture. And if you think I was excited-slash-terrified to interview a man who means so much to me (despite us never having met until this moment) then you would be entirely correct. In many ways, Andy is the godfather of reality TV. He’s responsible for the birth of The Real Housewives franchise…

1
Ella Purnell - ‘Therapy changed my life’ 43:50

7M ago43:50

43:50

TW: self-harm You might know Ella from her leading roles in the hit TV show ‘Yellowjackets’ or Amazon Prime’s ‘Fallout’. She’s been acting since she was a child (and is still absurdly young tbf) and bears the notable distinction of having played the younger versions of Keira Knightly, Margot Robbie and Angeline Jolie on-screen. What a thruple! At 2…

1
Lashana Lynch - ‘I didn’t know when I was auditioning that I was going to be 007’ 49:06

7M ago49:06

49:06

Lashana Lynch has had a pretty incredible few years: she was the first ever Black female agent with a licence to kill in the James Bond franchise, played a ferocious warrior (and performed her own stunts) in The Woman King, became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and portrayed Mrs Honey in the movie adaptation of Matilda. Now she’s back in a S…

1
Jilly Cooper - ‘What’s a dick pic?’ 39:33

7M ago39:33

39:33

Dame Jilly Cooper. What a legend. For the uninitiated (where have you been?) she’s a journalist and author most famous for her bestselling Rutshire Chronicle series which includes Riders, Polo and Rivals - the latter of which has now made into a hugely popular TV series starring David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson. In the past, Dame J…

1
James Blunt - ‘The Iraq war lost me my GRAMMYS’ 51:56

7M ago51:56

51:56

TW: miscarriage and pregnancy loss You’ll probably have heard of James Blunt. And if you haven’t, you’ve almost definitely heard his most famous song, You’re Beautiful. There was a time in the early 2000s that it was EVERYWHERE. And that’s because James Blunt was absolutely huge. His debut 2004 album, Back To Bedlam, was the biggest-selling album o…

1
Miranda Hart - 'I always knew I’d get married at 51' 58:00

8M ago58:00

58:00

It’s been ten years of ‘bear with.. bear with’ but *finally* we’ve got our beloved Miranda Hart back. Due to a long-term undiagnosed chronic illness (which we talk about, of course) Miranda has been largely out of the public eye for the past decade. I was so touched to be the first person she spoke to on her return to work. We covered writing her n…

1
Neneh Cherry - ‘My mother’s death undid me.’ 45:45

8M ago45:45

45:45

If you’d told the 12-year-old me, listening to Manchild and Buffalo Stance on repeat at school in Belfast, that I would one day be interviewing Neneh Cherry, I wouldn’t have believed you. This woman is so iconic and has shaped so much of our culture - it’s not just her monster hits such as Seven Seconds (with Youssou N’Dour) or the fact that Massiv…

1
Rupert Everett - 'Everyone is my Professional Nemesis' 51:02

8M ago51:02

51:02

Rupert Everett is the best type of A-list guest. He’s been through the highs and the lows of fame and come out of the other side wiser, stronger, and with no qualms about speaking his mind. Plus his new book ‘The American No’ was born from failure (a collection of brilliant short stories that were TV and film ideas). We talked about: ‘learning to d…

1
Yuval Noah Harari - ‘AI doesn't have to end badly for humankind’ 56:30

8M ago56:30

56:30

Well, look, of COURSE I was intimidated. Yuval Noah Harari is one of our most revered thinkers - a philosopher for our age and a bestselling writer of books that have redefined our thinking about humanity. You will probably know him as the author of Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (25 million copies sold and counting). Now, he tackles AI in h…

1
Diane Abbott - ‘I’ve never had a nice chat with Keir Starmer’ 52:10

8M ago52:10

52:10

Diane Abbott is a force of nature - and she needs to be, with so much vitriol directed towards her. She has weathered decades of racist and sexist abuse but has still blazed a trail through British politics as the first ever Black female MP. Not for nothing is she now known as ‘Mother of the House’. We talk about why some people (*cough* white, pri…

1
Kate Winslet - ‘I remember thinking: I do not want to be famous’ 58:01

9M ago58:01

58:01

Look, I don’t like to brag but in case you hadn’t noticed, we’ve got Kate Winslet on How To Fail this week. ACTUAL KATE WINSLET! The one and only! And oh my goodness, what an incredible guest she is: acutely intelligent, funny and brilliantly forthright. We covered so much ground - from the media obsession with her body image, to her regret at givi…

1
Agony Uncle Salman Rushdie – ‘I walked into a glass door and fell in love’ 24:54

9M ago24:54

24:54

This is a very special one-off edition of How to Fail, where I bring you a peek behind the paywall to hear one of my favourite subscriber editions of ‘Failing with Friends’. If you’re not already a subscriber (and if not, why not, quite frankly?) then this is a little glimpse of what we’ve been up to. Failing With Friends is where my lovely listene…

1
Ellie Simmonds - Being different is a superpower. 45:23

9M ago45:23

45:23

Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds OBE has won five - count ‘em - Gold Medals. Amazingly, her first two were at the age of 13 and she’s set two world records. But she happily admits she learned more ‘from the races that didn’t go well’. Ellie talks to me about putting an intense amount of pressure on herself, never being able to switch off and how s…

1
Guenther Steiner - F1 made me an absent father 46:18

9M ago46:18

46:18

The first thing Guenther Steiner said when he walked into the HTF studio was: ‘Recently your guests have been Shania Twain and Salman Rushdie, are you sure you want me and haven’t made a mistake?’ This tells you almost everything you need to know about the breakout star of Netflix’s F1: Drive to Survive and former Haas team principal: he’s hilariou…

1
Ade Adepitan - ‘At 16 I’d seen more violence than anyone should ever see’ 54:26

10M ago54:26

54:26

TW: contains references to racist abuse and racially-aggravated violence. This is probably one of my favourite episodes of all time, and I don’t say that lightly. The former championship wheelchair basketball star turned TV presenter, Ade Adepitan, came into the How To Fail studio with an open heart and a moving story to tell. He blew us all away. …

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Ella Abbott Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen