To mark 500 episodes of How to Fail! To we’re re-releasing the first ever episode with Phoebe Waller Bridge, which originally went out in July 2018. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and star of Fleabag, writer of Killing Eve, superstar feminist and human embodiment of a Star Wars droid, joins How To Fail to talk about how she failed at her 20s (but got lots of brilliant material from the terrible dates she endured), failing at drama school, terrible auditions (including one for Downton Abbey) and how her female best friend is quite possibly the love of her life. She also talks about emotional vulnerability, why women fail at anger and about finding glory in one’s mistakes. There’s a great exchange about whether women should be open about whether or not they want children and a whole segue into the desirability of alabaster foreheads. Oh, and we cover the time Phoebe met Meryl Streep and embarrassed herself horribly, in what might be one of the greatest celebrity anecdotes of all time involving apple crumble. IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Introduction02:04 Sudden Fame Reality04:33 RADA And Early Rejection07:50 Emotional Acting Truth08:41 Love Life Failures13:14 Fleabag And Female Voice18:05 Auditions Power And Ambition25:37 Creative Lifeline Friendship26:21 How They Met Vicky27:40 Muses Not Mistresses29:15 Women And Anger30:55 Female Killers Fascination33:20 The Babies Question40:54 Feminism And Body Image44:40 Celebrity Encounters FinaleLINKS + MENTIONS:Join the How To Fail community: www.howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#contentElizabeth’s Substack: www.theelizabethday.substack.comWANT MORE?Dolly Alderton - swap.fm/l/XM98joc3GFEMTsLfkEfR Miranda Hart - swap.fm/l/oTScN30b80GflJtO4rgu LOVE THIS EPISODE?Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcastsLeave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these storiesFollow How To Fail & Elizabeth:Instagram: @elizabdayTikTok: @howtofailpodPodcast Instagram: @howtofailpodWebsite: www.elizabethday.orgGuest bookings for How To Fail only come from official @sonymusic.com emailsHave a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan Engineer: Matias TorresAssistant Producer: Shania MandersonSenior Producer: Hannah TalbotExecutive Producer: Alex LawlessFind more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcastsTo bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.comLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices