Failure Throwback: Jameela Jamil

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Sony Music

Society & Culture

4.8 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 August 2025

⏱️ 60 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jameela Jamil is an actor, activist, and founder of the I Weigh movement. From teaching English to starring in The Good Place, Jameela shares the highs, lows, and radical honesty that define her journey. This episode first went out in February 2021. We talk about: Her struggle to be a "good" celebrity Body image battles and self-kindness Financial missteps and learning to thrive Calling out media hypocrisy and sparking global change Packed with truth bombs and bold insight, this episode is for anyone navigating life, self-worth, and the pressure to fit in. ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 02:35 Challenges and Criticisms 03:35 Embracing Failure and Progress 08:47 Navigating Public Criticism 15:14 The Pressure of Being a Female Celebrity 26:57 Mental Health 30:09 Empathy and Self-Reflection 30:25 Struggles with Body Image 31:21 The Impact of Diet Culture 32:26 Realisations and Recovery 36:55 Navigating Compliments and Criticisms 42:25 Financial Failures and Lessons 47:59 Life in Los Angeles 52:02 Future Plans and Activism 💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER: “I failed at being the kind of woman the media wanted me to be—and thank God for that.” “I spent years trying to be kind to my body. Now I’m trying to be kind to myself.” “If you’re not being criticised, you’re probably not saying anything worth hearing.” 🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS: Elizabeth’s upcoming one-off show at Cadogan Hall on 21 Sep for her new novel One of Us: ⁠https://www.fane.co.uk/elizabeth-day Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/ Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content 📚 WANT MORE? Phoebe Waller-Bridge – The Fleabag creator opens up about creative failure, imposter syndrome, and the messy beauty of storytelling: https://link.chtbl.com/Xr_yQtIZ Dolly Alderton – Journalist and author who dives into romantic missteps, self-worth, and the chaos of growing up: https://link.chtbl.com/5pFApeKP 💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories Share with someone exploring neurodiversity or recovering their voice 👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth: Instagram: @elizabday TikTok: @howtofailpod Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod Website: www.elizabethday.org Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/ Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to How to Fail, the podcast that discusses all the things that didn't go to plan, and why that might not be such a bad thing.
0:18.4	Today, I'm inviting you to relisten or to meet for the first time this episode that I
0:25.7	originally released in July 2021. It's with Jamina Jamil and it covers everything from
0:32.5	Jamila's failure to be kind to her body, her failure to be a quote-unquote good female celebrity, and a failure to
0:39.9	manage her finances. It's a conversation that I know has stayed with many of you ever since we
0:45.3	first recorded it. Whether you're hearing it for the first time or revisiting it, I hope that you
0:50.7	enjoy this episode as much as I do.
1:04.5	Okay, a breaking news, because I absolutely have to tell you about my new TV obsession,
1:10.4	the Real Housewives of London, streaming from the 18th of August only on Hey You. It's going to be the talk of the summer.
1:12.6	Trust me, you are not going to want to miss it. I have seen the trailer, I've got the BTS
1:18.2	Goss, and let me tell you, if you're already a superfan like me or a newbie, prepare to be
1:24.2	totally hooked. You probably already know that I love the Real Housewise franchise.
1:30.0	My favourites are Atlanta, an old school New York. Thanks so much for asking. And the Real Housewives
1:35.4	of London is even more special as it's HAU's first original series streaming every week.
1:42.3	Why wait when you could join me and everyone else talking about it now?
1:46.8	Sign up for Hey You Now to start watching the Real Housewives of London and see the drama unfold.
1:53.0	A subscription is required and you'll need to be 18 plus. I know from experience that starting your
1:58.5	own business can be super intimidating and can feel really
2:01.8	isolating. So I empathise with those of you who are currently feeling that way. However, I've got
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2:13.6	that tool is Shopify. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses
2:19.9	around the world and 10% of all e-commerce in the US, from household names like Mattel to brands
	...

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