Jilly Cooper: On Failure, Love and Literature

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Sony Music

Society & Culture

4.8 • 9.4K Ratings

🗓️ 6 October 2025

⏱️ 42 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, we remember and celebrate the extraordinary life of Jilly Cooper, who has sadly passed away at the age of 88. A literary icon, Jilly captured hearts and imaginations with her wit, warmth, and unmistakable voice. Her novels, especially beloved titles like Riders and Rivals, sold over 11 million copies in the UK alone and most recently inspired the hit Disney+ adaptation that introduced her work to a whole new generation. I had the immense privilege of speaking with Jilly just last October. She was everything I’d hoped she would be - funny, sharp, generous and inspiring. Today, in tribute to her legacy and the joy she brought to so many, I’m honoured to share the conversation with you again. ___________________________________________________________________ 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 Jilly’s books have been unfairly dismissed as mere ‘bonkbusters’, charting the sex lives of the upper classes. But, as I discover, there’s much more to both her writing - and to her. We talk about her failures with technology, why she wishes she could throw more things away, as well as the terrifying time she lost an entire manuscript on the number 28 bus and had to rewrite it. Plus her experiences of interviewing Margaret Thatcher, her friendship with the Queen, her obsession with beautiful people and ‘macho men’ - and why she’d wholeheartedly recommend adoption to others. Thank you Dame Jilly. A total sport (but we knew that). ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 00:00 Remembering Dame Gili Cooper 03:43 Personal Reflections and Literary Success 07:37 Exploring Themes of Masculinity and Beauty 10:15 Family, Loss, and Resilience 11:28 Failures and Fertility Challenges 21:18 Dieting and Body Image 25:12 Interviewing Margaret Thatcher 26:46 Technical Challenges and Writing Process 30:27 Friendship and Social Media 🔗 LINKS: Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/ Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content 💌 LOVE THIS EPISODE? Subscribe on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts Leave a 5⭐ review – it helps more people discover these stories 👋 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	I, like many of you, I'm sure, was so sad to hear of the death of Dame Jilly Cooper at the age of 88.
0:18.5	I was so lucky to get to interview her for How to Fail in October 24.
0:24.6	And I say I was lucky for Myriad reasons. She was a hilarious guest, someone who had such a zest
0:32.1	and twinkle for life. But she's also someone that I hugely admire as a writer, someone who is a shrewd observer of class in her books,
0:41.4	someone who historically spoke openly about her inability to conceive biologically,
0:47.2	and who really made women feel seen both on the page and in life.
0:52.3	I'm so, so glad that her work got the resurgence that it deserved
0:56.6	with the TV adaptation of rivals. And we also delve into that in this conversation. I hope that
1:03.5	you enjoy it and I hope that you listen to it and remember the remarkable woman and writer that was
1:09.9	Dame Jiddy Cooper.
1:11.7	How to Fail is partnering with Bumble.
1:14.1	The dating app that believes love in all its forms is the foundation to a happy, healthy life.
1:19.6	We want to hear from you, and we're collecting your love stories as a reminder that meaningful
1:25.1	connections can happen online.
1:28.0	Have you been through a breakup but later found your person?
1:32.1	If Love found you the second time around, we want to hear your story.
1:37.3	Dating can feel like a roller coaster, which is why it helps to have a bit of guidance along the way.
1:43.1	Bumble's new advice hub brings together
1:45.0	expert tips to make the process a little easier, from breaking the ice in conversations
1:50.1	and calming predate nerves to figuring out when it's time to take things offline. So if you
1:56.8	found love after a detour, tell us about it. Send a short personal voice note to how to fail
2:03.3	at sonymusic.com. Share the moments that make your story unforgettable and we might just play it out
	...

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