Yardsticks For Failure, with Ivo Graham (Part One)

Intelligence Squared

Arts, News, Society & Culture, News Commentary

4.2 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 June 2025

⏱️ 35 minutes

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Summary

After coming last by quite such a distance on Taskmaster Series 15, and seeing his emotional frailties laid bare in a series of memes of him with his head in his hands, Ivo Graham is adapting to an increasingly irreversible reputation as a man better known for his chaos than his comedy. His new book Yardsticks For Failure is a map of the brain behind the breakdowns; a deep dive into the various facepalms of Ivo’s recent past, and a live diary of his unravelling present, where his solution to the general bedlam of his life has been to pile his plate higher than ever before. Longer-term resolutions of rest and relaxation can wait; in the meantime he’s trying to host the greatest club night of all time, run a Sub-3 marathon while pushing a wheelchair, and put his heart on the line in a show unlike anything he’s ever done before. Can these dreams become a reality, or will they just become more yardsticks for failure? We were joined by Ivo at the Kiln Theatre in May 2025 for a unique self-examination from one of the funniest writers of his generation. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Here's the truth about AI. AI is only as powerful as the platform it's built into.
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0:28.5	slash AI for people. Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet. I'm producer Mia Serenti,
0:35.9	and I'm joined today by head of programming Connor Boyle.
0:38.6	Connor, what do we have coming up on today's episode?
0:41.4	Well, today Mia, we have comedian and comedy writer Ivo Graham. Many of you may have seen him
0:46.1	on the very popular TV series Taskmaster and he joined us in conversation with his best friend
0:52.1	and fellow comedian Alfie Brown to discuss yardsticks for failure,
0:55.9	which is his latest sort of comedy slash memoir book. And I think our audience will really enjoy it.
1:01.2	Definitely. And he was live at the Kieln Theatre, this May, that's right. Yes. So it was the
1:06.7	Kieln theatre in Kilburn. He showed up on a line bike with a shredder in the front pouch,
1:12.5	which he said fell off during his journey. You may hear that later in the episode. I won't spoil it
1:17.8	for you, but it made for quite a scene on the night. Well, I look forward to that one. So without
1:24.5	further ado, let's join our host Alfie Brown with more.
1:34.4	Hi, thank you very much.
1:36.3	My name's Alfie Brown.
1:37.5	I'm a stand-up comedian and therefore a colleague of Ivo's.
1:42.1	And indeed, since I think early 2009, a friend. We did a show called
1:49.6	The Lunchtime Club Together at the Edinburgh Festival that was on at 1230, not 115, like he says
	...

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