Which moment embarrassed you most?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

A verbatim recurring question in The Guardian's Q&A series.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Recorded Phoebe Dynevor said elsewhere, not written here
When I was 17, my friends and I threw a fashion show for a breast cancer charity. Breast cancer is something my mum went through when I was 14, so prevention is very close to my heart. Our singer, who was performing during the fashion show, dropped out at the last minute so I had to step in. It’s on video, and my sister always brings it up.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 February 2024 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 122 →
Harlan Coben American author
I was followed by a mob of fans when I was doing a photoshoot in Paris. When I signed autographs for them during a break, one remarked: “Who the fuck is Harlan Coben? I told you it wasn’t Bruce Willis.”
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 August 2024 source ↗
Forgetting the words to my own songs on stage. I’m a very good mumbler of my own songs. You’d be surprised how few people notice – if you smile and do it confidently, they’re none the wiser.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 July 2026 source ↗
Ed Harris American actor and director
Modelling tuxedos at the Oklahoma State Fair in 1971.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 August 2007 source ↗
Giving a speech in high school at a pep rally that wasn’t going so well and the dean unplugged the mic. Apparently, I was rambling and the spirit of the cafeteria was being weighed down.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 February 2026 source ↗

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