Sarah Hadland: When were you most embarrassed?

The question

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 said elsewhere, not written here

Years ago, I was trying to get with one of the big agencies and I cobbled together a VHS tape of me in adverts and sobbing in The Bill, and took it United Agents for the attention of Dallas Smith. A week later I went back and said, “Has she looked at the tape?” And they were, like, “Dallas is a he, no he hasn’t and he doesn’t want to,” and handed it back to me.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 December 2025 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 122 →

Paul McKenna British hypnotist and TV personality

I was in Kensington Gardens and this couple stopped me and said: “Hey, could we get a picture? I said: “Sure.” I put my arms around their shoulders, and they looked at me and said: “No, can you take a picture of us?”

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 January 2023 source ↗

Dervla Kirwan

Recently, sending a negative text about a person to that person.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 October 2023 source ↗

Indira Varma

Wearing 90s ripped-at-the-crotch jeans at Rada during an unarmed combat session and showing everyone more than they bargained for.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 April 2024 source ↗

Bruno Tonioli Italian choreographer

Do you have 10 pages? Once, I was dancing in a costume that was like a corset. During a move, the corset ripped and exploded, and I had to carry on doing the number practically in my jockstrap.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 April 2023 source ↗