Just. Hanging. On.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Question
Which moment embarrassed you most?
Failure & regret
Question
What is the worst job you have done?
Craft & work
Question
Who most deserves an apology from you, and why?
Failure & regret
Question
What does love feel like?
Relationships
Question
When were you happiest?
Time & hindsight
Question
What scares you about getting older?
Time & hindsight
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
The Guardian's weekly The Q&A repeatedly uses this exact standing prompt.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Curious, playful and silly.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 October 2025 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 111 →Funny Irish woman.
Hungry, hard-working, cats.
Living a fairytale.
More from David Ajala
View profile →Helen Mirren was in the elevator with me at the National Theatre. She pressed the button but it didn’t move. I said, “Fancy seeing you here and being stuck in an elevator.” And she said, “Was that meant to be funny?” I apologised, and she laughed. Even talking about it now, it feels so awkward and embarrassing.
Telesales – having to sell terrible kitchens. I thought, maybe I’m not a good actor because I can’t even convince myself that these kitchens are worth paying for.
To a resistant materials teacher at secondary school called Mr Noel. He had a comb-over and whenever he turned his back to write on the blackboard, we would roll up bits of paper and launch them at his head. Once, I hit him. I remember him turning around and looking crestfallen.
Finding a tenner in your jeans pocket. It has always been there but you find it at the moment you really need it.
When I was naive to the complexities of life.
I don’t think anything scares me. It’s a gift and I want to embrace it.
More on identity & self
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Stephanie Beacham, Kate Humble, Caroline Lucas, Midge Ure, Kelly Hoppen, Shobna Gulati
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