Russell Mael: 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 Russell Mael said elsewhere, not written here

Signing away the rights to my life story to a major motion-picture company for a sum that I have since been told was way below the market rate.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 May 2025 source ↗

Others on this question

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Jack Whitehall English comedian, actor, presenter and writer

I was bumped as a guest on The Justin Lee Collins show for Bianca from EastEnders.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 April 2023 source ↗

Chris McCausland

When I was losing my sight, I couldn’t see where I was going, and I went into an undertaker’s thinking it was a barber’s. I asked the undertaker whether he had many waiting.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 15 November 2025 source ↗

Kathy Lette Australian-British author

Bumping into my male boss at a nudist beach.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 June 2024 source ↗

Monica Dolan

I once walked up to Harriet Walter while she was having lunch on her own because I thought I knew her, and then when I got up to the table I realised I didn’t know her, I just recognised her because she was Harriet Walter.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 January 2024 source ↗