I was happiest in every aspect of my life in the 1990s, when I was married to Paddy [King, a management consultant] and we had the two children and my mum lived with us, and Countdown was the biggest show on Channel 4.
When were you happiest?
Question
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Failure & regret
Question
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Identity & self
Question
What scares you about getting older?
Time & hindsight
Question
What is your greatest fear?
Identity & self
Question
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Failure & regret
Question
Who most deserves an apology from you, and why?
Failure & regret
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Any time I’m in rehearsals.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 June 2026 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 577 →
Greta Scacchi
Italian-born actress
Now. When I see my two children enjoying each other's company.
Nicola Walker
British actress
As I get older, I get happier.
Val McDermid
Scottish crime novel writer
I am happiest right now. Things are going really well – my professional life, my personal life, my family life.
More from Philippa Dunne
View profile →Someone once saw me in a play and said that I was disgusting.
Funny Irish woman.
Becoming invisible.
I’ve a phobia of statues. It does go back to childhood. My parents brought me to look at a French church late at night. Since then I can’t deal with them.
I started my career not getting jobs, but then you learn that 95% of this job is not getting jobs, and you just have to make peace with it.
My mother, because when I’m stressed, I can be really horrible to her.
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