Gender-affirming surgery. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not widely available on the NHS and a lot of it you have to pay for yourself.
Aside from a property, what is the most expensive thing you have bought?
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When were you happiest?
Time & hindsight
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What keeps you awake at night?
Daily life
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What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Craft & work
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What most recently made you cry?
Identity & self
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Which moment embarrassed you most?
Failure & regret
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What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Failure & regret
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
The Guardian's weekly The Q&A repeatedly uses this standing prompt, with minor contractions and word-order variation.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
My dogs. They didn’t cost that much to buy, but I’ve been paying for them since. We’ve two Tibetan terriers, Danny and Wilbur.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 May 2023 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 201 →Three mature palm trees. We restored a property in Italy that had been derelict and I needed to make it look established as quickly as I could.
A Tesla for my former husband. He didn’t deserve it.
Alison Steadman
British actress
I once bought the most expensive moisturiser in the shop and it brought me out in spots. Lesson learned.
More from Michael Ball
View profile →My first summer working, in 1984. I’d come out of drama school, I’d landed a job that got me an Equity card doing Godspell in Aberystwyth – and it was just unmitigated joy.
Having got Aspects of Love back into the West End.
I am pretty proud of having got Aspects of Love back into the West End.
Watching Long Lost Family on telly.
During the technical rehearsal of Aspects of Love in 1989. They told me it would be discreetly lit because I was paranoid about being in just my pants. I walked on and every spotlight in the building followed me round the stage.
“Unfortunately, Michael, I don’t think you’re ever going to work in the acting profession until you’re about 40, and then it’ll only be in minor character roles.” Drama teacher at Guildford School of Acting.
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