When I was a child, a member of staff at Wood End Assessment Centre [a former children’s home in Wigan] bellowed: “He copies them poems off of Bob Marley records.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 October 2023 source ↗
failure
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A fixed Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
One of 24 questions in The Q&A here.
On the record
Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.
Read by age
Any age
In their thirties 11
In their forties 12
In their fifties 22
In their sixties 12
Seventy and beyond 14
That I am a terrible actor.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 28 October 2023 source ↗
“We’d love you to be on the cover of our magazine and we’ll give you a makeover.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 December 2023 source ↗
Another actress once said to me, “I’ve told you huge lies to make you feel good about yourself.” I’m not going to say who.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 6 January 2024 source ↗
I’ve heard it all: too fat, too short, no talent. Those are the things that cut me deep when I was younger, but now they drive me.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 January 2024 source ↗
When I was first acting, in college, a relative came and saw me in Hedda Gabler and she said: “Look in the mirror, you’re not an actor. An actor looks like Mel Gibson.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 February 2024 source ↗
Go back to where you came from.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 April 2024 source ↗
Somebody wrote that my voice was more numbing than novocaine.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 May 2024 source ↗
I like you but I wish you looked more like David Beckham.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 January 2025 source ↗
“You’re selfish.” It was a friend.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 19 April 2025 source ↗
“And for you, sir?” It happens a lot.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 17 May 2025 source ↗
It would be a racist comment.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 12 July 2025 source ↗
They tend to say it behind my back.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 August 2025 source ↗
“Do you know what your problem is?” It was a dear friend of mine. They were referring to the fact that I’m impatient.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 September 2025 source ↗
An English teacher said, “You’ll never make anything of yourself.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 September 2025 source ↗
One time an engineer said, “I always forget your frequency is at the same level as a crying baby.” I think he was on to something, because I have been told to shush many times over the years.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 November 2025 source ↗
“You’ll never, ever work.” When you are young and full of hopes and dreams it’s devastating. I am just grateful that I thought: “Well, I’m going to try.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 20 December 2025 source ↗
On X, I am regularly called a traitor, a fraud, a grifter, a weakling, a narcissist, a coward and a child molester.
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 17 January 2026 source ↗
Why is your nose so wonky?
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 January 2026 source ↗
I was going to a bar with friends and there was a line at the door. I’d been there before and asked the doorman to skip the line. He said, “Oh, I remember you, you were in Almost Famous, weren’t you?” And I said, “Yeah.” And he goes, “Yeah, get back in line.”
Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 February 2026 source ↗
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