Alexandra Burke shot to fame as the 2008 winner of The X Factor. She became the first British female solo artist to have a million-selling single and went on to have a successful career as both a recording artist and a performer: her lead roles in the stage adaptations of The Bodyguard and Sister Act met with rave reviews.
But behind the public profile were private battles: her beloved mother was dying, she was subjected to racism in the music industry and her story was frequently misreported in the media. Alexandra joins me to talk about managing this difficult duality and what it taught her about her own strength and resilience. She tells me about never thinking she's good enough, learning how to set boundaries, losing herself in relationships, failing to put herself first and the grief of losing her mum. We also talk about how, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, she chose to speak out about the racism she endured and the impact this had on her.
I'm not sure I've ever connected with someone as instantly as I did with Alexandra! She's an amazing, vibrant, warm-hearted soul who understands that being open about her failures is actually the key to self-growth. This is one of the most emotional episodes I've ever recorded. I'm so grateful to Alex for the beautiful gift of her vulnerability. Listen to be moved (and perhaps have some tissues nearby).
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Failosophy: A Handbook for when Things Go Wrong is out now and available to buy here.
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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted by Elizabeth Day, produced by Naomi Mantin and Chris Sharp. We love hearing from you! To contact us, email howtofailpod@gmail.com
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Social Media:
Elizabeth Day @elizabday
How To Fail @howtofailpod
Alexandra Burke @alexandraburke
S9, Ep7 How to Fail: Nadiya Hussain
S9, Ep6 How to Fail: Failosophy Special
S9, Ep5 How to Fail: Ovie Soko
S9, Ep 4 How to Fail: Ruby Wax
S9, Ep3 How to Fail: Annie Nightingale
S9, Ep2 How to Fail: Mohsin Zaidi
S9, Ep1 How to Fail: Adam Buxton
S8, BONUS EPISODE! How to Fail: Gloria Steinem
S8, Ep8 How to Fail: Bernardine Evaristo
S8, Ep7 How to Fail: Siena Castellon
S8, Ep6 How to Fail: Glennon Doyle
S8, Ep5 How to Fail: Julia Samuel
S8, Ep4 How to Fail: Scarlett Moffatt
S8, Ep3 How to Fail: Matthew Syed
S8, Ep2 How to Fail: Samantha Irby
S8, Ep1 How to Fail: Jessie Ware
SPECIAL EPISODE! How to Fail: Daisy Edgar-Jones on being the star of Normal People, the lockdown television hit everyone is talking about
SPECIAL EPISODE! How to Fail: Henry Holland on business failure in the time of Covid-19
SPECIAL EPISODE! How To Fail: Listeners share their Coronavirus stories
SPECIAL EPISODE! How To Fail: Alain De Botton on embracing vulnerability in the age of Coronavirus
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