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
S5, Ep8 How to Fail: Jess Phillips
S5, Ep7 How to Fail: Meera Syal
S5, Ep6 How to Fail: Samin Nosrat
S5, Ep5 How to Fail: Dame Kelly Holmes
S5, Ep4 How to Fail: Francesca Segal
S5, Ep3 How to Fail: Emeli Sandé
S5, Ep2 How To Fail: FLEABAG IS BACK
S5, Ep1 How to Fail: Nigel Slater
S4, Ep8 How to Fail: Jamie Laing
S4, Ep7 How to Fail: Nesrine Malik
S4, Ep6 How to Fail: Andy McNab
S4, Ep5 How to Fail: Charly Cox
S4, Ep4 How to Fail: Mo Gawdat
S4, Ep3 How to Fail: Tracey Thorn
S4, Ep2 How to Fail: John Crace
S4, Ep1 How to Fail: Vicky McClure
S3, Ep9 How to Fail: Haemin Sunim
S3 BONUS EPISODE How to Fail: Kristen Roupenian
S3, Ep8 How to Fail: Pandora Sykes
S3, Ep7 How to Fail: Sharmaine Lovegrove
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