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
S3, Ep6 How to Fail: James O'Brien
S3, Ep 5 How to Fail: Raven Smith
S3, Ep4 How to Fail: Deborah Frances-White
S3; Ep3 How to Fail: Jonny Benjamin
S3, Ep2 How to Fail: Chris Patten
S3, Ep1 How to Fail: Lily Allen
How to Fail: End of Season Two
S2, Ep8 How to Fail: David Baddiel
S2, Ep7 How to Fail: Tara Westover
S2, Ep6 How to Fail: Farrah Storr
S2, Ep5 How to Fail: Alastair Campbell
S2, Ep4 How to Fail: Otegha Uwagba
S2, Ep3 How to Fail: James Frey
S2, Ep2 How to Fail: Mishal Husain
S2, Ep1 How to Fail: Jessie Burton
How to Fail: End of Season 1
S1, Ep8 How to Fail: Elizabeth Day
S1, Ep7 How to Fail: David Nicholls
S1, Ep6 How to Fail: Gina Miller
S1, Ep5 How to Fail: Olivia Laing
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