OpenTube

Miranda Hart on being an introvert, medical gaslighting, body image and her new husband.

How To Fail with Elizabeth Day

583,583 views

It’s been ten years of ‘bear with.. bear with’ but finally we’ve got our beloved Miranda Hart back. Due to a long-term undiagnosed chronic illness (which we talk about, of course) Miranda has been largely out of the public eye for the past decade. I was so touched to be the first person she spoke to on her return to work. We covered writing her new book (full of amazing life advice), being an introvert, medical gaslighting, body image and…wait for it... her new husband.

Miranda and I had a ball - her failures include not being a farmer’s wife, not being an athlete and not making the school choir (it turns out there was a reason for this but she only found out years later and has never spoken about it before…). So if that’s not tantalising enough for you then, quite frankly, I don’t know what is.

00:13 Introduction: Miranda Hart
04:15 Miranda the Sitcom Character & Self-Discovery
08:35 Lyme Disease: A Decade of Misdiagnosis
12:13 Failure #1: Failed Farmer's Wife
14:30 Introversion, Solitude & Friendship
21:21 Peggy, Patti & the Comfort of Animals
30:40 Failure #2: Failed Athlete
40:22 Failure #3: Failed Singer & Dancer
44:53 Finding Love — The Boy & the Pizza Date
49:27 Returning to Public Life

👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth:
Instagram: @elizabday
TikTok: @howtofailpod
Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod
Website: www.elizabethday.org

Have something to share of your own? I'd love to hear from you! Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com

20 Comments

@terrimccracken9486 5 months ago

Who here has purposely not answered the phone or the door because you just weren't up to any kind of social contact? Me!

@sarahs3619 5 months ago

Introverts love relationships! We just want deep, meaningful, long-term ones with a select few. We’re not misanthropes.

@Etzuka0 5 months ago

Miranda's book was a turning point for me. My husband had left me because he couldn't cope with my health issues anymore (fibro, endo, & ibd) which led to a severe depression. Her book gave me hope and literally saved my life ❤ Thank you for writing it Miranda.

@kittynekocat 5 months ago

I love hearing people talk about never having the calling to have children and being perfectly happy in their lives without them ♡

@Cherlock13 5 months ago

Only another introvert can truly understand why we need to minimize our social activities.
It is exhausting to be somewhere where we are expected to small talk. I so enjoy one on one conversations. If a group is more than 4 people I often zone out.
I liked her comment that the world is too noisy. I agree. Thank you Miranda. I’m a big fan of “call the midwife” and I miss your character. ❤

@lillynanos 4 months ago

Miranda really said "I was struggling in silence and nobody believed me" and I felt that in my bones. The introvert part, the medical gaslighting part, all of it. I read The Porcelain Introvert a few weeks ago and it gave me that same weird comfort like finally someone gets it without me having to explain. No toxic positivity. No "just be more confident" nonsense. Just quiet understanding. If you've ever been told you're too sensitive or too quiet or too much, honestly watch this interview and then read that book. Life changing in a very calm way.

@dee4174 5 months ago

I was happier during lockdown - there, I've said it. Firstly, expectations from others dissappeard, FOMO due to illness dissapeared and society was moving at a pace I could keep up with. I have CFS, FND, Fibro, Asthma and more. I was told at 23 that the loss of feeling in my limbs was from hyperventilation and to try to be calmer! I'm 60 now and have fought all my life for diagnosis! Finally in my 50s I was listened to and not dismissed. Life is hard at times but being officially retired has helped a great deal. Some of us are just designed to live at a slower pace ant that's ok! ❤

@merlinsclaw 5 months ago

American here. I have loved Miranda forever. I am so happy to see this video, and to hear her speaking of her life and her illness with such clarity and humor. 😍😍😍

@CopperA 5 months ago

Miranda has been such a shining light in my life. I'm not sure she realizes how beloved she is. It is wonderful to know that she has come out of the difficulties and found peace and happiness ❤

@kathycollins2746 5 months ago

As a high functioning introvert I foolishly thought retirement would bring built in peace time. But no because all the hype from society is to fight “loneliness “by joining groups. I have learned after 70+ years to cherish my alone time. I continue to fight societal expectations even now. Cannot wait to read Miranda’s book.

@alyzu4755 5 months ago

A lot of introverts become performers. I did. It's kind of a way to control the way we socialize. It's a lot easier with a script. ☺️

@galyosorio5647 5 months ago (edited)

Yet another woman who was almost told that all her physical symptoms were in her head. It is frustrating to continue to hear these painful stories. We deserve better!! I am so grateful to Miranda for openly talking about her challenges so gracefully. What a great guest.

@5578pedro 5 months ago

I too am an introvert, not antisocial I like to be quiet, I am quite able to entertain myself. Talking for talking’s sake is a waste of time and so exhausting.

@RA-bx9jd 5 months ago

wishing Miranda all the best for the future - she has given us much joy and tons of laughter over the years 🥰

@janicemartin3720 4 months ago

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is relentless and difficult to diagnose. Chronic fatigue is impossible to function with. These maladies rob you of your vitality and joy. We rarely hear about ME/CFS and it’s great to have Miranda talking about these challenges.

@mariekerns4611 5 months ago

I was a RN case manager for 16:50 people who couldn’t get definitive diagnoses. It was heartbreaking. I sent them everywhere including to the Harvard medical school to the doctor who first diagnosed Lyme disease. It cost the insurance company $20,000 for consultation, the flight and hotels. He walked in and said to my patient and said “ there is no such thing as chronic Lyme disease”. Then walked out. She was devastated. Not to have a diagnosis is unbelievably sad. I too had chronic fatigue and finally when a doctor did a CT scan for me it was discovered I was born with a very narrow trachea and no wonder I was tired because I was mostly hypoxic when not really ever sleeping. I got a CPAP machine and when woke up I felt I could clean the kitchen floor with a toothbrush! So yes. There is nothing better than getting a diagnosis and a cure!

@giannecunningham6349 5 months ago

My daughter was diagnosed with CFS/ME and fibromyalgia around the age of 18/19 after several years of suffering. She is 24 now (just) and because she is such a high achiever and managed to get her Bachelors, Masters and is now doing a PhD, people tend to scoff. What they don’t see is the pain etched into her young face, the unbelievable pain she lives with pretty much 24/7. She was prescribed different concoctions of tablets but there has to be more support. But sadly, it is a monumental problem, women’s healthcare as a whole. Thankful for people like Miranda who will talk about these conditions ❤

@marciasmith9330 5 months ago

America here. Miranda has been on my radar for many years❤. Introverts are so maligned. I share so much of her experience. Carry on Miranda, please stay visible for us.

@cketts8128 5 months ago

I, too, am an introvert in my fifties with an autoimmune disease and Miranda just hits the nail on the head with everything….the medical gaslighting, pushing yourself when you feel terrible, learning to say no and pacing yourself. I still get pangs of guilt and hate having to justify myself with family members still. And women still get looked at that we have to able to do it all without complaint just because we’re women! I’ve always loved this lady and still do! 👏🏼👏🏼🧡💚🧡💚

@Lemrabish 5 months ago

As someone with Lyme disease it's been amazing to hear about her medical gaslighting. LITERALLY MY EXPERIENCE. Absolute nightmare. I really think Hart should talk more about her experience I would be so pleased to support that!