Richard Gadd - On Shame, Sexuality and Success
From How To Fail With Elizabeth Day by Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment
April 29, 2026 · 50 min · Season 20 · Episode 161
About this episode
Richard Gadd discusses his rise to fame, the complexities of identity and sexuality, and the impact of his work on personal and societal levels.
Richard Gadd is the creative talent behind Baby Reindeer - the Netflix show which won six Primetime Emmys, two Golden Globes and garnered 84.5 million views within its first 45 days. Gadd began in stand-up, and by 2016 he’d won a Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe. His work became known for its compulsive storytelling, blending dark comedy with a kind of philosophical kink for asking audiences the most uncomfortable questions. Now Gadd returns with Half Man, a six-part drama co-production between HBO and the BBC, which Gadd created, wrote, executive produced and stars in. In this episode we talk through his childhood, how it felt to be abruptly catapulted into being the most googled man on the planet following the release of Baby Reindeer and the complexity of identity and sexuality. ✨ IN THIS EPISODE: 03:13 Fame and Self Worth 05:37 Writing Dark Truths 06:52 Baby Reindeer Explosion 08:00 Becoming Ruben 09:40 Half Man Meaning 10:57 Workaholism Origins 23:58 Family Support After Trauma 24:30 Comedy Meets Abuse Healing 26:13 Rebuking Shame 27:51 Fame And Re Triggering 29:12 Stubbornness And Casting Martha 33:03 Sexuality Beyond Labels 36:15 Grudges Empathy Forgiveness 40:13…
People in this episode
Host: Elizabeth Day
Guest: Richard Gadd
Topics covered
- fame
- identity
- sexuality
- comedy
- trauma
- art
Keywords
- Richard Gadd
- Baby Reindeer
- Half Man
- fame
- sexuality
- comedy
- trauma
- art
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Netflix, HBO, BBC
Books & works: Baby Reindeer, Half Man
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