S16, BONUS EPISODE: Cody Rigsby on queerness, addiction and being Rishi Sunak's favourite Peloton instructor
Explicit content warning
03/29/23 • 58 min
1 Listener
Regular listeners of How To Fail will know that I love Peloton: the one-stop fitness workout which offers cycling, strength, yoga and more. THIS IS NOT AN AD, JUST A GENUINE FEELING! Anyway, the undisputed King of Peloton is Cody Rigsby - an instructor who brings a combination of poptastic joy and savage sass to the bike. He is one of the most popular instructors on the platform, with over 1 million Instagram followers, and counts Prime Minister Rishi Sunak amongst his die-hard fans.
But Rigsby had a tough upbringing: his father died of a drug overdose when Cody was just four months old. Raised by a single mother who also had addiction issues, Rigsby endured spells of homelessness and financial instability. Growing up queer in North Carolina, he struggled to find role models or representation, which is why, on the Peloton bike, he uses it as 'a Trojan horse' of acceptance. Rigsby also talks movingly for the first time about losing his friend Oliver to addiction and his belief that he failed to intervene until it was too late.
Even if you've never stepped foot near a Peloton, I promise you this is an interview that will move and entertain you in equal measure.
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My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, is published tomorrow and is available to order - at half price - here.
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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email [email protected]
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Social Media:
Elizabeth Day @elizabday
How To Fail @howtofailpod
Cody Rigsby @codyrigsby
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Regular listeners of How To Fail will know that I love Peloton: the one-stop fitness workout which offers cycling, strength, yoga and more. THIS IS NOT AN AD, JUST A GENUINE FEELING! Anyway, the undisputed King of Peloton is Cody Rigsby - an instructor who brings a combination of poptastic joy and savage sass to the bike. He is one of the most popular instructors on the platform, with over 1 million Instagram followers, and counts Prime Minister Rishi Sunak amongst his die-hard fans.
But Rigsby had a tough upbringing: his father died of a drug overdose when Cody was just four months old. Raised by a single mother who also had addiction issues, Rigsby endured spells of homelessness and financial instability. Growing up queer in North Carolina, he struggled to find role models or representation, which is why, on the Peloton bike, he uses it as 'a Trojan horse' of acceptance. Rigsby also talks movingly for the first time about losing his friend Oliver to addiction and his belief that he failed to intervene until it was too late.
Even if you've never stepped foot near a Peloton, I promise you this is an interview that will move and entertain you in equal measure.
--
My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, is published tomorrow and is available to order - at half price - here.
--
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email [email protected]
--
Social Media:
Elizabeth Day @elizabday
How To Fail @howtofailpod
Cody Rigsby @codyrigsby
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Previous Episode
S16, Ep11 How To Fail: Bernie Sanders on defeat, defiance and the struggles that shaped him (plus: the power of mittens)
PINCH ME, IS THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENING? Yes, yes it is. Ok. Deep breaths. For my season finale, I bring you the one and only Bernie Sanders: the longest-serving independent member of Congress in American history; unofficial leader of the US progressive movement and a two-time former Presidential candidate.
He joins me to talk about his failed attempts to win the Democratic Party nomination, his failure to make his high school basketball team and the time he unwittingly went viral for wearing a pair of mittens to President Biden's inauguration. It's a conversation that will make you think and possibly make you angry (but that, as he explains, can be a good thing).
It was an honour to meet Senator Sanders and although he doesn't much like talking about himself, I gave it my best shot. I think this is probably his most personal interview yet. I found his reflections on how his childhood shaped his political outlook really fascinating. And I posed so many questions about whether he cries and where he puts his disappointment that he actually asked me if it was a therapy session. My answer? 'Basically, yes.' He had the good grace to laugh.
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Bernie Sanders's new book, It's Ok To Be Angry About Capitalism is out now and available to order here.
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My new book, FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict, is published on 30th March and is now available to preorder - at half price - here.
--
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email [email protected]
--
Social Media:
Elizabeth Day @elizabday
How To Fail @howtofailpod
Bernie Sanders @berniesanders
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Next Episode
S16, BONUS EPISODE! FRIENDAHOLIC: Confessions of a Friendship Addict - an exclusive extract from my new book,
SURPRISE! I thought I'd treat you to another bonus episode - not a conventional How To Fail but an exclusive extract from the audio version of my new book, Friendaholic: Confessions of a Friendship Addict which is published today. I hope you enjoy it - and if you do, feel free to order a copy here.
Thank you so much for listening to this season of How To Fail. I appreciate you!
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How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted and produced by Elizabeth Day. To contact us, email [email protected]
--
Social Media:
Elizabeth Day @elizabday
How To Fail @howtofailpod
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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