Episode
Alan Cumming: “I allow people to be abusive!” How to build self-worth and say no
- Podcast
- Happy Place
- Published
- May 28, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3088
- Processing state
not_requested
Actions
POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/happy-place-896226/episodes/alan-cumming-i-allow-people-to-be-abusive-how-to-build-self-worth-and-say-no/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/happy-place-896226/alan-cumming-i-allow-people-to-be-abusive-how-to-build-self-worth-and-say-no.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.
Summary
Alan Cumming's dad told him he was worthless, and his mum told him he was precious. Figuring out how he feels about himself has been a life’s work. In this chat with Fearne, Alan’s open about the ways he’s allowed people to treat him badly, and how he’s learnt to get comfortable with confrontation and setting boundaries. He also explains why the rage in the script of his new TV show triggered painful childhood memories. Fearne and Alan share their experiences of oscillating between relentless, excited creativity (constantly manifesting bigger and better jobs) and a desire to rest (Alan’s fantasies about becoming a tradwife...!) Plus, what really happens on the Traitors’ set and how on earth does Alan manage to keep that poker face all the time? Alan will be creatively involved in four different productions at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre this year, and you can watch Alan in Channel 4’s new show Tip Toe from May 31st. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Nicole LePera Shauna Tiffany Zayn Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.