Shabaz Ali - ‘I’ll be a diversity quota as long as I get paid’

Feb 4, 2026

Shabaz Ali, former chemistry teacher turned viral creator, comedian and author of I'm Rich, You're Poor. He skewers online displays of wealth and discusses how social media erodes self-worth. He talks about growing up in Blackburn, navigating class, race and identity, and how empathy and humility shaped his rise from teacher to cultural commentator.

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INSIGHT

Imposter Feelings Become A Motivator

Imposter feelings persist despite visible success and can drive relentless work.
Shabaz treats that poverty mindset as a motivator while warning it mustn't sabotage wellbeing.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Losing And Reclaiming His Voice

Shabaz spent his 20s shrinking his personality to be acceptable to others.
He later reclaimed his voice and stopped trying to be palatable for everyone.

question_answer

ANECDOTE

Bullying Shaped His Career Choice

Shabaz hated high school after moving from being popular in primary to bullied in early secondary.
That experience motivated him to become a teacher who intervened against bullying.

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Why Shabaz Satirises Online Excess

03:35 • 2min

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Psychological Erosion and Imposter Feelings

05:47 • 4min

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Keeping Humility as a Superpower

09:25 • 55sec

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Finding the Line Between Jest and Malice

10:20 • 2min

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From Chemistry Teacher to Creator

12:00 • 47sec

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Trying to Be Palatable and Losing Yourself

12:47 • 2min

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Growing Up in Blackburn and Family Life

Intersecting Identities: Class, Race, North

Parents' Reactions to His Work

26:43 • 3min

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Empathy as Strength and Burden

29:20 • 3min

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Classroom Standards and Teaching Style

32:06 • 3min

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Unexpected Jobs: The Hospital Morgue

35:25 • 2min

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Finding Viral Voice: 'I'm Rich, You're Poor'

37:42 • 3min

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Reclaiming Northern, South Asian Identity

40:27 • 5min

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Ambitions: Books, TV and Opening Doors

I'm Rich, You're Poor

Shabaz Ali

This book examines the intersection of wealth, poverty, and social media influence in a lighthearted and satirical manner. Ali shares personal anecdotes and observations, offering insights into the growing divide between the haves and have-nots in the digital age. The book delves into the psychology of online comparison, exploring how curated images of luxury can impact individuals' sense of self-worth and financial well-being. With humor and wit, the book challenges readers to critically examine their own relationship with social media and the pursuit of material possessions. Ali's work encourages empathy, urging readers to embrace authenticity and prioritize genuine connections over superficial displays of wealth. By blending personal experiences with broader social commentary, the book provides a timely and relevant perspective on the challenges and opportunities of our increasingly interconnected world.

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How to Fail

Elizabeth Day

In 'How to Fail', Elizabeth Day shares her personal experiences and insights on failure, drawing from her popular podcast. The book explores various aspects of life, including dating, work, and family, highlighting how understanding and learning from failures can make us stronger. It offers a compelling blend of memoir and self-help, encouraging readers to view failure as a stepping stone to success.

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Blink

The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

Malcolm Gladwell

In 'Blink', Malcolm Gladwell explores the concept of 'thin-slicing', the ability of our unconscious mind to make rapid decisions based on limited information. The book delves into both the strengths and pitfalls of this process, using examples from various fields such as psychology, medicine, sales, and law enforcement. Gladwell discusses how these snap judgments can be both incredibly accurate and sometimes tragically wrong, influenced by factors like prejudice, stereotypes, and psychological priming. He also examines how experts develop their intuitive judgment through experience and training, and how stressful situations can affect our decision-making abilities.

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The Tipping Point

How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Malcolm Gladwell

In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell examines the phenomenon of social epidemics and how ideas, products, and behaviors spread rapidly. He introduces three key principles: the law of the few (the role of connectors, mavens, and salespeople in spreading ideas), the stickiness factor (how messages or trends must be memorable to spread), and the power of context (how environment and circumstances influence human behavior). Gladwell uses various examples, such as the rise in popularity of Hush Puppies shoes, the decline in New York City's crime rate, and the success of children's TV programs like Sesame Street, to illustrate these concepts. The book provides insights into how small changes can lead to large-scale social and behavioral transformations.

A few years ago, Shabaz Ali was a chemistry teacher in Blackburn. Today, he’s one of the internet’s most beloved creators, best known as Shabaz Says, with millions of fans and a knack for skewering the most outrageous (and often tasteless) displays of online excess.

Since quitting the day job, Shabaz has launched a podcast, performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and published his book I’m Rich, You’re Poor. Beneath the humour though, there’s always been something more serious at play: a sharp commentary on the psychological erosion that comes from spending too much of our lives online.

In this episode, we talk about Shabaz’s upbringing, being bullied at school, how his taxi-driver Dad didn’t even realise his son was famous until recently and why no-one should ever spend £10,000 on an outfit.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Introduction

03:03 The Impact of Social Media on Youth

05:14 Navigating Imposter Syndrome and Success

10:53 Embracing Authenticity and Overcoming Criticism

12:46 Growing Up in Blackburn

15:45 Challenges of Intersectional Identity

22:36 Family Perspectives and Cultural Expectations

24:04 Struggles with Poverty

25:20 Empathy

30:15 From Teacher to Social Media Star

31:24 Unexpected Career in the Hospital Morgue

33:38 Finding Viral Success Online

37:16 Representation and Finding Your Voice

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

You can be a man and still speak up for women's rights. You don't have to be a black person to speak up for black people. You don't have to be trans to speak up for trans rights.

How you present yourself is always how the world's going to treat you.

[Death] definitely gave me an appreciation for life. It gave me appreciation for human beings... I have so much love to give for humanity.

I don’t care if I’m palatable for you.

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Shabaz’s book, I'm Rich, You're Poor - is out now

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

📚 WANT MORE?

John Bishop - on how insecurity, self-doubt and feeling like an outsider shaped both his comedy and his life. Plus: almost getting divorced but then changing his mind swap.fm/l/wRGKwuonJFQoujFlmDHI

Celeste Barber - on using humour to challenge impossible beauty standards, early struggles with rejection and how embracing authenticity changed her life swap.fm/l/qLmwfjyeSolWuFeaHGdt

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Website: www.elizabethday.org

Elizabeth and Shabaz answer listener questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

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