Happy Place with Fearne Cotton
Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
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The Dynamo mask protected me: Steven Frayne copes with Crohn’s and feeling unworthy
Monday, 3 March 2025
Dynamo brought epic magic into a lot of people’s lives, but now Steven Frayne is taking off the mask and choosing to notice the moments of magic he’s experienced around him. In particular, that’s the people – friends, family, doctors, strangers – who’ve helped him find joy again after hitting rock bottom. In this chat with Fearne, Steven talks about the devastating reality of trialling different medication for Crohn’s and the effect this has on mental health, as well as what he’s learnt from experiencing so much physical pain. Can we choose to connect over pain rather than isolating ourselv...
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Afua Hirsch: “Nobody gets to police our bodies!” How to reject beauty trends
Monday, 24 February 2025
Do you get rid of your body hair? Do you hate your periods? Are you debating a nose job? Why? Writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch has been tracing how we’ve become so loathing of our bodies. In this chat with Fearne, Afua explains where our modern, Western notions of beauty come from, and why she’s advocating for us to celebrate how powerful our bodies are. She’s rediscovering and reclaiming rituals her ancestors will have done before Western ideals became the norm, and points out that wanting to change your facial features to conform to beauty trends will erase your ancestry. Fearne and Afu...
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Chiwetel Ejiofor: Trauma and success can coexist! Re-learning what being strong means
Monday, 17 February 2025
Are you able to balance being resilient with being vulnerable? Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has spent time figuring out when to keep moving forward, and when to let painful emotions wash over him. In this chat with Fearne, Chiwetel reflects on how a childhood trauma has shaped his character – everything from his fierce ambition to his optimistic outlook. He also reveals the moments self-doubt has almost proved insurmountable (including when he first got the script for 12 Years A Slave...!) Plus, is ‘acceptance’ of your past ever truly possible, or is the simple realisation that life WILL go on re...
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Is your routine a strait-jacket? How to enact change, with Donna Ashworth
Monday, 10 February 2025
Do you dream of pivoting your career or lifestyle later in life? Poet Donna Ashworth did just that. She began to question the busy, fast-paced, perfectionist lifestyle she assumed was the norm, and decided to start posting and performing her beautiful poetry in her 40s... In this chat with Fearne, Donna explains how she copes with the nerves that come with doing something so new, including hypnotherapy and simply admitting out loud that she’s anxious. She also reflects on how she realised she’d been living with depression and eating disorders for a long time. If you’re not happy it’s up to ...
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Book Club Meets: Choose to be happy, with David Larbi
Friday, 7 February 2025
What is happiness to you? And do you think you deserve to be happy? Our Happy Place Book Club pick for January was Frequently Happy, by author and poet David Larbi. In his book, he combines poetry and journal prompts to help you find the glimmers in your lovely, ordinary life. We’ll have objectively terrible days, and days that are clearly the best ever, but most days fall somewhere in between... In this chat with Fearne, David explains that while not every day is good, there’s something good in every day if you choose to look for it. They also chat about how to stop falling back into neg...
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Naomi Watts talks menopause: “Women grin and bear it”
Monday, 3 February 2025
Actor Naomi Watts went through early menopause at 36. She was experiencing symptoms she couldn’t explain, like itchy skin, night sweats, and anxiety, but struggled to find any real information or stories about this midlife transition. In this chat with Fearne, Naomi explains why she’s become passionate about shining a spotlight on previously taboo topics like fertility, menopause, and sex. She talks about how it felt to be told she was peri-menopausal while she was in the middle of her fertility journey, and how she’s changed her lifestyle to help manage her symptoms. Fearne and Naomi chat ...
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What REALLY happens at therapy?
Friday, 31 January 2025
Do you want to make 2025 the year you start therapy? Maybe you’re still a bit hesitant because you’re not completely sure how it works or what it might feel like...Fearne has pulled together a load of Happy Place chats that will help you get a clearer idea of the benefits of therapy, and in turn make you feel bold enough to send that first booking email. Plus, she talks through the ways therapy has really helped her be more at peace with the past, and stop being so horrible to herself too.You’ll hear from Dr Julie and Owen O’Kane on what the point of therapy is (and isn’t!). Leigh-Anne Pinn...
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Millie Mackintosh: “I would drink to forget” Self-esteem, shame, and sobriety
Monday, 27 January 2025
When does a coping mechanism become a problem? Millie Mackintosh talks through the big moments she realised her drinking was affecting both her own health and the people she loves. In this chat Fearne and Millie cover panic attacks and intrusive thoughts, which can both get particularly bad when secrecy and shame are driving risky behaviours. Then, how do you start to forgive yourself for the things you’re not proud of? And how can you talk to yourself kindly when you fall back into old patterns of behaviour? Plus, Millie explains how ADHD can interact with addiction, and what small lifesty...
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Sophie Ellis-Bextor: “I’m a healthy amount of delusional!” How to sustain career success
Monday, 20 January 2025
How loud are the voices in your head that tell you you’re definitely going to screw up that big opportunity? Sophie Ellis-Bextor is trying to make a point of talking to herself more kindly. In this chat, Fearne and Sophie talk about reminding yourself that your thoughts aren’t facts; sometimes you have to override the voice that says you’re not good enough and just get on with it to prove yourself wrong. Sophie explains why being dropped by her label at 20 encouraged her to take responsibility for her own career, and offers advice on how not to get distracted by what other people are doing ...
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“The shame was intense!” How Ben West coped with his brother’s suicide
Monday, 13 January 2025
Ben West was 17 when his younger brother died by suicide. He’s since gone on to become a mental health campaigner, and has found humour can help communicate deeply traumatic messages. In this chat with Fearne, Ben talks through what signs to look for if you’re concerned about someone’s mental health. Then, how do you break the awkward silence when you both know you need to talk about a big topic like poor mental health? You’ll be able to approach the conversation in a compassionate, rather than confronting, way. Or, maybe you’re the one keeping big thoughts and feelings inside but have beco...
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Eat for energy not weight loss! Em the Nutritionist: food impacts mood
Monday, 6 January 2025
Making better food choices isn’t about changing who you are, but about making you the most energetic, vibrant version of you. Emily English, aka Em the Nutritionist, talks through how food directly impacts mood. In this chat Fearne and Em both share their experiences of having eating disorders. Was it more about weight and appearance or control and secrecy? They also offer advice for those trying to support a loved one who has a difficult relationship with food. So, how has Em gone from weighing out spinach leaves to piling plates with delicious nutritious foods? Her mindset is all about ad...
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Book Club Meets: Women speaking their minds, with Dame Harriet Walter
Friday, 3 January 2025
Do you find yourself keeping quiet when you have plenty to say? Dame Harriet Walter – who has played 21 of Shakespeare’s female characters – has written She Speaks, which goes between the lines and imagines what Shakespeare’s women might really have wanted to say. She Speaks was our Happy Place Book Club read for December. In this chat with Fearne, Harriet explains why she felt it was so important to finally let these female characters speak their minds. Harriet also expands on the characters in order to comment on modern day issues like the way ageing women are treated. Fearne and Harriet ...
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From panic attacks to psychopaths: Fearne takes you BTS at Happy Place
Monday, 30 December 2024
It’s been a big year on Happy Place! Who was Fearne “shitting her pants” to meet? Who does she want to go for a spicy marg with? And who is she surprised went viral? In this episode, Fearne reflects on the 2024 episodes that you really resonated with, and that have changed the way she lives her own life too. Plus, she’s got a lot of behind the scenes gossip to share! You’ll hear from Michelle Keegan about being a happy little hermit at home, Perrie Edwards about coping with panic attacks, and Patric Gagne about being a sociopath. Then, Kate Silverton chats about why kids aren’t ‘naughty’, P...
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Joanne McNally: “I’m problematically independent” Being an introverted extrovert
Monday, 23 December 2024
Sometimes you have to just power through the self-loathing. Doing stand up comedy has helped Joanne McNally build resilience, take responsibility, and not take things so personally. In this chat, Fearne and Joanne share experiences of being hyper-independent; but can trusting and relying on yourself go too far? They chat about learning to delegate and ask for help too. Joanne was adopted as a baby, and she opens up about the process of piecing her identity together when she met her birth parents. Are you able to find the funny in distressing periods of your life? Joanne points out that in ...
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Get fillers or age as you are! Caroline Hirons shares the skincare you NEED at every age
Monday, 16 December 2024
Do you feel pressured to look a certain way as you age? CEO and beauty expert Caroline Hirons reckons it’s no one else’s business if you want to get tweakments or simply wash your face at night. In this chat, Fearne and Caroline pivot looking after your face from something you do to look good... to something you do to feel good. Concerned about the texture or structure of your skin? Caroline clarifies when you might want to get tweakments, and when you just need a solid skincare routine. Caroline also talks through the effect hormones, diet, alcohol, and stress are having on the way you loo...
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Olly Alexander: “I couldn’t accept my identity” Queer joy and mental distress co-exist
Monday, 9 December 2024
There should be no shame in being who you are. Musician and actor Olly Alexander has felt first hand how grappling with your identity can lead to poor mental health. In this chat with Fearne, Olly explains why he feels there’s such a high level of mental distress in the queer community, and how acting in It’s A Sin helped him unpack his own lived experience. Both Fearne and Olly share their experiences of poor body image, wondering if bulimia felt like a helpful tool to regain control in an intimidating world. How can you go from disliking your body to recognising the brilliant things it ca...
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Book Club Meets: Fate, mortality, and psychics, with Liane Moriarty
Friday, 6 December 2024
Is your fate already pre-determined? Or do you feel you have true free will to dictate your own destiny? ...and if you could, would you want to find out when you’re going to die? These are the questions Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment grapples with. Here One Moment was our Happy Place Book Club read for November, and Liane joins Fearne to chat about why she wanted to explore chaos, chance, mortality, and psychic abilities in this novel. Fearne and Liane talk about the importance of having ‘main character energy’ in your own life, while also acknowledging that others are living their own fu...
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Scott Mills: “Doing nothing is ok!” Stop feeling guilty for resting
Thursday, 5 December 2024
How quickly does your social battery drain? Do you know what you need to do to recharge it? Broadcaster Scott Mills admits he’s worked too hard and not relaxed enough in the past, but that’s all changing now... This episode is brought to you by British Airways Holidays, so Scott tells Fearne what he now does to take his holidays more seriously, including locking his phone away because – spoiler – nothing bad happens when you properly switch off from the world! Scott has advice if you feel like it’s too late to meet the love of your life... He reflects on his recent wedding, as well as revea...
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You can’t be happy 24/7: Riley Keough on surrendering to grief and anger
Monday, 2 December 2024
How good are you at letting yourself feel your feelings? Actor Riley Keough thinks it’s important to embrace the sad and angry moments as much as the joyful, hopeful ones. In this chat with Fearne, Riley explains how her own grief at losing her brother and mum has taught her that fighting or repressing emotions only makes you more anxious in the long term. Riley’s mum was Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley. Riley talks about Lisa’s ability to live in a place of truth – she’d never do anything that didn’t feel authentic to her. What can we all learn about how to lean into ou...
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Saying no: more boundaries, less people pleasing!
Friday, 29 November 2024
How good are you at saying no to people, plans, and dynamics that don’t serve you...? Just in time for the festive season (A huge work load! Time with family! Social events!) Fearne is reflecting on Happy Place chats that’ll help you stop people pleasing and start setting boundaries... In this episode: Melissa Urban is the queen of boundaries – what are they, and how do we set them? Life coach Michelle Elman talks about why we’re often reluctant to set boundaries, and Kirsty Gallagher explains how to take ‘radical responsibility’ for our own lives. Plus, there’s LeAnn Rimes on navigating di...
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“I have no interest in mediocrity!” Adam Pearson on having confidence to be extraordinary
Monday, 25 November 2024
Did you have dreams of being extraordinary when you were a kid? For many of us, adult life starts chipping away at those big hopes and goals, but actor and disability campaigner Adam Pearson has no interest in being ‘normal’ or ‘mediocre’. In this chat with Fearne, Adam explains how never having the luxury of being invisible – he was born with neurofibromatosis – has given him confidence to really stand out. So how did he go from being bullied at school to boldly starring on the big screen? They talk about systemic ableism within the film and TV industries, and Adam explains why it shouldn’...
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Helen Glover on progress over perfection: shift your perspective on success
Monday, 18 November 2024
You’ve got to give new things a go and not give up when you’re a bit crap at first. Team GB Olympic rower Helen Glover is clear that a huge part of her success is thanks to her mindset that it’s better to try and fail than not try at all. In this chat with Fearne, Helen explains how to have the discipline to stick at stuff that feels important to you, even if it doesn’t always feel easy. By her own admission, Helen “couldn’t have been further from an Olympian” when she started training... At Tokyo 2020, Helen was the first mum to represent Great Britain in rowing at an Olympic Games. She’s ...
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Coleen Rooney: Marriage takes work! Coping with the press and raising four kids
Monday, 11 November 2024
How good are you at being honest with other people? Go on, be honest with yourself about that one! Coleen Rooney would always rather tell the truth before a situation escalates. In this chat with Fearne, Coleen explains how she’s instilling that honesty is the best policy in her four sons, as well as why she’s so grateful to have a village around her to help raise her boys. With four children, Coleen is in a lot of school gate WhatsApp groups, so she and Fearne spill what really goes down in those wild group chats... They also chat about how she and husband Wayne prioritise time as a couple...
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"Get comfortable with people not liking you!" Florence Given on embracing the cringe
Monday, 4 November 2024
Do you cringe at other people’s joy? Author and illustrator Florence Given reckons cringing at others is telling you something about how you feel about yourself... In this chat Fearne and Florence get into how to really start living unapologetically as your full delicious self. Cringing at others might be showing you’re a bit pissed off that someone else is able to do something you want permission to. Florence explains how anxiety from being bullied at school kick-started her questioning everything the world was telling her. Why do I have to be ‘pretty’? Why am I ‘too much’? Why do I care a...
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Book Club Meets: Desire, hormones, and tampons, with Miranda July
Friday, 1 November 2024
Would you rip up your current life and reinvent yourself if you had the chance? Do you have desires you’d want to explore? Maybe there are hidden parts of yourself you’ve never had the chance to get to know? Which societal rules would you want to ignore? Author Miranda July asks all these questions in October’s Happy Place Book Club novel: All Fours. She picks apart how we can fall into the monotony of every day routine instead of acknowledging the wild emotions and longings inside us. In this chat, Fearne and Miranda talk about fluctuating hormones, pressures of motherhood, sexual fantasie...
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Perrie Edwards: Friendship Break Ups, The Cost of Fame and Facing Criticism as a Working Mum
Monday, 28 October 2024
A panic attack can feel like you’re dying from a heart attack; this is something former Little Mix member Perrie Edwards has experienced numerous times over the last few years. In this chat, Perrie talks about how her anxiety feels like her adult is ‘going offline’, leaving the child in her crying for help, and Fearne shares how she’s managed to stop having panic attacks (for now, at least). You might be good at advocating for the people you love, but how good are you at advocating for yourself and your own needs? Possibly a bit rubbish? Perrie explains how she’s got better at speaking her ...
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Understanding neurodiversity: managing ADHD and getting diagnoses
Friday, 25 October 2024
It’s ADHD Awareness Month, so Fearne’s reflecting on some of the conversations she’s had about neurodiversity on the show that’ll hopefully help you understand either yourself, or someone you love, even better... First, what are the signs and symptoms of ADHD? Do you recognise more of the hyperactive & impulsive symptoms like rashly spending money and substance addiction, or the inattentive ones like problems with working memory and organisation? Then there’s chat about how having undiagnosed ADHD can lead to mental health problems, why there’s so much shame in the neurodivergent community,...
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Tulisa: Abundance mindset, court cases, and hobbit holes
Monday, 21 October 2024
You can choose to be bitter, or you can choose to be at peace. This is something Tulisa has learnt after numerous testing life experiences: that we each have the power to choose contentment over anger.In this chat with Fearne, Tulisa talks about the real sink or swim moments that could have seen her drown, but helped build resilience instead, including multiple high profile court cases.She explains how she’s got to a point where she genuinely doesn’t mind if she’s liked or not – something Fearne wants to learn how to get better at – as well as how being a young carer for her mum still affec...
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Olivia Attwood: Botox, catastrophising, and trolls
Monday, 14 October 2024
Botox, fillers, and surgeries – you’re judged if you do and you’re judged if you don’t. Love Islander & documentary maker Olivia Attwood is clear that the critical narrative about women’s looks is just a tactic used to control us regardless of what we choose to do to our bodies. In this chat, live from the Happy Place Festival, Fearne and Olivia ask if our mental health is suffering in our pursuit of physical perfection. Plus, they’re both candid about what work they have and haven’t had done. Olivia also opens up about how fearful and shy she used to be. Maybe you often feel blocked by a l...
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David Tennant: Internal voices, LGBTQ+ activism, and 80s nostalgia
Monday, 7 October 2024
Do you get stage fright? You might not be an actor but perhaps you feel the fear when it comes to work presentations or small talk at parties... well, even critically acclaimed actor David Tennant has anxieties around performing under pressure. He reckons little bit of fear can be good to keep you from getting complacent though... In this chat, Fearne and David talk through how to work through those moments when you feel your brain is going to give up on you. The naivety of youth can give you a sense of self-confidence, but with age comes the security of having more concrete experiences of ...
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Happy Place with Fearne Cotton
The Dynamo mask protected me: Steven Frayne copes with Crohn’s and feeling unworthy