Stereotypes – the cat lady, the mother, the wife – can make us feel we need to play a part to fit the role others have cast us as. Broadcaster and author Dawn O’Porter wonders whether, far from being an entirely negative thing, sometimes that’s a necessary survival method. In this chat, Fearne and Dawn share their experiences of grief after losing their cats, as well as their thoughts on making a point of crying when they’re alone. Dawn says she has a bit of a rebellious spirit, and explores how...
Nov 07, 2022•49 min•Season 18Ep. 4
Are you ok? It’s a question that’s often worth repeating with the people we love. Capital Breakfast Show host Roman Kemp lost his best friend and radio producer to suicide in 2020, and is now more adamant than ever that we must keep asking our friends and family if they’re really ok. In this chat with Fearne, Roman explains why he feels it’s important to share both his ongoing grief, and stories of his own mental health with the nation each day. They also talk about why it’s important to be bold...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr•Season 18Ep. 3
We don’t just feel grief after a bereavement, we can feel it as a result of many different types of loss: loss of health, loss of a childhood, loss of the creative part of yourself. Coach and therapist Donna Lancaster explains why grief is valid in all these scenarios, and how to work through the heart break both mentally and physically. In this chat, Fearne and Donna explore how to be an emotional detective – how to be curious and search for the things in your past that have made you who you ar...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 18Ep. 2
When others share their grief, it gives us permission to feel it ourselves. That’s what Richard E Grant has learnt over the last year as he’s shared every part of his own grieving process online. His wife Joan died in 2021, but before she did she told Richard he must try to find a ‘pocketful of happiness’ in each day. In this chat with Fearne, he explains why being given permission to be happy was so powerful. They also talk about how to set boundaries with family members, especially during diff...
Oct 17, 2022•50 min•Season 18Ep. 1
It’s been an incredible few months for sport, and broadcaster Gabby Logan has been at the heart of it, reporting as the Lionesses made history. In this chat with Fearne, she talks about how we now need to capitalise on successes like these for the future of women in sport. Gabby also shares her experience of watching someone she loves go through addiction, the impact that having a devoted mentor has had on her career, and what intense breathwork has taught her about emotion. Gabby’s book, The Fi...
Oct 10, 2022•57 min•Season 17Ep. 10
Unrelenting positivity isn’t always healthy. Over a career spanning decades, best-selling artist Craig David has learnt that sometimes it’s best to lean into pain in order to validate how you’re feeling. In this chat with Fearne, Craig explains why his desire to people please was ultimately hurting him, and explores the childhood experiences that led to an addiction to exercise. Craig’s book, published by Happy Place Books, is called What’s Your Vibe: Tuning Into Your Best Life, and it’s out on ...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr•Season 17Ep. 9
Nerves and excitement are very closely related, but following a stratospheric rise to fame thanks to Eurovision, Sam Ryder makes a point to choose to feel the excitement. In this chat with Fearne, he reveals the truth about those glitzy afterparties and why he’d rather be at home playing with Lego... They also talk about how to understand what your purpose is, and why cool is the enemy. Sam’s album, ‘There’s Nothing But Space, Man!’ is out on November 18th, and you can get your tickets fo...
Sep 26, 2022•54 min•Season 17Ep. 8
How good are you at being alone, both with your thoughts, and physically in public places? Rylan says that last year was the first time he really had to confront his own mental health, but doing so has helped him appreciate the joy in spending time alone. In this chat with Fearne, Rylan talks about how he’s been able to manifest what he wanted his life to look like, and not seek permission from others when it comes to deciding what he can and can’t do. They also share experiences of whether they...
Sep 16, 2022•47 min•Season 17Ep. 7
How do you personally express love? Author, philanthropist, and award winning producer Olivia Harrison has a lifetime of memories with late husband George Harrison, the intricacies of which she felt compelled to write about in poetry. In this chat with Fearne, Olivia recounts stories from her life with George – including how important practices like meditation and gardening were to them – as well as talking about the undulating nature of grief. Olivia’s beautiful book of poetry, Came The Lighten...
Sep 15, 2022•41 min•Season 17Ep. 6
Addiction has dictated much of Matt Willis’ life, but the musician and actor has since learnt how to take responsibility for his actions and reactions. In this chat, Fearne and Matt explore the concept of shame, and how it can keep you suffering in silence, as well as why we need to be careful of celebrating addiction of any kind, even if it’s something society fundamentally values like work or exercise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 14, 2022•48 min•Season 17Ep. 5
Our body’s stress response is cleverly designed to keep us safe, but the trouble now is that it’s being triggered by every day life – emails, caring commitments, social media, loneliness. Dr Rangan Chatterjee explains what the stress response is, and how using your physically body can often be the best way to calm your mind. In this chat, Fearne and Rangan also talk in great detail about the importance of sleep, and how to trust your own feelings rather than always needing science to back up you...
Sep 13, 2022•58 min•Season 17Ep. 4
DJ Fat Tony has spent time actively learning what love is after being in abusive relationships and being an addict. Having done trauma therapy, he’s not only begun to understand what healthy relationships with others look like, but also how it feels to love himself, to have self-worth and self-compassion, and not be forced into silence by shame. In this chat, Fearne and Tony talk about the power and freedom that comes with saying out loud that you need help, as well as how much of a challenge it...
Sep 07, 2022•48 min•Season 17Ep. 3
What happens when busy people stop being busy? Like everyone else, singer songwriter Tom Walker was forced to pause during the pandemic, and he’s clear that it did affect both his songwriting and the pace he lives at day to day. In this chat with Fearne, Tom explains how despite the music industry wanting to measure success by numbers, he’s able to measure his success by his own inner satisfaction. They also talk about the emotional power of epic songs, how even if they weren’t written about wha...
Sep 06, 2022•49 min•Season 17Ep. 2
Fail fast. That’s the advice entrepreneur Steven Bartlett has for those who ultimately want to be successful, because the biggest risk isn’t failing, it’s procrastinating. In this chat with Fearne, Steven talks about how he’s seen first hand the damage being paralysed by decision making can do both in business and on a personal level. They also chat about why you’re already enough, that no matter what outward markers of success you achieve your fundamental value won’t change. That, Steven says, ...
Sep 05, 2022•48 min•Season 17Ep. 1
Time, money, and attention turned out to be a difficult combination for Jordan Stephens to cope with at the height of his Rizzle Kicks fame. In this chat with Fearne, Jordan opens up about his social anxiety, body dysmorphia, and the way he used to self-medicate ADHD. They also discuss when anger can be an incredibly useful emotion, and discover they have a shared core fear of getting things wrong. Jordan’s children’s book, The Missing Piece, is out on August 18th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
Aug 08, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 16Ep. 9
This episode of Happy Place is made in partnership with The National Lottery. We’re in the midst of The Commonwealth Games, and thanks to National Lottery Players over £40million has been raised to support the 2022 Games. To mark the event, The National Lottery have launched a campaign celebrating some of the incredible athletes, including wheelchair racer Melanie Woods. In this chat with Fearne, Melanie talks about how her own journey coming to terms with being disabled has encouraged...
Aug 01, 2022•27 min•Season 16Ep. 8
Your spirit is fully equipped to take care of you. Your brain and your body might struggle but spiritual teacher and intuitive guide Sonia Choquette is clear that your sixth sense – your spirit, your intuition – can take care of you no matter what. In this chat with Fearne, Sonia explains how to tune into and trust your intuition, which will in turn open you up to a more fun, loving, and spontaneous life. Fearne and Sonia both share experiences of feeling a physical urge to trust their gut, even...
Jul 25, 2022•52 min•Season 16Ep. 7
Constantly being subjected to micro-aggressions can feel like death by a thousand paper cuts; Samantha Renke is an actor, broadcaster, writer, and disability rights campaigner who has the confidence to call out ableism. In this chat, Fearne and Samantha explore where her innate sense of self-worth comes from, how we can all learn to become more confident, and how we can’t talk about an individual’s mental health without also talking about politics and systemic issues. They also cover risk-taking...
Jul 18, 2022•53 min•Season 16Ep. 6
Patience is a bit of a lost art, but it’s something that ‘Birdgirl’ Mya-Rose Craig is well practiced in. Mya-Rose is an ornithologist, an environmentalist, a diversity activist as well as a writer, speaker and broadcaster. Having been a twitcher – someone who travels to specific locations to spot birds – since she was days old, she revels in patiently waiting to see the next beautiful bird on her list. In this chat, Fearne and Mya-Rose talk about the connection between nature and mental health, ...
Jul 11, 2022•50 min•Season 16Ep. 5
Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes recently announced publicly that she is gay. Although she’s acknowledged this truth privately for a number of decades, it’s only now that she’s felt able to begin living publicly her authentic self. Having served in the British military at a time when homosexuality was banned, Kelly had always feared serious repercussions, which only intensified when she became a celebrated world class athlete. In this chat with Fearne, Kelly talks through the painful – and hopeful – j...
Jul 04, 2022•53 min•Season 16Ep. 4
If you tend to doubt yourself, do you know why? Psychotherapist, best-selling author, and former NHS lead for Mental Health Owen O’Kane has spent a lifetime unpicking his own past as a gay Irish Catholic child who was bullied and surrounded by bombs and bullets in the hope of understanding where his fear and shame in adulthood came from. In this chat, he and Fearne talk about why therapy isn’t just about talking – that’s just one part – it’s actually about so much more, like who you surround you...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 16Ep. 3
Do you have open conversations at work when you’re in pain emotionally or physically? After going through numerous rounds of IVF, as well as having a miscarriage, broadcaster, writer, and author Emma Barnett wants to re-brand pain as weakness into pain as strength, especially at work. In this chat with Fearne, she talks through the worries she had that she might be seen as greedy for wanting a second child through IVF when she’d already had a wonderful son by IVF, and how she’s put this shame to...
Jun 20, 2022•59 min•Season 16Ep. 2
Broadcaster and author Sara Cox joins Fearne for a special live episode of Happy Place at The Podcast Show in Islington. A brilliant storyteller, Sara talks about the process of finding her own voice and becoming a confident raconteur both on the radio and in her personal life. In this chat, Fearne and Sara also explore friendships – how our friends heavily influence who we are as individuals, how to sustain friendships over a lifetime, and how to kindly break up with a friend if you notice they...
Jun 13, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 16Ep. 1
Heartbreak is a universal feeling, but everyone copes with it differently. Presenter, actor and singer Denise Van Outen tends to throw herself into work, keeping busy with exciting professional opportunities, to distract from any pain. In this chat with Fearne, Denise talks about how she’s learnt to accept being alone after heartbreak and acknowledge the stillness without constantly trying to fill the void. Close friends Fearne and Denise also share their experiences of raising blended families,...
Jun 06, 2022•53 min•Season 15Ep. 10
We can all feel paralysed by the guilt that we might not be doing enough to combat climate change, but actor, director, and environmental activist Bonnie Wright feels we should celebrate imperfect and in-process actions. A little can go a long way. In this chat with Fearne, Bonnie explains why it might be helpful to stop thinking about how we can make ourselves and our impact on the planet smaller, and instead think about how to make our positive impact even bigger. They also talk about how to f...
May 30, 2022•55 min•Season 15Ep. 9
Fearne is a Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health and Wellbeing for The Prince’s Trust, a brilliant charity that helps people who have faced disadvantage and adversity to get their lives on track, supporting them into education, training, and jobs. In this special episode, Fearne chats to Emma-May about the role The Prince’s Trust has played in helping her grow in confidence, both practically and emotionally. Emma-May has been a carer for her parents since she was eleven-years-old...
May 26, 2022•37 min•Season 15Ep. 8
Who gets to decide who and what you are? Amanda de Cadenet quit the fame she’d found on British TV after being hounded by the press. She was seen through the eyes of others – journalists, photographers, and viewers – so she chose to reclaim her image by becoming a photographer herself, and reclaimed her voice by starting her own chat shows. In this chat with Fearne, Amanda talks about speaking up when you can’t hear the conversations you and others like you need in order to feel understood and s...
May 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 15Ep. 7
What do you feel the meaning of life is? Purpose? Happiness? Does it matter if we’re not sure? In this chat, Fearne and actor Minnie Driver explore how it might gently fluctuate as we go through different stages of our lives. Minnie also talks about her innate ability to articulate emotion, something that was often agony during her childhood, but has now allowed her to parent her own son in a deeply empathetic way. Minnie’s memoir(ish) is out now; it’s called Managing Expectations. Hosted on Aca...
May 16, 2022•56 min•Season 15Ep. 6
Rugby player Jonny Wilkinson was once driven by a quest for perfection, and an obsession with becoming the best player in the world. Now though, he’s learning to be content with who he is in the present. In this chat, Jonny and Fearne explore the idea that sometimes our own imagination is what’s limiting our idea of success before we’ve even begun, and they wonder if our understanding of ‘ambition’ needs to be reframed to be more inclusive of the journey, not just the final outcome. Listen to Jo...
May 09, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 15Ep. 5
It’s been thirty years since brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson started making music together, but despite growing up under the spotlight they’ve retained an incredibly strong sense of self. In this chat with Fearne, they talk about the role their parents and faith played in helping them stay grounded in a turbulent world. They also give an insight into the unique role each of them plays in the band, and share their thoughts on social media and the way it drives us to feel we have to have op...
May 02, 2022•58 min•Season 15Ep. 4
