A person’s identity is not up for debate; drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash is on a mission to ensure everyone feels safe to express who they are without fear. In this chat, Fearne and Bimini explore how everyone can question and choose to reject societal rules that they don’t personally resonate with, as well as how to better understand and support others as they do the same. A sense of belonging can directly impact mental health, so they also discuss the benefits of social media in finding a commu...
Oct 18, 2021•53 min
How kindly do you talk to yourself? TV host, author, and speaker Mel Robbins spent a lifetime caught in a loop of negative self-talk, but she’s now learnt how to validate herself in the way she champions others. In this chat with Fearne, she explains the importance of daily habits. There’s no silver bullet when it comes to building confidence; you have to be disciplined and put in the daily grind. Mel also explains what panic attacks actually are on a physiological level. Mel’s book, The High 5 ...
Oct 11, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Season 12Ep. 2
It’s often said that comparison is the thief of joy, and this proved to be true for Jesy Nelson. In this chat, she and Fearne talk through the fear of not being liked, and the freedom that’s come with reinventing herself as a solo artist. Jesy’s first solo single, Boyz, is out on Friday 8th October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 06, 2021•49 min•Season 12Ep. 1
There’s adventure in not knowing what comes next, and having the confidence to throw yourself in anyway. Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl has spent a lifetime doing just that. In this chat with Fearne he explains why he wants to grow old gracefully, but stay young at heart by embracing the spirit of exploration and curiosity. More of Dave’s stories from his energetic life can be found in his new book, The Storyteller, out 5th October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 04, 2021•37 min•Season 11Ep. 10
Gambling addictions are not well understood; former footballer Paul Merson is hoping to change that by sharing his own story. In this chat with Fearne, Paul explains why his having a gambling addiction really isn’t about the money. It’s about escapism, and experiencing extreme highs and lows. He also talks through the role that lying plays in addiction, and the relationships and practical coping mechanisms that now help him tackle one day at a time. It’s taken him many decades, but he now unders...
Sep 27, 2021•58 min•Season 11Ep. 9
You are the sum of everyone who’s come before you in your family, and it can be useful to learn about your ancestors in order to understand how much of their character is in you. Actress Miriam Margolyes has a passion for genealogy and family trees; in this chat with Fearne, she discusses her own identity, and the parts of it that have made her feel like an outsider at times. We’re often scared to challenge things we don’t agree with, perhaps for fear of being disliked or cancelled, but Miriam e...
Sep 20, 2021•43 min•Season 11Ep. 8
Psychosis is very rarely talked about, even within spaces dedicated to mental health. Actor David Harewood had an episode that saw him sectioned at 23 years old, and wonders that psychosis is still seen as the ‘scary’ mental health issue, a perception he’s now working hard to change. We often hear about post-traumatic stress, but in this chat with Fearne, David discusses the concept of post traumatic growth, and what that’s looked like for him. Plus, he explores how this journey of discovery has...
Sep 13, 2021•58 min•Season 11Ep. 7
We often write ourselves a story about the type of person we are, and the things we can do with our lives, but YouTuber, actor, and singer Joe Sugg doesn’t like to put limits on what he can achieve. In this chat with Fearne, he explains why he’s given himself opportunities to change as a person and not be limited by what his fans might expect of him. Plus, having grown up online, Joe talks through what he feels needs to be done to make the Internet a kinder place. Joe’s new single, Wild Things, ...
Sep 06, 2021•57 min•Season 11Ep. 6
The concept of a mid-life crisis has become a funny cliché, and that’s what Christian O’Connell jokingly told people he was having when he left his successful radio career in the UK to start a new life in Australia in 2018. The truth was that he had had what he now recognises as a break down, and needed to find adventure and joy as an adult to reignite the fire in his belly. In this chat, Fearne and Christian share their experiences of having panic attacks, and compare notes on how they both use...
Aug 30, 2021•55 min•Season 11Ep. 5
In April 2021, Ashley Cain’s eight month old daughter Azaylia Diamond Cain passed away. At eight weeks old she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia; Ashley and his partner Safiyya captured the nation’s hearts as they used social media to document their journey, raise awareness for childhood cancer and encourage people to become bone marrow donors both for their daughter and thousands of other children. In this chat with Fearne, Ashley talks for the first ti...
Aug 27, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 11Ep. 4
Becoming a parent will have its highs and lows for everyone, but Frankie Bridge became a mum knowing she already had existing mental health issues to contend with too. In this chat with Fearne, Frankie discusses how she talks to her children about their own emotions as well as hers. Publicly we’re having more frank conversations about post-natal depression, but antenatal depression still isn’t discussed as widely, so Frankie also opens up about her mental health while she was pregnant. &n...
Aug 23, 2021•57 min•Season 11Ep. 3
Confidence fluctuates and has to be practiced daily. Natalie Imbruglia feels writing her new album has allowed her to regain confidence after finding herself on shaky ground. In this chat with Fearne, she explains why she now chooses to live in the moment and not make plans, and why she thinks there’s strength in allowing yourself to fall apart, because there’s often a breakthrough on the other side. Natalie’s new album, Firebird, is out on September 24th. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Aug 16, 2021•47 min
Many of us are guilty of refusing to stop, of continuing to distract ourselves while anxieties build beneath the surface. This is something BAFTA-winning actress Suranne Jones tackles in her new TV show I Am Victoria. In this chat with Fearne, Suranne talks about the grief of losing her mum shortly after having a baby, and why she wanted to draw on her own experience of managing her mental health to create character Victoria. I Am Victoria is available to watch now on All4. Hosted on Acast. See ...
Aug 09, 2021•59 min•Season 11Ep. 1
Climate change will cause the biggest mass migration in history. Filmmakers and storytellers Jack Harries, Finn Harries, and Alice Aedy have founded creative studio earthrise to document the human stories of those on the climate front lines. They believe in progress, not perfection, and hope the stories they tell will encourage action through inspiring hope for a better future. In this chat with Fearne, the powerful trio talk through what they’ve learnt about managing their own mental health as ...
Jul 26, 2021•50 min•Season 10Ep. 11
Over the last ten years, author, journalist, and broadcaster Caitlin Moran has learnt that we have to allow feminism to evolve as both society and our own priorities change. In this chat with Fearne, Caitlin explores the benefits of social media in amplifying women’s voices, why it’s so important for women to stop picking apart their own bodies, and how best to prepare children for the adult world they’ll soon find themselves in. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about eating dis...
Jul 19, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 10Ep. 10
Nostalgia – keeping souvenirs of poignant moments – plays a big part in allowing poet and bestselling author Charly Cox to fill her life with meaning. Choosing to be sentimental can help us take stock and celebrate where challenges have been overcome. In this chat with Fearne, Charly explains what it means to live with Bipolar II, including both manic highs and depressive lows, and how writing helps her make sense of her thoughts. Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Pl...
Jul 12, 2021•56 min•Season 10Ep. 9
You might not expect a global pop star to want to embrace being average, but Anne-Marie feels that might be one of the keys to happiness. She’s been seeking therapy from both writing music and seeing a psychiatrist, and in this chat with Fearne shares what she’s learnt about how being bullied at school affected her, and how to boost self-worth as an adult. Anne-Marie’s second studio album, Therapy, is out on 23rd July, and her first book, You Deserve Better, is available from 30th September. Tha...
Jul 05, 2021•49 min•Season 10Ep. 8
Practicing being present has been huge in helping James Arthur manage his anxiety and panic attacks. He’s sold 30 million records worldwide, but with incredible success and adoration comes scrutiny and judgement. In this chat with Fearne, James shares how he handles outside opinion, and what he’s been learning about how trauma during his formative years still affects him now. Vote for Happy Place as your Listeners’ Choice at the British Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote?u...
Jun 28, 2021•57 min•Season 10Ep. 7
Wellness doesn’t have to mean crystals and spirulina. Ella Mills, who’s been synonymous with wellness as the founder of deliciously ella for almost a decade, feels that it needs to be rebranded to encompass super simple principles like sleeping well and breathing calmly. In this chat, Fearne and Ella share stories of the people in their lives who keep them rational and grounded, as well as talking about why it’s probably healthy to accept that women can’t have it all. Thanks to Stripe and Stare ...
Jun 21, 2021•57 min•Season 10Ep. 6
Some elements of happiness are circumstantial – where we’re born, and our biology – but there are many elements that we personally have control over. Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, based in Denmark, and he feels we’d all be happier if we focused more on the smaller choices we can control. That, he explains, is where the Danish art of hygge comes in. In this chat with Fearne, Meik explores why policy makers would do well to consider the happiness of their country as a...
Jun 14, 2021•49 min•Season 10Ep. 5
Radical vulnerability is something New York Times bestselling author Jedidiah Jenkins does his best to practice with those around him. As he entered his 30s, he travelled from Oregon to Patagonia by bicycle, and the journey turned out to be just as much emotional as it was physical. One of the things he learnt is that vulnerability breeds vulnerability, that once you share your truth, others will feel safe to share their true selves with you too, and that can only be a good thing. In this ...
Jun 07, 2021•49 min•Season 10Ep. 4
Mike Kerr is the lead singer and bassist of Royal Blood. As the band’s success grew, alcohol became an integral part of his life, but he’s now been sober for two years, and is thriving both personally and as a musician. In this chat with Fearne, Mike explores the new ways he’s found to release the energy and adrenaline that come with being a live performer, including running, kite-surfing, and cold-water swimming. Plus, Fearne explains why she thinks this game-changing moment in Mike’s life migh...
May 31, 2021•49 min•Season 10Ep. 3
Becoming a father has opened Rag ‘N’ Bone Man - real name Rory - up to being more honest about his emotions both with his family and in his music. In this chat, he and Fearne bond over their shared love of tattoos and inability to sleep well, and talk through how they’ve learnt to say ‘no’ to projects and events they’re just not enthusiastic about. Rag ‘N’ Bone Man’s album, Life By Misadventure, is out now. Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 w...
May 24, 2021•44 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Panic, indecisiveness, procrastination – all common, every day moods that can frustrate, and even paralyse, our ability to move forward. Dr Olivia Remes, a mental health researcher at the University of Cambridge, wants to help you overcome these moods so that you can really thrive. In this chat with Fearne, she explains how characteristics like confidence and charisma can be learned, how to make new healthy habits stick, and how real personal growth can come from the most painful of situations. ...
May 17, 2021•53 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Recently appointed by the Prime Minister as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to the government, Dr Alex George is on a mission to make mental health education compulsory in schools. In this chat with Fearne, the A&E doctor explains why his goal is to ensure mental health sits alongside the likes of maths and English on the curriculum, and what we can all be doing to look after both our mental and physical health every day. Alex’s book, Live Well Every Day, is available to buy from May 13th. Th...
May 10, 2021•51 min•Season 9Ep. 12
Former footballer Ian Wright is adored and revered by millions of people, but as a result of his traumatic childhood he hasn’t always recognised or trusted his success. The victim of domestic abuse as a child, Ian has spent the past few years bravely delving into his past experiences, both personally, and for a BBC documentary that he hopes will help others feel supported. In this chat with Fearne Ian is incredibly introspective about what he’s learnt about feeling anger and accepting love over ...
May 03, 2021•52 min•Season 9Ep. 11
We’re beginning to understand that ‘having it all’ is an unrealistic and stressful goal to work towards. Instead, perhaps we need to be thinking about where to prioritise our energy. Family? Social life? Work? There’s no right or wrong answer, but we do have to be honest with ourselves about how much we can cope with. In this chat with Fearne, Billie Piper explains why she’s so passionate about portraying characters who are just as complex on screen as we are in real life. She’s not willin...
Apr 26, 2021•45 min•Season 9Ep. 10
We’re surrounded by 2 billion tonnes of plastic – 8 million of which flow into our oceans every year. Those are some pretty upsetting numbers, but by the end of this episode you’ll understand that you’re not helpless; you personally have a huge amount of power to reverse the problem. David Katz is the compassionate founder behind a clever enterprise that turns plastic into wealth. Plastic Bank works with communities under the poverty line to simultaneously empower individuals, and reduce ocean p...
Apr 19, 2021•44 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Fear can paralyse us into inaction, but boxer Lawrence Okolie has learnt to use it to his advantage, to motivate him to keep fighting both physically and mentally. In this chat, he and Fearne talk through how to be disciplined, stop making excuses, and keep yourself accountable when you have an important goal to achieve. Lawrence’s is the first of many exciting new voices in the modern wellness space that Fearne’s new endeavour, Happy Place Books, will be championing. Dare To Change Your Life is...
Apr 12, 2021•46 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Believing that medicine is more art than science, Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s MO is understanding how lifestyle factors like upbringing, social status, stress levels, sleep, and even phone use might be affecting your physical and mental health. In this chat with Fearne, they talk through lots of practical methods that’ll help you understand and alter the way you feel. For example, the act of journaling won’t change the problem you have, but what it will change is how you interact with the problem – a...
Apr 05, 2021•58 min•Season 9Ep. 7
