Can laughter ease anxiety? Comedian Julian Clary certainly thinks so. After living through some incredibly dark events and anxious times, he’s decided to choose to laugh and think positive thoughts. In this chat with Fearne, Julian talks about feeling naturally happier and more comfortable in his skin as he got older. Most things, he says, just aren’t as important as you think they are, and that’s a freeing realisation. Julian also explains why he’s embraced causing outrage and even offen...
Mar 10, 2025•54 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, life is pulling them in different directions - but the girls are reunited when Charlotte organises the baby shower from hell for pregnant Nicki. Tensions are high as these women are forced to confront their own and eachother’s views about motherhood... while also dealing with a fire at the baby shower. February’s Happy Place Book Club novel was So Thrilled for You, by Holly Bourne. In this chat, Fearne...
Mar 07, 2025•36 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast 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 f...
Mar 03, 2025•55 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 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 t...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 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...!) &nbs...
Feb 17, 2025•43 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Feb 10, 2025•53 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast 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’...
Feb 07, 2025•22 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast 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 fe...
Feb 03, 2025•43 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast 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’...
Jan 31, 2025•36 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast 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 p...
Jan 27, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 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 re...
Jan 20, 2025•54 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 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, rathe...
Jan 13, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Jan 06, 2025•46 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 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 charac...
Jan 03, 2025•28 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 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 a...
Dec 30, 2024•47 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast 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 ...
Dec 23, 2024•48 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast 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. ...
Dec 16, 2024•53 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast 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 cont...
Dec 09, 2024•46 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast 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 o...
Dec 06, 2024•34 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast 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 y...
Dec 05, 2024•54 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 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 tru...
Dec 02, 2024•50 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 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 exp...
Nov 29, 2024•41 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast 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 scree...
Nov 25, 2024•47 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast 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......
Nov 18, 2024•55 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Nov 11, 2024•55 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast 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 quest...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast 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. &n...
Nov 01, 2024•47 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast 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 hav...
Oct 25, 2024•37 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast 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 Fear...
Oct 21, 2024•55 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast 
