Happy Place

More exercise, more therapy, and less alcohol: these are some of the things artist Tom Grennan knows he needs in order to stay mentally well.   In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival in Chiswick, Tom explains how he’s learnt to ‘flip’ negative thoughts to positive ones using small language changes. They also share how anxiety manifests for each of them – from crying to t...

Psychedelics have been stigmatised and criminalised for over 50 years, but David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology and a leading worldwide authority on drugs, feels we’re on the cusp of a major revolution in psychiatric medicine and neuroscience that could see psychedelics being used to treat mental health conditions.   In this chat with Fearne, David explains the difference betwee...

Engaging with death can help us live more in the present. That’s one of the many lessons Bronnie Ware, who worked in palliative care, has discovered over the years.   In this chat, Fearne and Bronnie explore the idea of using death as a tool for living well. Bronnie’s collected stories about the most common regrets of the dying – everything from wishing they’d had the courage to express their...

Is success down to luck, or obsessive hard work? For chart-topping artist Jason Derulo routine and discipline are at the heart of his success.   In this chat with Fearne, Jason explains why he feels it’s his obsession with his craft that’s helped him create the life he dreamed of as a kid. They also wonder when taking risks is reckless, and when it’s important in order to keep growing. Plus,...

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Artist Dua Lipa is definitely the latter, choosing to unwind by surrounding herself with old friends, going to galleries, and exploring new restaurants.   In this chat Fearne and Dua talk about the role yoga, meditation, and boundaries play in their lives, and Dua wonders how her childhood moving between London and Kosovo shaped her resilient character. &...

Born with a facial difference that meant he felt he didn’t fit in, Jono Lancaster has spent a lifetime practicing self-acceptance. Having been abandoned at birth, his adoptive mum provided immense support and care, but the confidence he felt at home was often chipped away at by the rest of the world.   In this chat with Fearne, Jono talks about how severe lows have forced him to take control...

It starts with you. Those are the words life coach Sam Adams lives by. She also likes to wonder how our lives would be different if we believed the universe was conspiring for us, not against us, as our paranoid minds might be telling us.   In this episode, Fearne celebrates 100 million podcast downloads by meeting Sam, Matt, and Mel, Happy Place listeners who’ve all been through their o...

There’s a difference between routine, and real ritual. Kirsty Gallagher is a moon mentor, a soul alignment coach, and a yoga and meditation teacher; she says ritual is so important because it’s about being present.   In this chat with Fearne, Kirsty explains why there’s also a difference between ritual and superstition. Kirsty’s work teaches us how to live back in alignment with an ancient cy...

Getting older is something to be celebrated. Queen of British Soul, West End star, and Olivier winner Beverley Knight is celebrating turning 50 by releasing new music, and is clear that life has only continued to get better as she’s become more confident in her own skin over the years.   In this chat, Fearne and Beverley talk about the importance of celebrating artistic expression, and why it...

Do you have main character energy? Comedian, model, and social media megastar Fats Timbo reckons we should all have the confidence to play the main role in our own lives, but that being confident is a skill that needs to be learned.   In this chat with Fearne, she explains why so much of life is how we choose to perceive it. We can choose whether to laugh or cry at a certain situation... and...

Masturbation should be as big a part of your self care routine as your meditation, breathwork, or morning walk. Content creator and sex & relationships expert Florence Bark feels masturbation is central to our self-esteem and wellbeing.   In this chat with Fearne, Florence explains why it’s so important to understand our own anatomy, and why masturbation should be prioritised as much as p...

Is it art if no one sees or hears it? In this chat, musician Kesha joins Fearne to talk about our sometimes obsessive relationship with feedback, and why your own opinion of your work is the only one that should really matter.    As the artist behind pop track Tik Tok, Kesha had been known for being a burst of high energy for her fans, but more recently she’s been compelled to expose dif...

Are you aware of the importance of relationships and human connection to your happiness? Psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and Zen priest Robert ‘Bob’ Waldinger leads the world’s longest scientific study of happiness, and has found relationships to be crucial. In this chat, Bob tells Fearne how much of a role genetics plays in happiness, and how much we really do have control over. They also talk about...

Giving yourself permission to enjoy something is a discipline that requires practice. This is just one of the many lessons snooker player Ronnie O’Sullivan has learnt as he’s changed his approach to the game over the years.   In this chat with Fearne, Ronnie talks about how he would now always choose happiness over traditional markers of success, and how his challenging childhood made him inc...

In this special episode in partnership with The National Lottery, Fearne speaks to East Londoner Steve Barnabis who's dedicated his life to saving children from knife crime. He’s spent his entire career working to improve the lives of young people, to tackle youth violence, and create safe spaces for children and teens to express themselves.   After meeting the Royals at a Big...

Kate Ferdinand found herself with three step children when she fell in love and moved in with now-husband Rio six years ago. Since then, she’s become a supportive voice for others with blended families. In this chat, Fearne and Kate talk about how proud they both are of the relationships their step and biological children have, as well as why their fear of rejection is stronger with their step chi...

Self-compassion is vital in manifesting. Meditation teacher and mentor Joey Hulin knows we have to believe that we deserve good things in order to lean into going after them.   In this chat with Fearne, Joey explains that manifesting means intentionally thinking about, and working hard towards the things we want in our lives. We have to really embody our desires if we’re to achieve our dreams...

Are you conscious of the importance of connecting with nature? Does it help you better connect with yourself? That’s certainly the case for Charlotte Church.   After years in the spotlight as a singer, Charlotte has now created The Dreaming – a wellness retreat in the heart of Wales. In this chat with Fearne, she explains how things like being outside, the power of sound, and generally having...

Setting boundaries might feel uncomfortable and sound callous, but best-selling author Melissa Urban believes setting boundaries is one of the kindest things you can do in any relationship.   In this chat with Fearne, Melissa explains how to start small when it comes to learning to set boundaries – casually saying ‘no’ to another glass of wine, for example – before moving on to setting bounda...

In this special episode, Fearne chats to fellow podcaster and great friend Elizabeth Day about the episodes of both Happy Place and How To Fail that have changed their lives.   Talking to Roman Kemp about mental health has made Fearne think about how she should chat to her own children about depression, and Elizabeth took a lot away from her episode on how to relieve your own suffering with M...

Are you conscious of fear and shame driving your behaviour? Cyclist Bradley Wiggins feels those emotions have dictated a lot of his decision making across his life.   In this chat with Fearne, Bradley explains that putting all his energy into become a great cyclist was a distraction from childhood traumas. In order to cope with the aftermath of being groomed by a coach as a teenager, and havi...

Spencer Matthews was 10 years old when his older brother Michael became the youngest Brit to reach the summit of Everest in 1999. On his descent, he encountered a number of unfortunate circumstances and was never seen again. Over two decades later, Spencer decided to retrace his brother’s steps in the hope of recovering his body, and in the process piece together an image of who his brother w...

PTSD, social anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, and imposter syndrome are just some of the things Ian Redpath and Jeremy Chopra have experienced between them. Known collectively as All On The Board, Ian and Jeremy are the TFL customer service assistants who write the supportive, fun, moving words on tube station boards and post them on social media.   In this chat with Fearne, Ian and Jeremy d...

How often do you cultivate quiet moments that are just for you? Best-selling author Katherine May believes being alone doesn’t necessarily mean feeling lonely. In this chat, Fearne and Katherine talk about how nature retreats and blooms across the seasons, and why it might be helpful for us to think of each of our own years in a similar way.   Plus, they chat about why we find it harder to be...

For author Taylor Jenkins Reid, fame is a brilliant lens through which to examine societal expectations of women. The female celebrities in her glamourous novels all navigate the restrictions put on their behaviour in very different ways, in turn mirroring how all women – famous or not – might feel compelled to act.   In this chat, Fearne and Taylor share how much of their own self-worth is w...