Happy Place

You’ve heard of fight or flight, but what about fawn – the idea of appeasing others to stay safe? Author and mental health advocate Bryony Gordon thinks there’s a reason so many women feel under pressure to people please. In this chat with Fearne, Bryony explores how she feels people pleasing has fuelled parts of her OCD, alcoholism, and eating disorders over the years. Fearne and Bryony also chat...

There’s way too much pressure on reaching a definitive state of happiness, and it’s just not realistic, so Fearne’s dropping into your feed every week for some chat about what’s making her feel great, and what’s making her feel completely crap. This is the cosy corner where there’s no judgement allowed! All of us can explore what’s been on our minds, what’s been getting us down, inspiring us, and...

What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? It’s a question comedian Jimmy Carr reckons will help direct your life path. In this chat with Fearne, Jimmy explains how he strives for greatness for himself, without falling into the trap of comparing himself to others. He talks about how to define success for yourself, why talent without hard work means very little, and why he doesn’t fear cancel...

What’s going on for you? What are you happy about, and what’s making you not so happy? Fearne’s here with more chatter about what’s putting her and the Happy Place team in a good mood this week, and what can bugger off. This is the space for all of us to explore what’s been on our minds. Want to join the chat? Send us a voicenote, DM, or comment on Instagram @happyplaceofficial!   In this cha...

It’s an age-old question: can women have both brains and beauty? (Spoiler: obviously yes!) Broadcaster Carol Vorderman says the more people comment on her body... the more thigh high boots and tight skirts she’ll wear! In this chat with Fearne, Carol charts her early life, from her family running away with the circus, to living out of a car, to being one of the first girls to read engineering at C...

What’s been going on for you this week? What are you happy about, and what’s making you not so happy? Fearne’s here with more chat about what’s putting her and the Happy Place team in a good mood, and what’s feeling a bit rubbish ...and Fearne has really really been feeling rubbish this week... This is a comforting space for all of us to explore what’s been on our minds. Want to join the chat? Sen...

How do you cope when you’re going through a really rough time? Broadcaster Ruth Langsford has needed a balance of big cries, therapy, and just choosing to dust herself off and get to work. In this chat with Fearne, Ruth talks through the ways counselling and female friendships are moving her through the grief of her divorce. She also shares what she’s learnt about caring for parents with dementia,...

There’s probably a bit too much pressure on reaching a definitive state of happiness isn’t there? It’s not realistic gang! So Fearne’s dropping into your feed every week for some candid chat about what’s making her feel great, and what’s making her feel completely rubbish ...and this episode is brought to you by new original Paramount Plus show The Madison. This is the cosy little corner where all...

Have you ever changed yourself to fit in with other people? Or dulled your character so they don’t think you’re ‘too much’? Do you compare yourself a lot or sacrifice your own needs so not to cause a fuss? Fearne has done all these things and more over the years in a bid to be more likeable. But it’s time to stop shapeshifting to make ourselves palatable to others! Sugababes Keisha Buchanan, Love...

Are you a bit of a people pleaser? Wish you could care a little less what people think about you? To celebrate her new book, Likeable: How I Broke Free From The Need To Please, Fearne’s looking at all the ways she sacrificed her needs and self-expression in order to be more palatable to others...   In this chat, Fearne covers: -The real personal impact of people pleasing -How exhausting it is...

You wouldn’t talk to your best mate in the critical way you talk to yourself. For Radio One DJs Matt Edmondson and Mollie King, their friendship has made them both believe in themselves more. In this chat with Fearne, Matt and Mollie talk about the insecurities they have, and how freeing it is to realise no one else thinks those things about you. For Mollie, having children has helped her be a lot...

Sometimes the braver thing isn’t trying to keep going. Writer Emma Gannon hit real burnout, admitted she was overwhelmed, and embarked upon a year of doing... nothing. A Year of Nothing was our Happy Place Book Club pick for February. In it, Emma charts stepping away from the noise and rediscovering joy in life’s simplest pleasures, from dog borrowing and dopamine dressing to relearning how to swi...

It’s time to stop being filled with jealousy and judgement of others! Boy George admits he used to love hating people, but now actively chooses compassion and kindness. In this chat with Fearne, Boy George explains how this philosophy has helped him celebrate his own and other peoples’ successes more fully. He also talks about why he loves fame now, but would have done his early fame differently,...

There’s probably a bit too much pressure on reaching a definitive state of happiness isn’t there? It’s just not realistic. So Fearne’s dropping into your feed every week for some honest chat about what’s making her feel great, and what’s making her feel completely rubbish. This is a cosy little corner for all of us to explore what’s been on our minds, what’s been getting us down, inspiring us, and...

What more do you want from life? What more do you want for yourself? Award-winning journalist and author Poorna Bell reckons it’s time to start really asking ourselves these questions. In this chat with Fearne, Poorna explains why it’s important to aim for goals you set for yourself, not the ones set by society. They talk about why challenging the narrative that women become invisible as they age...

How are we feeling gang? What are you happy about, and what’s making you not so happy? Fearne’s back with more chatter about what’s putting her and the Happy Place team in a good mood this week, and what can absolutely get in the bin. This is a lovely little space for all of us to explore what’s been on our minds. Want to join the chat? Send us a voicenote, DM, or comment on Instagram @happyplaceo...

Why do we change our hair when we want to start over? Celebrity hair stylist Chris Appleton knows that when someone sits in his chair, he has their future confidence in his hands. In this chat with Fearne, Chris explains that everyone from the Kardashians to cancer patients have opened up to him about their insecurities, and he’s seen the profound impact that looking more like yourself on the outs...

Fed up of constantly striving for ultimate happiness? Fearne’s dropping into your feed every week for some far more realistic chat about what’s making her feel great, and what’s making her feel rubbish. This is a safe space for all of us to get stuff off our chests. No judgement here! Want to join the chat? Send us a voicenote, DM, or comment on Instagram @happyplaceofficial! So, what’s putting us...

You’re a bimbo. A nag. Too mumsy. Too bossy. Ever had any of those labels put on you? Far from harmless words, Ashley James is clear they all work to shrink women and girls. In this chat with Fearne, Ashley recalls her first experiences of street harassment, and the way she victim blamed herself. They also explore the shame that keeps women silent about their altered bodies after giving birth; Ash...

You might have recently seen Hamnet at the cinema, but did you read the book along with the Happy Place Book Club in January? In this chat, Fearne and author Maggie O’Farrell talk about how Jessie Buckley’s award-winning performance brought Agnes to life in the film, why it’s vital to remember women’s place in history, and why Maggie chose not to name Shakespeare in the book. Maggie uses her intui...

Do you find it hard to look in the mirror? Have you found yourself controlling what you eat or exercise you do? Actor Sam Claflin has struggled with his body image since he was a child. In this chat with Fearne, Sam explains what having body dysmorphia means to him, and reflects on how it continues to affect everything from the food he eats to his willingness to watch his own films back. Fearne an...

There’s a bit too much pressure on reaching an unwavering state of happiness isn’t there? It’s just not realistic. So Fearne’s going to be dropping into your feed every week for some candid nattering about what’s making her feel great, and what’s making her feel crap.  This is a cosy little corner for all of us to explore what’s been on our minds, what’s been getting us down, inspiring us, an...

Everyone deserves a safe and dignified birth, but when Louise Thompson gave birth to son Leo, she was left with post-traumatic stress disorder. In this chat with Fearne, Louise talks through how her PTSD manifests, the way she disassociates, and the therapies she’s tried to work through it, including CBT and EMDR. She explains why her own experience has led her to petition the government. She want...

Struggling to know if you’ve achieved enough? If you’re happy enough? Worry everything you’ve built could fall apart? Even national treasures Ant and Dec don’t feel like they’ve ‘made it’. In this chat with Fearne – their first ever podcast appearance – Ant and Dec explain that nearly four decades into their careers they’re still laughing together just as much as they did at the beginning, but now...

What would you do if you weren’t afraid? That’s the question spiritual teacher and intuitive guide Sonia Choquette wants you to think about. In this chat with Fearne, Sonia explains how to have more agency over your own mindset. It’s time to stop thinking the worst, and start expecting the best! Sonia talks through how neuroscience is showing that our guts, skins, and organs are all conscious enti...