Happy Place

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 t...

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 y...

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...

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...

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 im...

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...

  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...

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? Carolin...

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 shar...

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,...

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...

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 co...

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...

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...

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 childr...

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 per...

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...

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)...

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 inatten...

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 expla...

Botox, fillers, and surgeries – you’re judged if you do and you’re judged if you don’t. Love Islander & documentary maker Olivia Attwood is clear that the critical narrative about women’s looks is just a tactic used to control us regardless of what we choose to do to our bodies.   In this chat, live from the Happy Place Festival, Fearne and Olivia ask if our mental health is suffering in...

Do you get stage fright? You might not be an actor but perhaps you feel the fear when it comes to work presentations or small talk at parties... well, even critically acclaimed actor David Tennant has anxieties around performing under pressure. He reckons little bit of fear can be good to keep you from getting complacent though...   In this chat, Fearne and David talk through how to work thro...

You’re more capable than you think you are. Footballer Leah Williamson has learnt that setbacks are often an opportunity to prove and strengthen your resilience.   In this chat with Fearne, Leah explains how getting through a major injury has made her love the person she is now more than the one she was before because of the way she looks after herself.   Leah talks about the importance...

Do you A) assume everyone probably hates you? B) react impulsively to criticism? C) feel intense shame about the way your brain works? These are all things UNILAD founder Alex Partridge has felt across his life, but at 34 he was diagnosed with ADHD and his character started to make a little more sense... In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival, Alex explains how his diagnosis...

Are you a Gary or an Emma? He thrives with a super social, demanding itinerary, and she’s all about lovely calm solitude. Gary Neville has had an ambitious drive instilled in him by his parents and his football career; his wife Emma is more reserved and serene, but they reckon opposites definitely attract.   Fearne had two goals for this chat, live at the Happy Place Festival: to get Gary int...