Happy Place

What part do male role models need to play in young boys’ lives? How do we raise young men with empathy and love? What should masculinity even mean? Adolescence’s Stephen Graham has teamed up with psychology researcher Orly Klein to answer these questions. In this chat with Fearne, Stephen and Orly explore what they’ve learnt about manhood, fatherhood, and generational trauma through asking lots o...

When mysterious symbols appear as graffiti around Oxford, lexicographer Martha Thornhill recognises them from an alphabet created by a deceased writer whose papers she once worked on. But this is no publicity stunt, and tensions intensify when further graffiti is found near the body of a university lecturer... Countdown’s Susie Dent has written Death Writ Large, a murder mystery that cleverly weav...

Back in the noughties, Miquita Oliver thought Fearne Cotton was an irritatingly gorgeous, successful presenter – everything she wasn’t. Fearne was jealous Miquita was part of the TV cool gang. In reality? Fearne worried she was an unsophisticated nerd, and Miquita was feeling like the fat, ugly sidekick.   In this episode, live from the Happy Place Festival, Fearne and Miquita chat for the fi...

There’s probably a bit too much pressure on reaching a definitive state of happiness isn’t there? It’s not realistic guys. So Fearne’s dropping into your feed every week for some honest chat about what’s making her (and you lot) feel great, and what’s making us all 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,...

We’ve all got quirks. Tom Read Wilson realised early on that no one else was going to celebrate his differences if he didn’t own them himself. In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival, Tom explains how he learnt to honour his eclectic personality. Fearne and Tom both have a history of extreme people pleasing, so they share what they’ve learnt about self-advocating and getting g...

What’s been going on for you this week? What are you happy about, and what’s really not floating your boat? Fearne’s here with more chat about what’s putting her, Team Happy Place, and you lot in a good mood, and what’s feeling a bit heavier too. This is our space to explore what’s been on our minds. Want to join the chat? Send us a voicenote, DM, or comment on Instagram @happyplaceofficial! In th...

Writer Caitlin Moran's anxiety started when she was 13, when she accidentally let a family secret slip. That anxiety kept her wired for the next 30 years. In this chat with Fearne, Caitlin explains how choosing to be hopeful and see the good in life means she’s now two years anxiety-free. They also talk about how social media has drastically altered our perception of reality, and just how unkind (...

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 (and you lot) feel great, and what’s making us all 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,...

Do you ever feel like the universe is trying to tell you something? Call it spirituality, intuition, or science... we’ve all had moments that feel like a bit of a sign – a gentle nudge in a certain direction. In this episode, Fearne looks at the Happy Place moments that have explored the things we can't always explain… This is a curious dive into what happens when we leave a little room for myster...

What does a truly restful holiday look like to you? Do you want novelty or routine? Horticulturalist Monty Don relaxes most when he knows the drill: same Greek island, same terrace for breakfast, same collapsable travel kettle packed! Welcome to The Happy Place Guide To Holidays! In this chat with Fearne – brought to you by British Airways Holidays – Monty explains the difference between all the g...

How do you feel the morning after drinking the night before? For Millie Gooch the hangxiety was huge, so she stopped drinking and founded Sober Girl Society. In this chat, Fearne and Millie explore how to recognise when the silly, lols-in-the-group-chat stories from nights out have morphed into moments that are risky, dangerous, and not really you. For Millie, she had to be honest with herself abo...

For 20 years Maggie and Will have spent idyllic summers in the south of France with their friends Lydia and Roland. This year though, tension is brewing and loyalties are being tested. Their young kids are all there too, and they might end up stumbling upon secrets that were being kept from them... August’s Happy Place Book Club read is Family Friends. In this chat with Fearne, author Chloe Ashby...

Do you find yourself cringing at your younger self? Did you lose yourself in the early part of parenthood? Do you wonder if who you’re being is who you really are? It’s check, check, and check for comedian Joe Lycett. In this chat with Fearne, Joe reflects on how much of his stage persona has become who he actually is, why paternity leave triggered a lot of existential crises all at once, and how...

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, Team Happy Place team, and you lot in a good mood, and what’s feeling a bit heavier. This is our space 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 ch...

We’re all looking for meaning in life in our own way. Poet and actor Lucas Jones reckons it doesn’t really matter whether we call it God, The Universe, spirituality, or science, we all want to believe in the wonder in our world. In this chat, Fearne and Lucas bond over not being able to do small talk, instead wanting to deeply connect over their big feelings. They also both share their different e...

What ratio of planned activities to spontaneity do you love when you travel? Comedian Chris McCausland has to know some top tier activities have been booked ahead of time. Welcome to The Happy Place Guide To Holidays! In this chat with Fearne – brought to you by British Airways Holidays – Chris explains how holidays have changed since he lost his sight. He thinks hard about everything from communi...

Have you noticed that your memory and rational thinking disappear when you’re anxious? Ruby Wax wants you to retrain your focus and attention in a digital world that’s always trying to steal it. In this chat with Fearne – live from the Happy Place Festival – Ruby explains the difference between mental health and mental illness, and why she calls meditation ‘mind gym’. She also explores why laughin...

You know how your mood dips when you’re hangry? Well, being thangry is a thing too! Thirst – being dehydrated – can have a very real impact on everything from your stress levels to cognitive function and physical performance. We’re heading back to this year’s Happy Place Festival, where the Talk Stage was sponsored by Phizz, the UK’s number-one selling hydration brand. In this chat with Fearne, Da...

This month in the Happy Place Book Club, we’ve been reading Queenie Is Working On It, by Candice Carty-Williams. This is the much anticipated follow up to 2019’s Queenie.... and this time, Queenie Jenkins is questioning whether she wants kids, being priced out of the housing market in the place she grew up, and coping with horrible heartbreak too. In this chat with Fearne – live from the Happy Pla...

Are you aware of what can trigger big emotions in you? How to do you act on those difficult emotions? Comedian Paul Whitehouse and his wife Dr Mine Conkbayir MBE – who has a PhD in neuroscience – talk about learning to emotionally regulate. In this chat with Fearne – live from the Happy Place Festival – Mine explains what led to her late ADHD diagnosis, and the childhood trauma that plays into her...

Sam Thompson has made a career out of making people laugh, but behind the pranks and infectious energy, there’s a lot of panic and overthinking. In this chat with Fearne, Sam shares how anxiety and undiagnosed ADHD shaped everything from his relationships to his self-confidence, and why it took years of therapy before he understood the patterns he kept repeating. Who do you call in a crisis? Sam h...

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is playing over 20 festivals around the world this summer. Given she travels so much for work, it’s even more important to make family holidays properly magical. Welcome to The Happy Place Guide To Holidays! In this chat with Fearne – brought to you by British Airways Holidays – Sophie explains that she and her husband have meetings to discuss the travel itinerary. They share t...

Joe Locke was doing his A levels on the Isle of Man when Heartstopper came out on Netflix. Two days later he had 3 million new Instagram followers. In this chat, Fearne and Joe both share their experiences of being thrust into the spotlight as teenagers, and how it’s affected them mentally. He explores his fear that his success might just be a fluke, and why he's so keen to prove he belongs in the...

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 (and you lot) feel great, and what’s making us all 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...

We’re heading into the summer holidays. Hands up if you’re already a bit anxious about any mum guilt creeping in...? Fearne definitely is, so she’s reflecting on the Happy Place episodes that explore how different women are choosing to navigate working and parenting. No judgement here gang – we all need to take the pressure off being perfect in every area of our lives! In this episode – -Entrepren...