Episodes
Death is often viewed as something dark and muted, but after the death of her beloved sister, author Clover Stroud began to see the world in vivid colour. In this chat Fearne and Clover explore how death can teach us that it’s the tiny moments in life that truly matter; it’s the in jokes and funny glances that we remember about people. That realisation should be liberating for us in the here and now: we can slow down, stop seeking grand success, and focus on the little things.They also talk about their take on signs after someone’s died. Can they be mentally and emotionally helpful even if ...
At 18 years old, Sophie Morgan was in a car crash, and was instantly paralysed from the chest down. Eighteen years on, she is now one of the only TV presenter’s in the world with a physical disability. She’s also an artist and an award-winning disability advocate. Sophie speaks passionately about how adversity influences her life to be filled with more gratitude.In this chat with Fearne, Sophie talks about how, after her injury, she felt as paralysed by fear as she was by her physical body, but as she adapted to her body, and the inaccessible world around her, she found ways to embrace her ...
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Actress Tuppence Middleton is very clear that as an introvert, she is overwhelmed by being around other people and needs time alone to recharge. In this chat with Fearne, Tuppence discusses her OCD. Mental counting, checking lights, and checking taps are all current manifestations of it, but she acknowledges that her panic has taken different forms across different periods of her life. They also explore the themes touched upon in her new ITV show Our House, such as the practical aftermath of a relationship breakdown, particularly when there are shared h...
Do you ever stop and ask what’s driving your behavioural patterns? New York Times bestselling author and self-confessed spiritual junkie Gabby Bernstein has spent the last few years thinking about how traumas from her past were manifesting in the present as workaholism, drug abuse, and alcoholism. In this chat with Fearne, Gabby talks through how we use things like work, substances, or even spirituality to numb parts of ourselves that we don’t want to look at, but that they do serve a purpose in protecting us. She also explains how trauma can lead to us dissociate from, and even erase, memo...
For 17 years Björn Natthiko Lindeblad lived in Thailand’s jungle as a forest monk. He learnt how calm can encourage clarity of thought, that he preferred walking meditation to sitting, and that freedom can come from not being bound to material possessions.At the time of recording, Björn was very ill; he had ALS, a progressive nervous system disease. He knew that he would not be alive when this episode was released. In this chat with Fearne, he talks about how his time as a Buddhist monk helped him make peace with the idea of death.Björn’s book is called I May Be Wrong: And Other Wisdoms fro...
There’s bravery in wanting to connect with people in a truly authentic way. Musician Johnny Marr has found that across his career the songs people resonate with most are his most vulnerable, autobiographical tracks. Outside of music, there are lessons to be learnt there about how we might all best connect with each other.In this chat with Fearne, Johnny explains why it’s more valuable to be an expert than be famous, and why his best creative work often comes in the moments he’s not putting any pressure on himself to write a masterpiece.Johnny’s new double album ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’ is out...
What would you try if you didn’t have to do it perfectly? Best-selling author, and the ‘High Priestess of creativity’ Julia Cameron feels perfectionism is a stalling device. When we deny ourselves the right to attempt something, we in turn deny ourselves pleasure and joy.In this chat with Fearne, Julia explains why jealousy tells you what you really want and care about, and how this can be positively harnessed to shape your future. Plus she talks through non-religious prayer, and how getting in touch with a benevolent higher power – you might call this God, the universe, or something else –...
It’s often the case that fear is running the show. Dr Pippa Grange says it’s not always obvious that you’re afraid – you might be more familiar with the kind of fear you feel in the moment, like taking a driving test or giving a presentation – but it can in fact sneakily manifest as the chronic fear of not being good enough, and of being rejected.In this chat with Fearne, psychologist Pippa explains why you have to fail before you succeed. As the woman who supported the England football team during the 2018 World Cup, she explains when it’s important to set performance based goals, and when...
Do you find fitness and keeping your body healthy fun? Twins Dave and Steve Flynn – perhaps better known as The Happy Pear – love keeping fit in a way that feels like play. They listen to their bodies; they move intuitively. Sometimes that means handstands, sometimes it means yoga, and a lot of the time it means a cold morning swim in the Irish Sea.In this chat with Fearne, Dave and Steve explain why they feel community is the antithesis of loneliness, as all human beings ultimately have the same needs: to be accepted, seen, and loved. Plus, as fellow vegans, the three discuss getting more ...
Audiobook exclusive: Bigger Than Us.Calm anxiety through connection. Find happiness through purpose. Feel comfort in the universal. Think bigger to unlock you.In her new book, Bigger Than Us, Fearne Cotton seeks out the insight and advice of wise minds to explore what they can teach us to achieve happiness, connection and hope. Here, Fearne exclusively shares the introduction and first chapter of the book with Happy Place listeners.Bigger Than Us is available as a hardback, an ebook, and an audiobook from the 20th of January: https://smarturl.it/biggerthanusbookYou can get your audiobook ve...
It’s important to take time to figure out how to trust your own opinions of yourself rather than believing other peoples’ opinions of you. This is something author Freya North has been meditating on recently.In this chat, she and Fearne talk about how many of us are used to functioning at an extremely high level of stress without realising we’re pushing ourselves to breaking point, and Freya explains why she now gives as much attention to her emotional self as her physical self.Freya’s 15th novel, Little Wing, is published on 20th January by Welbeck, and is available in hardback or ebook. H...
You shouldn’t always believe your thoughts. Psychotherapist and meditation teacher Tara Brach feels freedom comes from understanding that you are not your thoughts; they’re real, but they’re not necessarily true. In this chat with Fearne, Tara explains how to challenge what you think your mind is telling you, especially about yourself. Plus, they discuss how gratitude and compassion towards others can alleviate suffering.Trusting the Gold is Tara’s new book, and it’s available now in hardback. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are you conscious of where the pressures you feel are coming from? Are they external or internal? Diver Tom Daley has been meditating on these different types of pressures recently, so in this chat he and Fearne discuss the power of validating ourselves rather than waiting for others to tell us we’re doing well. Plus, he explains the process he and husband Lance had to go through to adopt as a same sex couple, and how having a son has changed his view on chasing perfection.Tom’s book is called Coming Up For Air, and it’s out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this special episode, Fearne is joined by Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes from The High Performance Podcast. They all share their favourite moments from Happy Place and High Performance in 2021, and discuss the impact those chats had on them, as well as reflecting on what their guests have taught them this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Reflecting on experiences from childhood can help us understand who we are today. Radio 1 presenter Matt Edmondson has been learning music production – an entirely new skill for him – and has been using it to explore feelings about his past.In this chat with Fearne, he opens up about being diagnosed with cyclothymia and how this new knowledge of his moods has changed his life for the better, and how he’s learnt to control his flow states, rather than them controlling him.Matt’s podcast, Not Another Love Song, is available to listen to on all podcast platforms.CONTENT WARNING: This episode c...
Treating our soil differently could have a knock on effect on our physical and mental health, as well as the health of the environment. As one half of Groove Armada, Andy Cato travelled the world playing music, but for the last 15 years his MO has been revolutionising the way we grow food. In this chat with Fearne, he talks about the importance of re-connecting with nature and how we can all positively impact the planet via the food we eat. Discover more about Andy’s work at Wildfarmed: https://wildfarmed.co.uk/ and watch their short 7-minute film: "A Story About Bread" Click here to book y...
There’s never going to be anything comfortable about facilitating change, but if we deeply care about a cause we should do it nonetheless. As well as entertaining the nation on TV, Jamie Oliver has spent decades learning about, and fighting for, healthier food policies. In this chat, Fearne and Jamie explore how failure can ignite more fire in your belly, and why a little optimistic naivety might initiate more ground-breaking change than a measured approach.Jamie’s new recipe book is called Together: Memorable Meals Made Easy, and is available to buy now.Click here to book your ticket for F...
How good are you at getting quiet and sitting with yourself? Jazz singer Gregory Porter feels that this is the place your most authentic, distinctive creativity will come from.In this chat with Fearne, Gregory explains why you don’t need to be an overnight success. It’s ok to take your time, indeed you’ll benefit from taking that time to learn, and hone your craft. He also talks through the false starts his career has seen, and why it was his vivacious mother who encouraged him to keep persevering.Gregory’s new album, Still Rising, is out now, and he’ll be on tour in the UK in May 2022. Hos...
It’s much more productive – and will ultimately make you happier – to strive for excellence rather than perfection. A research professor at the University of Houston, Brené Brown has spent 20 years studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She’s clear that perfectionism is actually a defence mechanism to shield us from failure and shame. In this chat with Fearne, Brené explains the difference between guilt and shame, as the former can be helpful in some situations, whereas the latter can be debilitating and define entire lifetimes. Plus, they explore why humility and self-compass...
Although she keeps much of her life private, Leona Lewis has recently felt a real need to speak up. In this chat with Fearne, she talks through why she’s so passionate about issues including racism and animal welfare, as well as explaining where her impressive work ethic comes from. Leona is the UK’s Queen of Christmas; she’s all for embracing the magic the festive period brings because it’s so important for her to spend quality time with family. ‘Christmas, With Love Always’, a special repack of Leona’s 2013 festive album ‘Christmas, With Love’, is out now. Leona is also on a UK tour with ...
We are not living at a natural pace. The modern world forces us to move through life incredibly quickly; Shaman Jo Bowlby helps people slow down and embrace stillness. In this chat with Fearne, Jo explains why we should be pursuing wisdom rather than just intellect, why quieting our analytical mind can help us get back in touch with our human essence, and how to rid ourselves of self-limiting beliefs. A Book For Life: 10 Steps to Spiritual Wisdom, a Clear Mind and Lasting Happiness is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It’s never too late to make a change; Annie Mac has left Radio 1 after 17 years of broadcasting and is ready to embrace parts of her identity she hasn’t had time to explore until now. In this chat with Fearne, Annie talks about feeling that we need to allow people to be more than one thing - that we need to embrace the sunshine and joy, but the darkness and sadness too. Fearne and Annie also think about the notion of having endless space out in front of you and why, although scary, it might be positive to allow time to exist without plans. Annie’s debut novel, Mother Mother, is out now, and...
You’ve achieved the goals you set yourself for your career and personal life; what’s next? That’s the question Holly Willoughby has found herself asking recently.When you’re used to excellence and achievement, how do you break the loop of constantly living in the future, looking ahead instead of existing in the present and thinking about what will bring joy right now? In this chat with Fearne, Holly explores her experience of detaching from herself in order to feel safe, and how she’s discovered ways to come back to herself.Reflections: Life Lessons on Finding Beauty – Inside and Out untang...
It can at times feel like the cycle of negative news is endless, and living in fear can be debilitating, but ethologist and conservationist Dr Jane Goodall, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, is able to turn despair into hope. In this chat, she and Fearne talk about why we might want to be in nature to heal when feeling low, and where science and spirituality can interact. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide For an Endangered Planet is Jane’s new book, and it’s out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A person’s identity is not up for debate; drag queen Bimini Bon Boulash is on a mission to ensure everyone feels safe to express who they are without fear. In this chat, Fearne and Bimini explore how everyone can question and choose to reject societal rules that they don’t personally resonate with, as well as how to better understand and support others as they do the same.A sense of belonging can directly impact mental health, so they also discuss the benefits of social media in finding a community of likeminded people, and what we can learn about unleashing our inner confidence from drag q...
How kindly do you talk to yourself? TV host, author, and speaker Mel Robbins spent a lifetime caught in a loop of negative self-talk, but she’s now learnt how to validate herself in the way she champions others.In this chat with Fearne, she explains the importance of daily habits. There’s no silver bullet when it comes to building confidence; you have to be disciplined and put in the daily grind. Mel also explains what panic attacks actually are on a physiological level.Mel’s book, The High 5 Habit, is out now.CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of sexual abuse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
It’s often said that comparison is the thief of joy, and this proved to be true for Jesy Nelson. In this chat, she and Fearne talk through the fear of not being liked, and the freedom that’s come with reinventing herself as a solo artist.Jesy’s first solo single, Boyz, is out on Friday 8th October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
There’s adventure in not knowing what comes next, and having the confidence to throw yourself in anyway. Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl has spent a lifetime doing just that. In this chat with Fearne he explains why he wants to grow old gracefully, but stay young at heart by embracing the spirit of exploration and curiosity.More of Dave’s stories from his energetic life can be found in his new book, The Storyteller, out 5th October. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Gambling addictions are not well understood; former footballer Paul Merson is hoping to change that by sharing his own story. In this chat with Fearne, Paul explains why his having a gambling addiction really isn’t about the money. It’s about escapism, and experiencing extreme highs and lows.He also talks through the role that lying plays in addiction, and the relationships and practical coping mechanisms that now help him tackle one day at a time. It’s taken him many decades, but he now understands that addiction is an illness, and doesn’t make him a bad person.Paul’s book, Hooked: Addicti...
You are the sum of everyone who’s come before you in your family, and it can be useful to learn about your ancestors in order to understand how much of their character is in you. Actress Miriam Margolyes has a passion for genealogy and family trees; in this chat with Fearne, she discusses her own identity, and the parts of it that have made her feel like an outsider at times.We’re often scared to challenge things we don’t agree with, perhaps for fear of being disliked or cancelled, but Miriam explains how and why she’s always spoken her truth, even if it might be controversial.Miriam’s book...