Happy Place
288 episodes - English - Latest episode: 1 day ago - ★★★★★ - 365 ratingsFearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them.
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Episodes
Rylan
September 16, 2022 01:00 - 47 minutes - 65 MBHow good are you at being alone, both with your thoughts, and physically in public places? Rylan says that last year was the first time he really had to confront his own mental health, but doing so has helped him appreciate the joy in spending time alone. In this chat with Fearne, Rylan talks about how he’s been able to manifest what he wanted his life to look like, and not seek permission from others when it comes to deciding what he can and can’t do. They also share experiences of whether...
Olivia Harrison
September 15, 2022 01:00 - 40 minutes - 56.5 MBHow do you personally express love? Author, philanthropist, and award winning producer Olivia Harrison has a lifetime of memories with late husband George Harrison, the intricacies of which she felt compelled to write about in poetry. In this chat with Fearne, Olivia recounts stories from her life with George – including how important practices like meditation and gardening were to them – as well as talking about the undulating nature of grief. Olivia’s beautiful book of poetry, Came The L...
Matt Willis
September 14, 2022 01:00 - 47 minutes - 66.2 MBAddiction has dictated much of Matt Willis’ life, but the musician and actor has since learnt how to take responsibility for his actions and reactions. In this chat, Fearne and Matt explore the concept of shame, and how it can keep you suffering in silence, as well as why we need to be careful of celebrating addiction of any kind, even if it’s something society fundamentally values like work or exercise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee
September 13, 2022 01:00 - 58 minutes - 67.1 MBOur body’s stress response is cleverly designed to keep us safe, but the trouble now is that it’s being triggered by every day life – emails, caring commitments, social media, loneliness. Dr Rangan Chatterjee explains what the stress response is, and how using your physically body can often be the best way to calm your mind. In this chat, Fearne and Rangan also talk in great detail about the importance of sleep, and how to trust your own feelings rather than always needing science to back up...
DJ Fat Tony
September 07, 2022 01:00 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MBDJ Fat Tony has spent time actively learning what love is after being in abusive relationships and being an addict. Having done trauma therapy, he’s not only begun to understand what healthy relationships with others look like, but also how it feels to love himself, to have self-worth and self-compassion, and not be forced into silence by shame. In this chat, Fearne and Tony talk about the power and freedom that comes with saying out loud that you need help, as well as how much of a challen...
Tom Walker
September 06, 2022 01:00 - 48 minutes - 67.2 MBWhat happens when busy people stop being busy? Like everyone else, singer songwriter Tom Walker was forced to pause during the pandemic, and he’s clear that it did affect both his songwriting and the pace he lives at day to day. In this chat with Fearne, Tom explains how despite the music industry wanting to measure success by numbers, he’s able to measure his success by his own inner satisfaction. They also talk about the emotional power of epic songs, how even if they weren’t written abou...
Steven Bartlett
September 05, 2022 01:00 - 47 minutes - 65.7 MBFail fast. That’s the advice entrepreneur Steven Bartlett has for those who ultimately want to be successful, because the biggest risk isn’t failing, it’s procrastinating. In this chat with Fearne, Steven talks about how he’s seen first hand the damage being paralysed by decision making can do both in business and on a personal level. They also chat about why you’re already enough, that no matter what outward markers of success you achieve your fundamental value won’t change. That, Steven s...
Jordan Stephens
August 08, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBTime, money, and attention turned out to be a difficult combination for Jordan Stephens to cope with at the height of his Rizzle Kicks fame. In this chat with Fearne, Jordan opens up about his social anxiety, body dysmorphia, and the way he used to self-medicate ADHD. They also discuss when anger can be an incredibly useful emotion, and discover they have a shared core fear of getting things wrong. Jordan’s children’s book, The Missing Piece, is out on August 18th. Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Melanie Woods
August 01, 2022 01:00 - 27 minutes - 41.5 MBThis episode of Happy Place is made in partnership with The National Lottery. We’re in the midst of The Commonwealth Games, and thanks to National Lottery Players over £40million has been raised to support the 2022 Games. To mark the event, The National Lottery have launched a campaign celebrating some of the incredible athletes, including wheelchair racer Melanie Woods. In this chat with Fearne, Melanie talks about how her own journey coming to terms with being disabled has encouraged her...
Sonia Choquette
July 25, 2022 01:00 - 52 minutes - 75.2 MBYour spirit is fully equipped to take care of you. Your brain and your body might struggle but spiritual teacher and intuitive guide Sonia Choquette is clear that your sixth sense – your spirit, your intuition – can take care of you no matter what. In this chat with Fearne, Sonia explains how to tune into and trust your intuition, which will in turn open you up to a more fun, loving, and spontaneous life. Fearne and Sonia both share experiences of feeling a physical urge to trust their gut,...
Samantha Renke
July 18, 2022 01:00 - 52 minutes - 76.4 MBConstantly being subjected to micro-aggressions can feel like death by a thousand paper cuts; Samantha Renke is an actor, broadcaster, writer, and disability rights campaigner who has the confidence to call out ableism. In this chat, Fearne and Samantha explore where her innate sense of self-worth comes from, how we can all learn to become more confident, and how we can’t talk about an individual’s mental health without also talking about politics and systemic issues. They also cover risk-t...
Mya-Rose Craig
July 11, 2022 01:00 - 49 minutes - 71.8 MBPatience is a bit of a lost art, but it’s something that ‘Birdgirl’ Mya-Rose Craig is well practiced in. Mya-Rose is an ornithologist, an environmentalist, a diversity activist as well as a writer, speaker and broadcaster. Having been a twitcher – someone who travels to specific locations to spot birds – since she was days old, she revels in patiently waiting to see the next beautiful bird on her list. In this chat, Fearne and Mya-Rose talk about the connection between nature and mental hea...
Dame Kelly Holmes
July 04, 2022 01:00 - 52 minutes - 76.1 MBOlympian Dame Kelly Holmes recently announced publicly that she is gay. Although she’s acknowledged this truth privately for a number of decades, it’s only now that she’s felt able to begin living publicly her authentic self. Having served in the British military at a time when homosexuality was banned, Kelly had always feared serious repercussions, which only intensified when she became a celebrated world class athlete. In this chat with Fearne, Kelly talks through the painful – and hopefu...
Owen O'Kane
June 27, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 96.8 MBIf you tend to doubt yourself, do you know why? Psychotherapist, best-selling author, and former NHS lead for Mental Health Owen O’Kane has spent a lifetime unpicking his own past as a gay Irish Catholic child who was bullied and surrounded by bombs and bullets in the hope of understanding where his fear and shame in adulthood came from. In this chat, he and Fearne talk about why therapy isn’t just about talking – that’s just one part – it’s actually about so much more, like who you surroun...
Emma Barnett
June 20, 2022 01:00 - 59 minutes - 84.3 MBDo you have open conversations at work when you’re in pain emotionally or physically? After going through numerous rounds of IVF, as well as having a miscarriage, broadcaster, writer, and author Emma Barnett wants to re-brand pain as weakness into pain as strength, especially at work. In this chat with Fearne, she talks through the worries she had that she might be seen as greedy for wanting a second child through IVF when she’d already had a wonderful son by IVF, and how she’s put this sha...
Sara Cox
June 13, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 87.2 MBBroadcaster and author Sara Cox joins Fearne for a special live episode of Happy Place at The Podcast Show in Islington. A brilliant storyteller, Sara talks about the process of finding her own voice and becoming a confident raconteur both on the radio and in her personal life. In this chat, Fearne and Sara also explore friendships – how our friends heavily influence who we are as individuals, how to sustain friendships over a lifetime, and how to kindly break up with a friend if you notice...
Denise van Outen
June 06, 2022 01:00 - 53 minutes - 76 MBHeartbreak is a universal feeling, but everyone copes with it differently. Presenter, actor and singer Denise Van Outen tends to throw herself into work, keeping busy with exciting professional opportunities, to distract from any pain. In this chat with Fearne, Denise talks about how she’s learnt to accept being alone after heartbreak and acknowledge the stillness without constantly trying to fill the void. Close friends Fearne and Denise also share their experiences of raising blended fami...
Bonnie Wright
May 30, 2022 01:00 - 54 minutes - 77.9 MBWe can all feel paralysed by the guilt that we might not be doing enough to combat climate change, but actor, director, and environmental activist Bonnie Wright feels we should celebrate imperfect and in-process actions. A little can go a long way. In this chat with Fearne, Bonnie explains why it might be helpful to stop thinking about how we can make ourselves and our impact on the planet smaller, and instead think about how to make our positive impact even bigger. They also talk about how...
Prince's Trust Awards Special
May 26, 2022 01:00 - 37 minutes - 50.9 MBFearne is a Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health and Wellbeing for The Prince’s Trust, a brilliant charity that helps people who have faced disadvantage and adversity to get their lives on track, supporting them into education, training, and jobs. In this special episode, Fearne chats to Emma-May about the role The Prince’s Trust has played in helping her grow in confidence, both practically and emotionally. Emma-May has been a carer for her parents since she was eleven-years-old, and stru...
Amanda de Cadenet
May 23, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 89.1 MBWho gets to decide who and what you are? Amanda de Cadenet quit the fame she’d found on British TV after being hounded by the press. She was seen through the eyes of others – journalists, photographers, and viewers – so she chose to reclaim her image by becoming a photographer herself, and reclaimed her voice by starting her own chat shows. In this chat with Fearne, Amanda talks about speaking up when you can’t hear the conversations you and others like you need in order to feel understood ...
Minnie Driver
May 16, 2022 01:00 - 55 minutes - 78.9 MBWhat do you feel the meaning of life is? Purpose? Happiness? Does it matter if we’re not sure? In this chat, Fearne and actor Minnie Driver explore how it might gently fluctuate as we go through different stages of our lives. Minnie also talks about her innate ability to articulate emotion, something that was often agony during her childhood, but has now allowed her to parent her own son in a deeply empathetic way. Minnie’s memoir(ish) is out now; it’s called Managing Expectations. Hoste...
Jonny Wilkinson
May 09, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 91.9 MBRugby player Jonny Wilkinson was once driven by a quest for perfection, and an obsession with becoming the best player in the world. Now though, he’s learning to be content with who he is in the present. In this chat, Jonny and Fearne explore the idea that sometimes our own imagination is what’s limiting our idea of success before we’ve even begun, and they wonder if our understanding of ‘ambition’ needs to be reframed to be more inclusive of the journey, not just the final outcome. Listen...
Hanson
May 02, 2022 01:00 - 58 minutes - 82.5 MBIt’s been thirty years since brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson started making music together, but despite growing up under the spotlight they’ve retained an incredibly strong sense of self. In this chat with Fearne, they talk about the role their parents and faith played in helping them stay grounded in a turbulent world. They also give an insight into the unique role each of them plays in the band, and share their thoughts on social media and the way it drives us to feel we have to ha...
Giselle La Pompe-Moore
April 25, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBWe’ve been encouraged to suppress our intuition, to look to others for answers instead of trusting that we already have the answers within ourselves. Spiritual guide and teacher Giselle La Pompe Moore is determined to help us return to our authentic selves. In this chat, Fearne and Giselle share their belief that spirituality isn’t an elite club that centres around buying stuff. Physical items like crystals, sage, or tarot cards can be a wonderful addition if you ascribe meaning to them, bu...
Emma Gannon
April 18, 2022 01:00 - 55 minutes - 77.9 MBYou might feel aware that the internet makes you feel strangely disconnected from others, but writer and podcaster Emma Gannon feels it makes us disconnect from ourselves too. In this chat, Emma and Fearne dissect cancel culture and why we’ve got to allow each other the space to learn and grow, as well as why our offline activity should take precedence, because actions speak louder than token words on a screen. They also talk about how the biggest crime now seems to be not having an opinion...
Will Young
April 11, 2022 01:00 - 1 hour - 92.2 MBIf you’re a high achiever, do you ever wonder if you sometimes use success to mask pain? Performer Will Young recognises this is something he did for many years. Now though, he’s discovered the importance of actively connecting to others and physically moving trauma out of his body when he finds himself in a low place. In this chat with Fearne he explains how he spent much of his career comparing himself to others in a way that was crippling for his mental health, and they both explore why ...
Ruth Wilson
March 28, 2022 01:00 - 71.5 MBActor Ruth Wilson feels she can’t help but bring the essence of herself to all the characters she plays. She’s learnt that in both her professional and personal life the most rewarding moments come from being the most authentic version of herself. In this chat with Fearne, Ruth wonders whether embodying so many different characters has helped her be less judgemental of other people and herself in real life, and they both explore how we can learn more about ourselves through our relationship...
Happy Place – Mother’s Day Special
March 27, 2022 01:00 - 42 minutes - 60.1 MBWhy can it feel more difficult to talk about mental health with the people you’re related to? In this Mother’s Day special of Happy Place, Fearne and her mum Lin explore their shared ancestry, wondering how much of who they are and what they feel is down to nature, and how much is nurture. In this chat, Fearne hears about her maternal grandmother, who she’s always known suffered mentally, but has only recently learnt more of the details from her own mum. They also touch on how Lin inspired ...
Clover Stroud
March 21, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 99.5 MBDeath 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 tal...
Sophie Morgan
March 14, 2022 02:00 - 88 MBAt 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...
Tuppence Middleton
March 07, 2022 02:00 - 57 minutes - 81.3 MBAre 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 Hou...
Gabby Bernstein
February 28, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 88 MBDo 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 pu...
Björn Natthiko Lindeblad
February 21, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 106 MBFor 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 he...
Johnny Marr
February 14, 2022 00:00 - 1 hour - 87.9 MBThere’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...
Julia Cameron
February 07, 2022 02:00 - 43 minutes - 61.2 MBWhat 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 getti...
Dr Pippa Grange
January 31, 2022 02:00 - 56 minutes - 79.2 MBIt’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 te...
The Happy Pear
January 24, 2022 02:00 - 57 minutes - 80.5 MBDo 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 t...
Bigger Than Us - Happy Place exclusive
January 19, 2022 02:00 - 2 hours - 183 MBAudiobook 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,...
Freya North
January 17, 2022 02:00 - 1 hour - 97 MBIt’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 1...
Tara Brach
January 10, 2022 02:00 - 52 minutes - 72.6 MBYou 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 hardb...
Tom Daley
January 03, 2022 02:00 - 58 minutes - 81 MBAre 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 ca...
Best of the year on Happy Place
December 31, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 96.9 MBIn 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.
Matt Edmondson
December 27, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 107 MBReflecting 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, ...
Andy Cato
December 20, 2021 02:00 - 59 minutes - 83.5 MBTreating 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 Wildfarm...
Jamie Oliver
December 13, 2021 02:00 - 1 hour - 88.7 MBThere’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 calle...
Gregory Porter
December 06, 2021 02:00 - 50 minutes - 70.5 MBHow 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 per...
Brené Brown
November 29, 2021 02:00 - 56 minutes - 78.4 MBIt’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...
Leona Lewis
November 22, 2021 02:00 - 48 minutes - 68.1 MBAlthough 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 ...
Jo Bowlby
November 15, 2021 02:00 - 55 minutes - 76.4 MBWe 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 i...
Annie Mac
November 08, 2021 02:00 - 52 minutes - 72.2 MBIt’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, i...