Happy Place

How 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 Lightening, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Addiction 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.

Our 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 your lived experience.Rangan is the host of the Feel Better Live More podcast and author of 5 Sunday Times bestselling books including his latest Happy Mind Happy Life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

DJ 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 challenge it is to unlearn and re-learn behaviours.Tony’s memoir, I Don’t Take Requests, is available now at all major book retailers.CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about child abuse and suicide, so do take care while listening.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What 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 about whatever we’re personally going through, they can deeply resonate and be genuinely life changing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fail 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 says, should be liberating. It doesn’t mean you can’t be ambitious for your future, but it means you’ll choose to be ambitious about things you care about, not what you think will impress others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time, 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This 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 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 to see the excitement in trying new things. Getting started, she says, is often the hardest part, but there are always opportunities to gain new skills and confidence. They also chat about how to deal with pressure, especially when doubts creep in, and why it’s so important to lean in to hard work and persistence. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your 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, even though they weren’t entirely sure why, and their guts were giving them a feeling for very good reasons...A new, revised version of Sonia’s book, Trust Your Vibes, is out now, and you can join her Good Vibe Tribe here: https://soniachoquette.net/join-our-tribe/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Constantly 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-taking, cats, and nipple hair...Samantha’s book, You Are The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread, is published by Happy Place Books, part of Ebury, and is out on July 21st. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Patience is a bit of a lost art, but it’s something that ‘Bird Girl’ 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 health, as well as how activities that get you outside are vital in making and maintaining relationships with loved ones through sharing a lived experience rather than a digital one.Mya-Rose’s book, Bird Girl, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Olympian 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 hopeful – journey that’s brought her to a place where she feels confident to live entirely authentically, as well as delving into the mental, emotional, and physical stress of hiding such a huge part of her identity for so long.Kelly Holmes: Being Me is available to watch back on ITV Hub.CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about self harm, so take care while listening. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If 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 surround yourself with, how you set boundaries, and the types of choices you make. Owen also explores what he’s learnt about living a full life from working with people who are dying in palliative care.Owen’s new book, How To Be Your Own Therapist, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Do 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 shame to bed. They also explore the often cruel language around infertility, and the difference between sympathy and empathy when it comes to difficulties conceiving.You can sign up to Emma’s new newsletter, ‘Trying’, here: https://emmabarnett.substack.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Broadcaster 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 they’re really just a drain on your energy.Sara’s novel, Thrown, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Heartbreak 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 families, and chat about how much of your heartbreak – or any other pain – you should share with your kids.Denise’s book, ‘A Bit of Me: From Basildon, to Broadway, and Back’, is available to buy now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We 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 to find the best place to start making that impact in your own life, by concentrating on an area you’re already interested in like cooking, gardening, cleaning, or technology.Bonnie’s book, Go Gently: Actionable Steps To Nurture You And The Planet, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fearne 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 struggled with her mental health after many years of personal challenges at school that left her with severe anxiety and low self-confidence. Now, she’s studying for a law degree and is much more comfortable in larger groups of people.As well as catching up on Emma-May’s progress, Fearne has a very special surprise for her at the end of the episode...The Prince’s Trust Awards in association with TK Maxx & Homesense will be on TV on Thursday 26th May at 8.30pm on ITV. See acast.com/privacy f

Who 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 and supported. They also explore how ego can get in the way of allowing ourselves to learn and grow.Amanda hosts VS Voices, an interview podcast for Victoria’s Secret. Season two kicks off in June. Alongside her ongoing show The Conversation, she’s launching a new series called The Conversation: About The Men, which will be available in August. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What 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. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.