Happy Place

The concept of a mid-life crisis has become a funny cliché, and that’s what Christian O’Connell jokingly told people he was having when he left his successful radio career in the UK to start a new life in Australia in 2018. The truth was that he had had what he now recognises as a break down, and needed to find adventure and joy as an adult to reignite the fire in his belly.In this chat, Fearne and Christian share their experiences of having panic attacks, and compare notes on how they both use distraction techniques to avoid confronting difficult realities.Christian’s book, No One Listens To Your Dad’s Show, is out now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In April 2021, Ashley Cain’s eight month old daughter Azaylia Diamond Cain passed away. At eight weeks old she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukaemia; Ashley and his partner Safiyya captured the nation’s hearts as they used social media to document their journey, raise awareness for childhood cancer and encourage people to become bone marrow donors both for their daughter and thousands of other children.In this chat with Fearne, Ashley talks for the first time since Azaylia’s death about losing his child, about helping others grieve, and about why he feels he now has a real purpose for the first time in his life.To find out more about the Azaylia Foundation, and to donate, visit www.theazayliafoundation.com IG: @theazayliafoundationTwitter: @azayliafdnFacebook: @theazayliafoundationCONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about the grief of losing a child throughout, so do take care while listening.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy

Becoming a parent will have its highs and lows for everyone, but Frankie Bridge became a mum knowing she already had existing mental health issues to contend with too. In this chat with Fearne, Frankie discusses how she talks to her children about their own emotions as well as hers. Publicly we’re having more frank conversations about post-natal depression, but antenatal depression still isn’t discussed as widely, so Frankie also opens up about her mental health while she was pregnant. Frankie’s book, Grow: Motherhood, Mental Health, and Me, is out now.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Confidence fluctuates and has to be practiced daily. Natalie Imbruglia feels writing her new album has allowed her to regain confidence after finding herself on shaky ground. In this chat with Fearne, she explains why she now chooses to live in the moment and not make plans, and why she thinks there’s strength in allowing yourself to fall apart, because there’s often a breakthrough on the other side. Natalie’s new album, Firebird, is out on September 24th.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Many of us are guilty of refusing to stop, of continuing to distract ourselves while anxieties build beneath the surface. This is something BAFTA-winning actress Suranne Jones tackles in her new TV show I Am Victoria. In this chat with Fearne, Suranne talks about the grief of losing her mum shortly after having a baby, and why she wanted to draw on her own experience of managing her mental health to create character Victoria.I Am Victoria is available to watch now on All4.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Climate change will cause the biggest mass migration in history. Filmmakers and storytellers Jack Harries, Finn Harries, and Alice Aedy have founded creative studio earthrise to document the human stories of those on the climate front lines. They believe in progress, not perfection, and hope the stories they tell will encourage action through inspiring hope for a better future.In this chat with Fearne, the powerful trio talk through what they’ve learnt about managing their own mental health as activists being constantly bombarded with overwhelming and exhausting information.You can keep up to date with earthrise, read their articles, donate to CHOOSE EARTH and watch their documentary content by heading over to www.earthrise.studio.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Over the last ten years, author, journalist, and broadcaster Caitlin Moran has learnt that we have to allow feminism to evolve as both society and our own priorities change. In this chat with Fearne, Caitlin explores the benefits of social media in amplifying women’s voices, why it’s so important for women to stop picking apart their own bodies, and how best to prepare children for the adult world they’ll soon find themselves in.CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about eating disorders and sexual assault.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nostalgia – keeping souvenirs of poignant moments – plays a big part in allowing poet and bestselling author Charly Cox to fill her life with meaning. Choosing to be sentimental can help us take stock and celebrate where challenges have been overcome. In this chat with Fearne, Charly explains what it means to live with Bipolar II, including both manic highs and depressive lows, and how writing helps her make sense of her thoughts.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

You might not expect a global pop star to want to embrace being average, but Anne-Marie feels that might be one of the keys to happiness. She’s been seeking therapy from both writing music and seeing a psychiatrist, and in this chat with Fearne shares what she’s learnt about how being bullied at school affected her, and how to boost self-worth as an adult.Anne-Marie’s second studio album, Therapy, is out on 23rd July, and her first book, You Deserve Better, is available from 30th September.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Practicing being present has been huge in helping James Arthur manage his anxiety and panic attacks. He’s sold 30 million records worldwide, but with incredible success and adoration comes scrutiny and judgement. In this chat with Fearne, James shares how he handles outside opinion, and what he’s been learning about how trauma during his formative years still affects him now.Vote for Happy Place as your Listeners’ Choice at the British Podcast Awards: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/vote?utm_source=emailoctopus&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Listeners%27%20Choice%20SellThanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wellness doesn’t have to mean crystals and spirulina. Ella Mills, who’s been synonymous with wellness as the founder of deliciously ella for almost a decade, feels that it needs to be rebranded to encompass super simple principles like sleeping well and breathing calmly. In this chat, Fearne and Ella share stories of the people in their lives who keep them rational and grounded, as well as talking about why it’s probably healthy to accept that women can’t have it all.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some elements of happiness are circumstantial – where we’re born, and our biology – but there are many elements that we personally have control over. Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, based in Denmark, and he feels we’d all be happier if we focused more on the smaller choices we can control. That, he explains, is where the Danish art of hygge comes in.In this chat with Fearne, Meik explores why policy makers would do well to consider the happiness of their country as an important element of national health – happy citizens are more likely to earn more, less likely need the health service, and more likely to perform random acts of kindness.Meik’s books, The Little Book of Hygge, The Little Book of Lykke, and The Art of Making Memories are all out now.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Radical vulnerability is something New York Times bestselling author Jedidiah Jenkins does his best to practice with those around him. As he entered his 30s, he travelled from Oregon to Patagonia by bicycle, and the journey turned out to be just as much emotional as it was physical. One of the things he learnt is that vulnerability breeds vulnerability, that once you share your truth, others will feel safe to share their true selves with you too, and that can only be a good thing. In this chat, Fearne and Jedidiah explore their own experiences of using disembodying as a coping mechanism during difficult or painful moments in life, as well as what they each believe the soul really is.Both of Jedidiah’s life-changing books, To Shake The Sleeping Self and Like Streams To The Ocean, are available now.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-

Mike Kerr is the lead singer and bassist of Royal Blood. As the band’s success grew, alcohol became an integral part of his life, but he’s now been sober for two years, and is thriving both personally and as a musician. In this chat with Fearne, Mike explores the new ways he’s found to release the energy and adrenaline that come with being a live performer, including running, kite-surfing, and cold-water swimming. Plus, Fearne explains why she thinks this game-changing moment in Mike’s life might be something to do with his Saturn Return…Royal Blood’s latest album, Typhoons, is out now.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Becoming a father has opened Rag ‘N’ Bone Man - real name Rory - up to being more honest about his emotions both with his family and in his music. In this chat, he and Fearne bond over their shared love of tattoos and inability to sleep well, and talk through how they’ve learnt to say ‘no’ to projects and events they’re just not enthusiastic about.Rag ‘N’ Bone Man’s album, Life By Misadventure, is out now.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Panic, indecisiveness, procrastination – all common, every day moods that can frustrate, and even paralyse, our ability to move forward. Dr Olivia Remes, a mental health researcher at the University of Cambridge, wants to help you overcome these moods so that you can really thrive.In this chat with Fearne, she explains how characteristics like confidence and charisma can be learned, how to make new healthy habits stick, and how real personal growth can come from the most painful of situations.Olivia’s book, The Instant Mood Fix, is published by Happy Place books. It’s perfect for dipping in and out of during those moments when you need it most, and is available to buy now at bookshop.org.Thanks to Stripe and Stare for sponsoring this series of Happy Place. Use the code HP20 when you make your purchase at stripeandstare.com for a 20% discount.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Recently appointed by the Prime Minister as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to the government, Dr Alex George is on a mission to make mental health education compulsory in schools. In this chat with Fearne, the A&E doctor explains why his goal is to ensure mental health sits alongside the likes of maths and English on the curriculum, and what we can all be doing to look after both our mental and physical health every day.Alex’s book, Live Well Every Day, is available to buy from May 13th.Thanks to the sponsors of this series of Happy Place, WeDo/. Find out more, and get your hands on lots of exclusive offers, by visiting wedoact.com/happy.Content warning: this episode includes conversations about suicide, so please do take care while listening.In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.  See acast.com/priv

Former footballer Ian Wright is adored and revered by millions of people, but as a result of his traumatic childhood he hasn’t always recognised or trusted his success. The victim of domestic abuse as a child, Ian has spent the past few years bravely delving into his past experiences, both personally, and for a BBC documentary that he hopes will help others feel supported. In this chat with Fearne Ian is incredibly introspective about what he’s learnt about feeling anger and accepting love over his lifetime.Ian Wright: Home Truths airs on the BBC on May 6th at 9pm, and will also be available on BBC iPlayer for you to watch in your own time.Thanks to the sponsors of this series of Happy Place, WeDo/. Find out more, and get your hands on lots of exclusive offers, by visiting wedoact.com/happy. Content warning: this episode includes conversations about domestic abuse.In the UK, the National Centre for Domestic Violence can be reached www.ncdv.org.uk or 0800 9702070The Hampton Trust can be found https://hamp

We’re beginning to understand that ‘having it all’ is an unrealistic and stressful goal to work towards. Instead, perhaps we need to be thinking about where to prioritise our energy. Family? Social life? Work? There’s no right or wrong answer, but we do have to be honest with ourselves about how much we can cope with. In this chat with Fearne, Billie Piper explains why she’s so passionate about portraying characters who are just as complex on screen as we are in real life. She’s not willing to hide away from tricky emotions, in fact her latest TV work has seen her really lean into pain, with the ultimate goal of making us all feel less alone.Thanks to the sponsors of this series of Happy Place, WeDo/. Find out more, and get your hands on lots of exclusive offers, by visiting wedoact.com/happy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We’re surrounded by 2 billion tonnes of plastic – 8 million of which flow into our oceans every year. Those are some pretty upsetting numbers, but by the end of this episode you’ll understand that you’re not helpless; you personally have a huge amount of power to reverse the problem.David Katz is the compassionate founder behind a clever enterprise that turns plastic into wealth. Plastic Bank works with communities under the poverty line to simultaneously empower individuals, and reduce ocean plastic. David explains to Fearne exactly how you can make a real difference in reducing ocean plastic by voting with your wallet. For example, the sponsors of this series of Happy Place, professional natural hair care brand weDo/, have teamed up with Plastic Bank, so for every one weDo/ product you buy, an incredible eight items of plastic waste are removed from our environment and our oceans. WeDo/ buyers have helped collect over three million plastic bottles since launch, and this Earth Day they’re inviting you t