Happy Place

Happy Place

Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

October 12, 2025 65 mins

Blame isn’t helpful. Illustrator and author Charlie Mackesy thinks learning to forgive yourself and others will lead to more peace.


In this chat, Fearne and Charlie talk from personal experience about just how physical shame can feel. Charlie explains how fear of abandonment keeps us silent about our insecurities, but that in reality the moment we start talking about our shame is the moment real human connection is made.


Char...

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What did you love doing when you were 10 years old? Broadcaster Greg James reckons we all need to prioritise fun and silliness more, and thinking about your childhood passions is a great place to start.


In this chat, Fearne and Greg talk about how bleak, boring, and anxiety-inducing being a responsible grown up can be sometimes, and why that means it’s vital to choose to laugh every day.


Greg also explains why it’s important ...

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Loved Ones – the Happy Place Book Club pick for September – tells the story of Julia, whose first love Gabe dies aged 29, launching her into a world-wide quest to recover the possessions he left with friends and acquaintances across the world. It also brings her into contact with the last woman Gabe loved...


In this chat, Fearne and author Aisha Muharrar wonder what would happen if you met others who had dated the same pers...

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September always has a back-to-school feeling, so this episode is all about getting back into a successful work routine after the summer, without burning yourself out...


In this episode –


-Entrepreneur Grace Beverley chats through how to set boundaries to create a work life balance that works for you, and how to create new organisation habits so you can spend less time procrastinating


-Researcher Brene Brown tackles perfec...

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Lulu shot to fame at 15, and she’s been playing that part, masking who she really is – Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie – for the six decades since.


In this chat with Fearne, Lulu explains how she felt that everything from her real name and accent, to her personality and childhood weren’t good enough, so she created a character for the public to love. However, this kind of emotional suppression can have painful consequences, and...

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Gavin and Stacey’s Joanna Page didn’t want kids, until she suddenly did at 35! In this chat with Fearne, Joanna explains how she had to bring her baby on set in order to keep working as a new mum, and why she ultimately decided to focus on family over career.


They chat about why it’s ok to do average – or even shit – work sometimes, and why perfection doesn’t need to be the goal. Joanna’s noticed on set that younger women seem t...

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Men are starting to open up. Presenter and comedian Paddy McGuinness used to work on building sites where vulnerability would have been seen as a weakness, but he’s seen things changing...


In this chat with Fearne, Paddy talks about his own clinical depression, and what he’s learnt from therapy about keeping his mental health in check. He explains that understanding why you’re reacting a certain way will give you the power to ch...

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Cally Beaton spent much of her career in male-dominated board rooms. She, in her own words, was a ‘boring businessperson’. Now? She’s a stand up comedian!


Namaste Motherfuckers was the Happy Place Book Club pick for August. It’s Cally’s manifesto for embracing the radical change that comes with midlife and menopause, proving it’s never too late to reinvent your life.


In this chat with Fearne, Cally explains that she’s particu...

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Have you noticed your body changing with age? Vogue Williams has suddenly become aware that she needs to make a point of staying physically and mentally strong.


In this chat with Fearne, Vogue explains why having a drink and having fun are just as important as exercising and sleeping well when it comes to feeling good. She talks through how her health anxieties have manifested in the past, and how she’s used medication and thera...

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Can women have it all? Renowned restauranteur, cookery writer, and Great British Bake Off judge Dame Prue Leith doesn’t think so.


In this chat with Fearne, Prue explains why she’s glad she built her career before having children, and why no one should feel ashamed of asking for help with their business or family in order to keep everything afloat.


Prue – who had the confidence to found a restaurant when she’d never worked in ...

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Fearne’s been loving the UEFA Women’s EUROS, so this episode celebrates the huge summer of sport we’re having by listening back to some brilliant sportspeople who’ve told their stories on Happy Place. Plus, if you’ve been inspired to move your own body more, how can you set your own fitness goals and – most importantly! – enjoy the process?


In this episode – 


-Broadcaster Gabby Logan reflects on just how momentous it was...

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Do you notice your body telling you when your brain is struggling? We’re headed back to this year’s Happy Place Festival in Gunnersbury Park, where loads of our guest speakers took to the Talk Stage to talk about the power of the mind-body connection...

 

In this episode – 


- Breath and mindset coach Richie Norton explores the mind-body connection and how you can always start over with your physical and mental health


...

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Are you obsessed with finding the best books – yes, multiple – to read on holiday? Broadcaster Sara Cox is!


Welcome to The Happy Place Guide To Holidays! In this chat – brought to you by British Airways Holidays – Fearne and Sara share their thoughts on how to take your holiday reading more seriously. They natter about the joy of reading a novel set in the country you’re holidaying in, and whether the vivid descriptions of a loc...

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Getting lost in anxiety, shame, or self-loathing? Spiritual leader Gabby Bernstein wants you to acknowledge all the messy parts of your true character. Spoiler: you’re not going suddenly to like yourself overnight, but acknowledging the uncomfortable bits will get you there sooner!


In this chat with Fearne, Gabby explains how ‘protector parts’ like perfectionism, people pleasing, and numbing out can spiral into extreme self-soot...

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Do you love a true crime scam documentary? Our latest Happy Place Book Club read is for you! Iconic author Lisa Jewell has written Don’t Let Him In, a thriller about a perfect man... who’s a fraudulent liar.


In this chat with Fearne, live from The Happy Place Festival, Lisa explains how she got into the mind of a psychopath despite being a very honest person herself. They explore how people fall for charming romance scammers, an...

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Are holidays for switching off... or for fun activities? Broadcaster Clara Amfo is big into travelling solo so she can unapologetically indulge her own passions, like live music and salsa dancing.


Welcome to The Happy Place Guide To Holidays! In this chat – brought to you by British Airways Holidays – Fearne and Clara share their thoughts on how to take your holiday hobbies and passions more seriously, including signing up for l...

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Are you living the life you want to live? Broadcaster Davina McCall’s recent health scare has shown her the importance of living boldly, with no regrets.


In this chat, live from The Happy Place Festival, best pals Fearne and Davina share how having tumours removed within a few months of each other brought them closer together.


Davina explains how you can turn fear into joy through mindset changes, and how to apologise so you’...

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It’s ok to make mistakes! Comedian Harriet Kemsley says her dyspraxia meant she learnt very early on not to take herself too seriously.


In this chat with Fearne, live from The Happy Place Festival, Harriet explains how to get through the cringe part where you’re really rubbish at something new, and why it builds resilience for all parts of your life.


Harriet also chats about the chaos that comes with co-parenting and dating a...

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It’s National Orgasm Day on July 31st, so Fearne is listening back to Happy Place conversations about female sexuality, fantasy, and – obviously – orgasms, so that we can reclaim our bodies and desires as our own...


In this episode – 


- Crystal Hefner describes what it was like living as a sexualised woman at the Playboy House


-Emily Ratajkowski unpacks how we can remove our sexuality from the male gaze


-Dita Von T...

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Be honest... do you pick your holiday destination based on the food you can eat there? You’re in good company – that’s just what Richard E. Grant does!


Welcome to The Happy Place Guide To Holidays! In this chat – brought to you by British Airways Holidays – Fearne and Richard share their thoughts on how to take your holiday food and drink more seriously, including asking mates (Nigella Lawson, if you’re Richard!) for recommendat...

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