Happy Place

Change is scary but liberating. Grief has galvanised musician Jess Glynne, changing her outlook on life and making her more fearless. In this chat with Fearne, Jess explains why learning that life is short has helped her trust her gut and make decisions that really serve her personally and professionally, rather than internalising other people’s feedback. Fearne and Jess also talk through how to forgive both yourself and others for fucking up. We’re all going to make mistakes, so they chat about how we can give each other some grace and a space to learn, rather than creating a culture of fear. Jess’ new album – Jess – is out on April 26th, and her latest single, Enough, is out now.Listen to Glennon Doyle's episode of Happy Place here!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Distress can be transformed into growth. Having had breast cancer, a double mastectomy, and Chron’s, music icon Anastacia knows all too well how to be resilient through health scares. In this chat, Fearne and Anastacia discuss how mindset and perspective can make a huge difference to our reality, especially for someone like Anastacia, who says she’s both an anxious and an optimistic person. Plus, given the voices in her head that often told her she wasn’t pretty enough, Anastacia also gives advice on how to be ok with not looking like everyone else on the internet, and how to resist the urge to always use filters when posting online. Anastacia’s new album, Our Songs, is out now. It celebrates the music Anastacia fell in love with while in Germany and presents 12 English-language interpretations of German top hits from the 1980s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do you want to say that you’re not saying? After decades in the music industry Natasha Bedingfield has learnt from experience that being true to ourselves has to be more important than being liked. In this chat, Fearne and Natasha explore practical ways to speak up and assert yourself, with Natasha drawing inspiration from the way legends like Tina Turner physically take control of their voice in order to be seen and heard. Plus, not concerned by prescriptive parenting guidelines, they share their own unique techniques, proving every family should feel able to live by the rules that make most sense to all the individual characters in the mix.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Playboy mansion was supposed to be a place of freedom, expression and empowerment for Crystal Hefner, but it turned out to be the total opposite. As one of the girlfriends – and then wife – of Hugh Hefner, she had to be seen and not heard. In this chat with Fearne, Crystal explains how living in the Playboy mansion saw her pitted against other women and picked apart for her appearance. Recognising the financial abuse in particular, she began saving her own money, which eventually created a foundation from which to rebuild her life, and self-worth, when Hef died.  Fearne and Crystal also chat about how to start discovering what you like, and what makes you happy, after previously living for other people. Plus, how to move away from feeling your self worth hinges on your appearance.  Crystal’s book, Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A good life isn’t necessarily a comfortable, easy life. Neuroscientist Tj Power knows that an element of effort and challenge is vital in keeping our minds happy. In this chat with Fearne, Tj explains why it’s an issue for our mental health that the modern world enables us to get dopamine hits with zero effort. Similarly, he reckons being bored is a really solid antidote to being overstimulated and anxious. They talk through ways to naturally boost and balance brain chemicals like oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins, using his science-backed DOSE method. Plus, Tj offers tips on how to reinforce positive behaviours and habits rather than dwelling on the shit parts of life. TJ’s book, The DOSE Effect, will be out later this year. Listen to the Happy Place episode about tackling the Shitty Committee in your mind here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we making ourselves unhappy by setting unrealistic expectations for our relationships? Matchmaker Paul C Brunson thinks we might just be. In this chat, Fearne and Paul explore attachment theory, communication styles, and the idea that instead of looking for ‘the one’ we should prioritise doing more of the things that light us up. Plus, Paul explains why the biggest rule of dating is to find the person you want to break the rules with... Paul’s book, Find Love, is published by Happy Place Books on February 1st.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When judge ourselves less, we judge each other less too, and vice versa. Activist and broadcaster Emma Dabiri’s academic work critiques the image-conscious society we live in. In this chat, Fearne and Emma explore attitudes to everything from ageing, to weight, to race. Plus, Emma explains how much of our beauty culture is specific to the West, by comparing it to other cultures around the world. They also talk about how we can critique beauty culture while still loving the magic of self-expression and adornment and art. Emma’s book, Disobedient Bodies: Reclaim Your Unruly Beauty, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fearne wants to f*ck Blue Monday and help you make it whatever kind of Monday you want! Today, she’s revisiting past podcast conversations (and some never heard before on the show!) to help you address the Shitty Committee in your mind. No matter how loud those rubbish voices in your heard are right now, these chats might just trigger a tiny mindset or perspective shift that’ll help you feel better able to cope when those shitty voices next pop up. If you’re in need of a real mood boost, head over to @happyplaceofficial on Instagram to watch the F*ck Blue Monday video, and join in the conversation. Watch Julia Samuel’s What Is How To video Listen to Vex King’s episode Listen to Ruby Wax’s episode Listen to Sonia Choquette’s episode Listen to Tim Peake’s episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The character trait you feel most tortured by is probably your best one too. Musician Tom Odell feels his perfectionism can make life challenging, but acknowledges it also plays a part in his success. In this chat, Tom talks about feeling fewer physical symptoms of anxiety since his last chat with Fearne in 2019, as well as how music helps him feel emotions more deeply, and understand them with more clarity. Plus, they talk about how a wedding day can bring out real tenderness in people. Tom's new album, Black Friday, is out on January 26th. His UK tour in March is sold out and final tickets are available for his headline shows at Alexandra Palace Park (July 19th), Dublin (June 26th) and Halifax Piece Hall (June 30th).  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imposter syndrome is likely to affect all of us at some point in our life; Michelle Keegan still feels it every time she finishes an acting job. In this chat with Fearne, Michelle talks about her disciplined work ethic, as well as how she’s learnt to cope well with the amount of rejection in her industry. They also chat about why setting boundaries – especially drawing lines between personal and professional life – is so important. Plus, they wonder why it still feels important in adulthood to seek validation from our parents. Fool Me Once is available to watch on Netflix now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if instead of New Year New Me, we switched it to New Year More Me? ‘Tapping Queen’ Poppy Delbridge shares a simple way to unlock the potential we already have inside us. In this chat with Fearne, Poppy talks through the practice of tapping, and how it can help with everything from dealing with phobias, to breaking negative thought patterns, and visualising the future you want.  They also talk about why acknowledgement and acceptance are big parts of moving forward from your current difficult situation. Plus, there’s a live tapping session to help you go confidently into the new year. If you want to enjoy the benefits of tapping sign up to the Happy Place App today and discover a range of Poppy’s practices that can help with anything from anxiety to motivation or simply bringing a moment of happiness in your day!  Sign up through App Store or Google Play store.  https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/happy-place-fearne-cotton/id1635145849  Hosted on Acast. See acas

Which parts of your life are put under a microscope over the festive period? Maybe you notice niggling difficulties amongst family members, or perhaps as we approach the new year you want a bit of motivation to help you take control of the life you want to live. In this episode, Fearne chats about the Happy Place conversations that have had a tangible impact on her own life in 2023, as well as the episodes that could be particularly helpful for all of us at this time of year. Fearne reflects on her chats with Jay Shetty, Kesha, Professor David Nutt, and many others, covering issues including arguments, addiction, and cultivating a kinder relationship with yourself.Listen to the full episodes - Bob Waldinger: https://pod.fo/e/17c1d1 Jay Shetty: https://pod.fo/e/164c7dKesha: https://pod.fo/e/17dee1 Professor David Nutt: https://pod.fo/e/19146b Raynor Winn: https://pod.fo/e/15c075 Bronnie Ware: https://pod.fo/e/18f064 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv

Breaking patterns of intergenerational trauma could have a profound effect on the state of the modern world. Writer Alain de Botton believes love – or a lack thereof – is at the heart of our personal and societal issues. In this chat with Fearne, Alain explains why so-called ‘attention seekers’ are precisely the people who need to be wrapped in love and attention. He also talks about why our defence mechanisms usually have real logic behind them, and why we should be curious about other peoples’ odd characteristics rather than getting frustrated by them. Plus, he answers the simplest and most complex of questions: what actually is a healthy mind? Alain’s book, A Therapeutic Journey: Lessons From the School of Life is out now.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why does having deep conversations matter, and why are podcasts the perfect place to have those conversations? In this episode, Fearne sits down with Jake Humphrey and Damian Hughes from High Performance, Elizabeth Day from How To Fail, and Rangan Chatterjee from Feel Better Live More to reflect on what their shows have taught them. They chat about how conversations on their podcasts have affected their personal lives, and why it’s important to acknowledge that everyone has a story, and that everyone knows something you don’t know... Plus, Fearne and Jake reveal the weirdest TV gigs they’ve done in the past! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ask your inner child what brings them most joy: that’s how we can start to find happiness and purpose as adults. DJ, producer, singer, and songwriter John Newman has recently pivoted his career in order to better serve his inner child. In this chat with Fearne, John talks about how rejection in his childhood, coupled with the intoxicating feeling of being wanted by everyone as a famous artist, led him down a volatile path. Fame, he says, is a drug that was having an impact on those around him as well as himself. They also chat about what happens when you’re fearful of letting anything ‘negative’ touch you, as well as what impact being aware of death from a young age can have.Through doing the inner work, inviting practices such as manifestation into his life, and reconnecting with his innate passion for music, John is entering his most exciting chapter yet. John’s smash hit single Call Your Name, with DJ/producer Alesso, is out now.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf

Are you approaching the festive season without loved ones? Comedian, presenter, and author Matt Lucas has been thinking a lot about what it’s like to be grieving around this time of year. In this chat with Fearne, Matt talks through some of the personal experiences that led him to write a children’s book about a boy who’s approaching Christmas without his mum. They also share that creativity has the ability to pull them out of depressions. Plus, using parts of his own life as examples, Matt explains why we might need to think more about the prison population, and why it’s important to understand the back story of what it means to be gay in the UK. Matt’s musical children’s book, The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stripped of her character and confidence, Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock felt she was fading away in the band. In this chat with Fearne, Leigh-Anne details the moment it clicked how big a part racism was playing, and why she now feels a duty to speak out. She explains how – as well as re-building her self-worth through therapy – she finds it helpful to ask herself what her fearless children would do. Fearne and Leigh-Anne also wonder whether we always have to know exactly who we are, or whether we can just let ourselves be... Leigh-Anne’s book, Believe, is out now, published by Headline and available at all good bookshops. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you know how to set boundaries without feeling like a mean-spirited person? Singer songwriter LeAnn Rimes has learnt to give herself permission to politely say no. In this chat, Fearne and LeAnn share their experiences of learning to find fun when life had been so business-oriented for both of them from such a young age. They also compare notes on step-parenting, and talk about how children can trigger important revelations about your own insecurities. Plus, they chat about the concept of wellness, and why we need to be careful not to just let it become another stick to beat ourselves with... LeAnn will be performing at the O2 Arena in London on the 8th May 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What other people think about you is their own business. Actress, musician, and talk show host Jada Pinkett Smith looks internally for her self-worth. In this chat with Fearne, Jada explains why it’s so important to take responsibility for how you feel about yourself. They also talk about why we’re sometimes just as afraid to embrace our own light as we are to acknowledge the shadow parts of ourselves. Plus, Jada details the difference between trauma and adversity, and makes it clear the latter is both necessary and transformative. Jada’s book, Worthy, is out now. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about suicidal thoughts, so do take care while listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sport should unite people; that’s what England women’s football coach Sarina Wiegman believes, and it’s something she achieved when the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022. In this chat with Fearne, Sarina explains that succeeding at a high level is important because it provides a platform to drive meaningful cultural change. She also talks about why a good leader should be empathetic to the individual characters of those they’re managing, and why clarity – being clear and honest in communication – is a key value of hers. Sarina’s book, What it Takes: My Playbook on Life and Leadership, is out on the 9th November. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.