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What would you do if you weren’t afraid? That’s the question spiritual teacher and intuitive guide Sonia Choquette wants you to think about.
In this chat with Fearne, Sonia explains how to have more agency over your own mindset. It’s time to stop thinking the worst, and start expecting the best!
Sonia talks through how neuroscience is showing that our guts, skins, and organs are all conscious entities. Once we understand this, we understand why it’s so vital not to surpress our body’s intuition.
Do you have repeated physical ailments? Sonia wonders that tending to your emotional troubles could dramatically impact your physical health. Plus, laughter can put you firmly back in your physical body, so is the secret to stopping overthinking to start taking the mick out of your anxious thoughts...?
Sonia’s book, Soul Mastery, is out now.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
Sonia’s first Happy Place episode
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Do you constantly replay conversations, wondering if you said the wrong thing? You’re in good company; actor Erin Doherty’s biggest demon is overthinking.
In this chat, Fearne and Erin explore how fearful cancel culture has made us all, as well as how to have the courage to speak your mind, even if it means being disliked.
Erin has an unapologetic attitude towards ambition, and explains why she wants to see more queer characters on screen. Plus, how do you feel about long-distance relationships? Erin and her girlfriend tried it for a while...
Fearne and Erin also bond over their love of the Kardashians.
You can watch Erin in A Thousand Blows on Disney+ from January 9th.
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Fundamentally tells the story of Nadia, an academic who's been disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, so she decides to get away by accepting a UN job in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Sara is a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen, and Nadia is astounded at how similar they both are: they’re feisty and opinionated, they’re from a Muslim background, and they both love a Dairy Milk and rude pick-up lines...
In this Book Club chat with Fearne, author Nussaibah Younis explains how she managed to write an incredibly funny book based on her own experience of creating a de-radicalisation programme... Satire and comedy, she says, is vital in examining tough topics.
They also natter about how you’d react if you had to hang out with your teenage self, and why doing the job you love can sometimes mean giving up a little bit of yourself.
Thank you to Weidenfeld & Nicolson for the use of the Fundamentally audiobook, narrated by Sarah Slimani.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Day
Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Gilbert
Book Club Meets: Aisha Muharrar
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Which episodes of Happy Place have stayed with you this year?
Reflecting on some of the chats she’s had this year, Fearne explores her own OCD diagnosis, how she copes when she’s gripped by shame, and why her attitude towards periods has shifted.
She also talks about just how powerful her friendship with Davina McCall is, and why her recent episode with Malala has prompted conversations about women’s rights with her own kids.
Listen to the full episodes here:
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You’ve heard Fearne talking about them loads over the years... now it’s time to meet her best school mates! This episode is basically your girls’ Whatsapp chat come to life; Becky, Rebecca, Lucy, Ally, and Fran are here to talk through navigating Christmas when you’re co-parenting, sober, grieving, single, or just desperately trying to find a new place to put the bloody Elf on the Shelf.
Everyone’s wearing their sequinned outfits, and like any good girls get together, there are cheeky games that elicit stories about teenage club nights, muting the school mums chat, and sliding into Craig David’s DMs… Oh, and you lot have been sending in your festive dilemmas too!
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Footballer Chloe Kelly has played a huge part in the Lioness’ immense success over the last few years, but severe anxiety has meant she’s often had to put on a brave face in public.
In this chat with Fearne, Chloe opens up for the first time about how emotional stress led to hair loss, and why being sick often felt like the only way to release the anxiety. She talks through the work she’s done with a psychiatrist to break this habit, and the actions her family and friends took that helped bring her out of this dark place.
Fearne and Chloe also explore how taking yourself out of an environment that isn’t good for you – whether that’s a workplace, relationship, or particular location – can change your mental health.
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Grief can make you feel unnervingly vulnerable; this is how Kate Winslet reflects on losing her mum in 2017. In this chat, Fearne and Kate share their own experiences of both grieving and co-parenting at Christmas.
Regularly labelled as “fat” by the media, Kate explains what effect that scrutiny had on her self-esteem, and why it’s made her even more passionate about setting an example to younger women by ageing naturally.
Kate also offers advice on how to live by your own gut instinct, rather than other people’s opinions, and how to approach difficult conversations with loved ones.
Having recently made her directorial debut, Kate talks through what really goes on behind the scenes on a set, the safe environment she hopes to create for her actors, and the double standards applied to men and women in the film industry.
Goodbye June is in cinemas from December 12th, and on Netflix on December 24th.
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Elizabeth Day had an urgent need to say something about the way we’re living – about the power, politics, class, sexism, and discrimination that plague the world around us.
She explores all of that, plus perimenopause and female rage, through the entertaining lens of her latest novel One Of Us.
In this live Book Club chat with Fearne, Elizabeth talks about how she realised that – and wanted to write about – women so often being the victims, survivors, and scapegoats of male power and privilege. They also explore whether getting revenge is ever really as sweet as you hope it’ll be...
Elizabeth is famously obsessed with reality TV, so how did The Real Housewives franchise inspire parts of One Of Us, and what does she make of politicians rehabilitating their careers on reality TV and gossip podcasts? Plus, how writing about motherhood in this book allowed Elizabeth to process her own feelings about not having children.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Gilbert
Book Club Meets: Aisha Muharrar
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For ten years of her life, Fearne was gripped by a deep feeling of shame; she chats through how she’s now learning to let it go. Shame breeds in silence, so we’re talking about it loudly in this episode...
-Shame researcher Brené Brown talks through how to cope with feeling ashamed through self-compassion
-Comedian Dawn French explains that we all need to embrace being a bit of a twat sometimes because we learn more from mistakes than success
-Artist Charlie Mackesy’s got some thoughts about how shame is stopping us being vulnerable and connecting with others properly
-Mental health activist Ben West opens up about the shame he felt after his brother’s suicide
-Singer Lulu reflects on how ashamed she was of her difficult childhood
-Broadcaster Jamie Laing talks for the first time about his eating disorder and the shame he’s held inside for so long
Listen to the full episodes here:
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Nervous and embarrassed? Don’t let it show! Comedian Jack Whitehall has died on stage plenty of times, but never gives people the satisfaction of knowing it’s got to him.
In this chat with Fearne, Jack explains how to power through the awkward moments and give off an air of confidence, no matter how you’re feeling inside. He also reflects on some of the awful feedback he’s received and how to stay resilient in the face of criticism.
Jack comes from an acting family, and started working at a young age; he talks about still wanting validation from his parents, and why and how he settled into his ‘posh’ persona after trying out a few other characters...
Fearne admits she sometimes forgets to have a sense of humour in stressful situations, while Jack uses jokes a bit too much to hide from serious topics; can they find a middle ground?
You can watch Jack in Malice on Amazon Prime now.
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What limiting beliefs do you hold about yourself? Spencer Matthews has embraced his sense of adventure in order to explore his full potential.
In this chat with Fearne, Spencer gets into the shame he felt while he was drinking, why he’s now channelling his addictive nature into running instead, and how to avoid blaming everyone else for your own issues. He also explains how seeking approval from his parents drove him, and why his relationship with his own daughter is so special now.
Spencer is currently attempting his second World Record - PROJECT SE7EN. This physical and mental feat will see Spencer take on 7 full-distance triathlons (3.8km swim, 180km bike, 42.4km run) on all 7 continents in just 21 days. Throughout the challenge, Spencer will be raising funds for men's suicide prevention charity James' Place. You can follow the journey via his Instagram @spencermatthews. Donations can be made via the link in his bio and via the official givestar page.
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You might know Elizabeth Gilbert as the author of Eat Pray Love; now, she’s written All The Way To The River, charting her electric, heart-breaking relationship with her partner Rayya, who died in 2018.
In this Book Club chat, Fearne explains that she chose this to be part of the Happy Place Book Club because she recognised so many of her own behaviour traits in it – see: chaotic relationships and people pleasing!
Elizabeth talks through how to tell if you’re co-dependent, what a love and sex addict really is, and how to block someone’s number for your own emotional safety.
Fearne and Elizabeth also get into those moments where you want to react with defensiveness and rage, and how to extend compassion to yourself and others instead.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
Book Club Meets: Aisha Muharrar
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Malala Yousafzai was shot by Taliban gunmen when she was 15. She then became the youngest ever recipient of the Novel Peace Prize, but since then she’s been desperate to discover who she really is underneath the weight of the world’s expectations.
In this chat with Fearne, Malala explains why skipping classes, smoking weed, and chasing bad boys have all played a part in finding herself, and why her own self-discovery has made her more passionate than ever about women having choices around education, work, and marriage.
Malala talks through how she dealt with her own PTSD, and reframes what it means to be brave. She also explains the current situation for women and girls in Afghanistan, something that’s being called a ‘gender apartheid’, as well how we can all direct our anger in a positive way to help girls across the world.
Malala’s memoir, Finding My Way, is out now.
Support women and girls through Malala Fund.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
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Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Actors Daisy May and Charlie Cooper say growing up working class made them angry, but that feeling like outsiders in their industry has been a powerful motivator.
In this chat with Fearne, Daisy May and Charlie explain how they’ve dealt with feeling threatened by authority and power. They also reveal why This Country almost didn’t happen because a contract meant they might have to pay £350,000 to buy back their own characters... They chat about the importance of trusting your gut when no one else believes in you.
Is your sibling the funniest person you’ll ever meet? Quite possibly. Daisy May and Charlie explore their shared interest in the paranormal, and their wildly different parenting styles.
Plus, how has Daisy May found inner peace now? Rules including no phone, no alcohol, and no people pleasing have definitely helped...
You can watch Daisy May and Charlie on their new BBC show NightWatch now.
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Fearne’s anxiety and OCD have been pretty loud recently, so she wanted to find a bit of solace in listening back to some other people with their own experiences of feeling anxious, low, having panic attacks, going through therapy, and accepting they’ll never be fully ‘fixed’...
In this episode –
-Musician Perrie Edwards explains why she brings her therapist to work with her
-Actor Will Poulter’s taking a personalised approach to his OCD
-Comedian Julian Clary reckons age and perspective have calmed his anxiety
-Broadcaster Vogue Williams chats about medication and catastrophising
-Musician YungBlud talks through learning to like yourself
-Writer Natalie Lue explains how to recognise what’s beneath the anxious thoughts
Listen to the full episodes here:
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We can learn a lot from scientists about getting comfortable with being wrong, says physicist Professor Brian Cox.
In this chat with Fearne, Brian explains the difference between ‘having an argument’ and ‘making an argument’. The latter gives us confidence to ask curious questions, come to our own conclusions, and remain open to being wrong, without letting ego get in the way of connection or progress.
Brian talks through what the physics behind the universe says about the meaning of being human, including finding personal motivation and purpose, and whether there’s life after death.
Fearne and Brian also wonder how we can make sure young girls aren’t discouraged from pursuing science, and Brian tells the story of being on the set of a famous alien movie...
Tickets for Brian’s 2026 world tour – Emergence – are available now.
Brian’s reading list:
Richard Feynman – The Value of Science
Carl Sagan – The Demon Haunted World
Johannes Kepler – Harmonice Mundi
Arthur C. Clark – 2001
Erwin Schrödinger – What is Life?
Sir Paul Nurse – What is Life?
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Broadcaster and entrepreneur Jamie Laing had big fears about having kids... and yet he’s about to become a dad any day now.
In this chat with Fearne, Jamie’s honest about the pros and cons he deliberated over before deciding to have children. He talks through how his parents’ divorce expanded his world in beautiful ways, as well as why he chose to re-kindle his relationship with his dad as an adult.
Jamie also talks for the first time about his body image and eating disorder. Given Fearne has been through her own experience of bulimia, Jamie looks to her for advice on how to break free from the shame that’s gripped him for much of his life.
Jamie can now say he genuinely likes himself, but explains how throughout his teens and twenties he felt a real need to be popular, liked, and validated by others. How did he learn to cultivate self-compassion in his thirties? And what does he reckon is the best way to get men to open up to their mates?
Jamie’s book, Boys Don’t Cry, is out now.
If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:
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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.
Charlie and Fearne also chat about how polarised the world is becoming, and offer advice for how to cope with fear, as well as why it’s important to disagree respectfully.
Plus, why did Charlie feel he needed to hide away in the toilets at the Oscars?
Charlie’s latest book, Always Remember: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, The Horse, and The Storm, is out now.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains some conversation about suicidal ideation.
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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 to stop and ask yourself if you really want to get married, have kids, or earn lots of money, or if you’re sleepwalking into someone else’s vision of a perfect life.
Plus, why did 21 year old Greg think he had a chance with Fearne when he first arrived at Radio 1...?
Greg’s book, All The Best For The Future, is out now.
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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 person as you. Would you get on and have loads in common? Or would there be intense jealousy? They also explore the strange idea that different people know and love very different sides of you.
Aisha was a script writer on TV show Parks and Recreation, and she brings that comedy and levity to the messy topic of grief in Loved Ones. Writing her debut novel was very much a new challenge though – Aisha explains to Fearne why she pretty much had to re-write the whole book!
Enter our competition with Bookshop.org to be in with a chance of winning books for life here: https://woobox.com/9jfwes
Thank you to Fourth Estate for the use of Loved One audiobook, narrated by Emma Ladji.
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