How to laugh when you’ve been to hell and back

Do you turn to food for comfort? Actor Rebel Wilson spent a lifetime using food to numb herself from difficult emotions. In this chat with Fearne, Rebel shares why she felt safe using her body as a barrier to true intimacy, not having sex until she was 35. Knowing that she was medically obese, Rebel made 2020 her ‘year of health’, but it was working through her trauma that made the most difference, not a specific diet or exercise plan. Fearne also shares the realities of her bulimia, including the secrecy and isolation that can come with shame. Rebel talks about feeling like a ‘loser’ at school and making a concerted effort to become popular through speaking to five new people each day, and being a part of theatre and sports teams for connection. Plus, Rebel explains why it felt so important to speak her truth about what happened on certain sets in her memoir... Rebel’s book, Rebel Rising, is out now.Listen to How To Laugh When You’ve Been To Hell And Back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you choose uncertainty over unhappiness? Happy Place Book Club novel, The List of Suspicious Things, is the first book Jennie Godfrey has written. She was working in a corporate job before she had a moment of clarity and quit her job with no plan B to become a writer. In this chat with Fearne, Jennie explains why, having suffered with anxiety, she took control and chose an uncertain future over an unhappy present, with a little help from an episode of Happy Place...! The List of Suspicious Things centres around the murders of the Yorkshire Ripper. It sounds like a grim subject, but this story – told through the eyes of a young teenage girl – is incredibly warm and charming. Jennie also reveals her family’s own connection to Peter Sutcliffe, the man known at the time as the Yorkshire Ripper. Plus, you’ve been sending your voice notes, reminiscing about the teenage culture of the 1970s. Join the Happy Place Book Club on Instagram @happyplacebookclub – DM your messages and voicenotes about May’s read, Sociopath, to have your thoughts shared on the podcast! ...and don’t worry, there are no plot spoilers in this episode!Listen to Daisy May Cooper's episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are you dreams trying to tell you about yourself? Neurosurgeon Rahul Jandial feels dreaming is a vital part of being human. In this chat with Fearne, Rahul explains that while our waking brain is generally ruled by the logical executive network... the dreaming brain liberates creative and divergent thinking. We dream, he says, to keep our minds open so they’re able to adapt if our world suddenly changes. They also talk about the role dreams play as our ‘nocturnal therapists’. Dreams allow us a safe space to rehearse real life scenarios we might be anxious or confused about. Sometimes our dreams can reflect what’s happening in our waking life, but what if what you’re experiencing in your dream life is flagging something that you haven’t even recognised about yourself yet? Rahul talks about how to use your dreams as a psychological thermometer. Rahul’s book, This Is Why You Dream, is out now. Listen back to Professor David Nutt’s episode about psychedelics Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’, as the saying goes. These heightened emotions often sit very close to each other, and there’s a split second where we can decide whether to despair, or to see the funny side of a situation.  Today, Fearne revisits Happy Place conversations that highlight the crossroads where people have decided to cope with shitty incidents by laughing at them, or at themselves. Amongst other guests, Adele Roberts tells the absurd story of what happened to her stoma the night before running the London Marathon, and Dawn French chats about owning the moments you were a bit of a twat. ...and for a really good laugh, there are some behind the scenes outtakes as Fearne attempted to record some calming – and unexpectedly erotic – sleepy stories for the Happy Place app... Listen to Fats Timbo’s episode Listen to Adele Roberts’ episode Listen to Dawn French’s episode Listen to Vicky Pattison’s episode Download the Happy Place app Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When was the last time you enjoyed some silence? Musician Norah Jones appreciates the importance of silence – it allows us to tune into what our minds are trying to tell us. In this chat with Fearne, Norah explains that the rare moments of quiet are when creativity flows most freely. They talk about the feeling of being embarrassed by your work when you’re young, but that it’s important to be ever evolving and honing your craft just by getting on and doing it.Norah’s new album, Visions, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How often do you connect with strangers? There’s something magical about those fleeting moments of intimacy and connection. Today, Fearne introduces an episode of Where Are You Going, a podcast that sees host Catherine Carr chatting to strangers and asking a simple question: “where are you going?” The stories people end up sharing with her go to all sorts of unexpected places – some are funny or loving, and others moving or shocking. In this episode, Catherine meets women who’ve been cold water swimming, and a group of childhood friends who’ve found solace and connection in fishing. New episodes of Where Are You Going? are released every Tuesday and Friday. You can listen back to over 100 episodes wherever you’re listening to this right now. Follow Where Are You Going? on Instagram at @whereareyougoingpodcast and get in touch with Catherine on X @catherineecarr. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Perfection has taken on a life of its own in recent years. Dawn French worries that the pursuit of perfection is stopping us from being who we are, and from making mistakes we can grow from. In this chat, Fearne and Dawn explore why when we have low tolerance for others making mistakes, we’re likely judging ourselves for our mistakes too. So, in order to have more self-compassion, we have to talk about the cringey times we’ve held inside for fear for being shamed. They also discuss the best ways to apologise when we’re in the wrong, and to allow space for robust debate that might just change our minds. Plus, why it’s so important to be able to say “I don’t know”. Dawn’s book, The Twat Files, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cancer, and having a stoma, has changed DJ and broadcaster Adele Roberts’ perception of her own body for the better. It’s shown her it’s ok to cry, and it’s ok to ask for help. In this chat with Fearne, Adele talks through the symptoms of bowel cancer, what the experience has taught her about positive mindset, as well as the realities of going through chemo. They also chat about why it’s never too late to embrace and practice a new passion later in life, and why it’s important not to write off the entire day just because it started a bit crap. Personal Best, Adele’s memoir, is out on the 11th of April. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don’t underestimate the power your voice has. This is the key message to come from Happy Place Book Club read, Killjoy, which tells the incredible true story of the No More Page 3 campaign, and the unlikely everyday women who made a generational change possible. Fearne chats to author Jo Cheetham about their early memories of Page 3, street harassment, and how cultural messages can affect the way we relate to our own bodies. They also talk about acknowledging anger and channelling that rage into something productive, and Jo shares how self-sabotage nearly stopped her writing this book in the first place. Join the Happy Place Book Club on Instagram @happyplacebookclub – DM your messages and voicenotes about April’s read, The List Of Suspicious Things, to have your thoughts shared on the podcast! ...and don’t worry, there are no Killjoy plot spoilers in this episode! This episode features extracts from the audiobook of Killjoy, narrated by Jo Cheetham, with thanks to Picador.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Am I mad, or did it happen?” This is a question that poet Lemn Sissay regularly finds himself asking. Having grown up in care, he has no family members to bear witness to his life experiences; is his understanding of his own identity correct? In this chat with Fearne, Lemn talks through why it’s important for us not to compare trauma, that everything’s relative, and no one deserves more or less empathy. He also exposes the reality of the care system in the UK, and offers practical ways for all of us to help those who’ve been in care better integrate into society. Between them, they suggest how to watch out for when you’re performing to a crowd, rather than being present – that’s where a true feeling of belonging lies – and how to mitigate the negative voices that want to knock your confidence. Lemn’s latest poetry collection is Let the Light Pour In and his memoir is My Name Is Why. Both are published by Canongate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.