Spring clean your life: how to make a fresh start

Does going through a rough time make you untrusting of fleeting joyful moments, or make you lean into them harder? For Dannii Minogue it’s the latter.In this chat with Fearne, Dannii explains why getting divorced and having to borrow money from family, coping with sister Kylie’s cancer, and having her body critiqued by the press have taught her to appreciate happiness when it comes.Fearne and Dannii worked together on The X Factor for a bit, and they both discuss what it was like to work on such a juggernaut programme, and chat about how to understand what boundaries you might need to set in your career. They also talk about why Dannii’s so passionate about wrapping queer and non-conforming people in so much love and joyful celebration.Plus, a little PSA from Dannii: try not to get bitten by a poisonous spider, it won’t end well...!Dannii’s back as the host of I Kissed A Boy on BBC Three in May.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Louise Redknapp Sophie Ellis-Bextor Olly Alexander Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is your lifestyle in need of a spring clean? Maybe now’s the moment to pivot your career, pick up healthier habits, or embrace a new life you wouldn’t have chosen, but now need to make the best of?In this episode, Fearne reflects on the Happy Place episodes that’ll give you a bit of a push – or a bit of inspiration – to get you making that fresh start you’ve been thinking about for ages...In this episode you’ll hear from –-Poet Donna Ashworth on making a slow, organic career change later in life, and re-finding who you really want to be under the crap that real life shovels on top of you-TV personality Mille Mackintosh on giving up alcohol and acknowledging the big moment when you realise something needs to change -Author Raynor Winn on being forced into a huge lifestyle change by factors out of your control, and choosing to make the best of a bad situation -Musician Shania Twain on how illness can change you, and how to come back stronger after a huge setback -Musician Kesha on rethinking and embracing a different side of your character, so your personality reflects who you really are, not who others want you to be -Charlotte Church on her career change from singer to healer, and how ceremony can help move you into a lifestyle re-birth If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: How to stick two fingers up to beauty standards How to laugh when you’ve been to hell and back Saying no: more boundaries, less people pleasing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Happy Place’s 7th birthday! To celebrate, Fearne’s put down her own trusty notebook and let her presenter mate Alex Jones turn the interview tables!In this chat, Alex asks Fearne about Happy Place’s evolution from a podcast, to a book publisher, to a festival, and now a marketplace too.Fearne opens up about feeling bleak and being on anti-depressants before she created Happy Place, as well as all the moments she’s cocked up personally and professionally over the last seven years. Do you have imposter syndrome and a deep desire to be liked? Fearne chats about how to cope with those feelings. Fearne’s also got better at admitting she’s ambitious and proud of her work, and wants you to be allowed to feel good when you’re good at something too!You’ll hear some exclusive BTS stuff: how does Fearne pick guests for the show? What does she look club in Book Club author? And how the bloody hell does she manage her time as a brand founder, presenter, mum, and mate?? (Spoiler: she tells Alex about the reality of bringing her kids to work!)Plus, Fearne answers the questions you’ve voicenoted her on Instagram! One of you has sparked an important conversation about fertility, and Fearne and Alex cover other big topics like taking more time to consider death and grief.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Alex JonesElizabeth GilbertBjorn Nathikko LindebladYungBludPaloma Faith   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does anxiety or darkness drive you to create? Is creativity the ultimate catharsis? For musician Pete Doherty making art has, at times, been a matter of survival. In this chat with Fearne, Pete explains why taking drugs was less about trying to escape, and more about what he was trying to find. Now he’s stopped taking drugs, how does he unlock and express his creativity differently? Pete also confirms that ‘addict’ is the right word to describe his behaviour, but that our attitude towards addiction needs to change. Fearne and Pete catch up about the early days of The Libertines, and what Pete labels as ‘the chaos and risk of youth’. He describes how he was sold on the enticing mythologies of a rock n roll lifestyle, but is now much more comfortable living quietly in rural France with his family and dogs. For contributions to #2 of Pete’s ‘On Strap’ fanzine please post to: 'ON STRAP’ FANZINE c/o The Heavy HorseHôtel le Rayon VertRue Général Leclerc76790 EtretatNormandieFRANCE Pete’s fifth solo studio album, Felt Better Alive, is out May 16th. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: DJ Fat Tony Matt WillisWhat Really Happens At Therapy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many of us have had to shut down our heart and numb our emotions to survive. Estelle Bingham is dubbed ‘The Heart Whisperer’; she knows the greatest anxiety can come from suppressing parts of ourselves. In this chat with Fearne, Estelle – a holistic therapist and healer – explains how when the mind is spiralling out of control, the heart can bring us back to stillness. She shares how to feel your emotions in your body instead of just analysing them in your head. Fearne has done her own personal work with Estelle, and they talk though how Estelle’s guidance can banish shame and put a circuit breaker in negative thought patterns. Plus, why Estelle reckons the type of manifesting you see on Instagram is “a load of old cobblers”, and how she would recommend manifesting joy instead... Estelle’s book, Manifest Your True Essence, is out on April 8th. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Florence Given Gabby Bernstein Joey Hulin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you had a second chance at your first big love, would you take it? What about if you were already married to a very different kind of person? This is the dilemma Beth is faced with in Broken Country, the Happy Place Book Club novel for March. In this chat Fearne and author Clare Leslie Hall talk about why first love can be so intoxicating, and why it’s only human to feel the pull between very different lifestyles, knowing there are multiple ways you could be happy...Clare explains that Broken Country used to be a very different book, and she almost abandoned it entirely, so what can we learn about being patient with our creative blocks?Plus, if you ever fancy going to Dorset – where the book is set - Fearne and Clare go off on a tangent about all the best places to visit... Thank you to John Murray Press for the use of Broken Country audiobook, narrated by Hattie Morahan. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Listen to Book Club Meets: Holly Bourne Listen to Book Club Meets: David Larbi Listen to Book Club Meets: Dame Harriet Walter  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We change all the time, which means self-love is an ongoing practice; we’re constantly learning to love the person we are today. Musician Teddy Swims wants you to be able to look in the mirror and see what a great person you are every day.In this chat with Fearne, Teddy explains why he and his partner chose to go to couples therapy to help them prepare to become parents, as well as the incredible impact having an emotionally articulate father had on his ability to process his own big feelings. Fearne and Teddy both see music, art, writing, and creativity in general as cathartic outlets for emotions, but can this sometimes tip into wallowing in the same negative thought patterns over and over again?Plus, Fearne spotted a tattoo gun on Teddy’s dressing room table... will she let him tattoo her even though he’s “not very good yet”...?Teddy’s album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 2), is out now.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Olly AlexanderYung BludJon Bon Jovi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Has fear ever stopped you from making the changes you want to make in life? Even if you know what you want, how do you turn your big goals into manageable daily habits? And what role does mindset play in enacting real change? The Happy Place Festival Talk Stage hosted loads of speakers across the weekend at Tatton Park last summer, who all explored these questions, and Fearne wants to bring you in on the Festival magic! In this episode you’ll hear from: -Dr Rangan Chatterjee on making transformative change that lasts, and learning to listen to your own gut instinct to create the life that works best for you -Founder of mental health and wellbeing app Shoorah, Lorri Haines, on how to build routines and habits that over time lead to positive lifestyle changes -Life coach Michelle Elman on the beautiful confidence that comes from feeling fearful but doing the scary thing anyway -Musician Beverley Knight and her husband James O’Keefe, founder of men’s mental health retreats Unguarded Warrior, on trusting that you have the answers and power to make changes inside you already -Broadcaster Adele Roberts and her partner Kate Holderness on what a cancer diagnosis has taught them both about coping with change you didn’t ask for  Tickets for the 2025 Happy Place Festivals in Gunnersbury Park and Tatton Park are available now at happyplacefestival.com. Listen to Rangan Chatterjee’s Happy Place episode Listen to Beverley Knight’s Happy Place episode Listen to Adele Roberts’ Happy Place episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Coping with mental health conditions is never easy, but it does get easier; that’s what actor Will Poulter has learnt through his own experiences with OCD, anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. In this chat with Fearne, Will explains how OCD has manifested for him ever since he was a young kid. He also talks through why finding reasons to be grateful for the lessons mental health conditions have taught you can be helpful. If you’re honest with yourself... would you give yourself or others more grace if they had to take time off work because they’d broken their leg, as opposed to because their mental health was poor? Fearne and Will unpack that one, as well as discussing the importance of personalisation in looking after our brains. The same medication, meditation practice, or diet, is going to affect us all differently. Plus, do you constantly worry that you’ve said the wrong thing and pissed someone off? Fearne and Will have been there and offer their advice for overcoming that spiral... You can see Will in UK cinemas in Death of a Unicorn from April 4th, and Warfare from April 18th. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Joanna Lumley Mel Robbins Tuppence Middleton Jordan Stephens Chiwetel Ejiofor  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it a compliment to be called ‘nice’? Singer Louise Redknapp isn’t so sure. She’s always been the good girl, but she’s ready to embrace – and express – different facets of her character now. In this chat with Fearne, Louise explains that being in a 90s girlband, and being married to a sports star, forced her to be shiny and polished at all times. That led to a crippling fear about saying or doing the wrong thing, but she’s learning to trust her own gut instinct. Fearne and Louise chat about how never knowing her dad, and becoming a mother herself, have impacted her confidence and identity. Plus, can gratitude combat overwhelm?Louise's fifth studio album, Confessions, will be released on May 23rd.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Anastacia Shania Twain Naomi Watts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.