OCD, perimenopause, and hitting rock bottom: This year on Happy Place

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:Afua HirschWill PoulterCharlie MackesyAshley WaltersDavina McCallMalala Yousafzai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Leah Williamson Mary Earps Sarina Wiegman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Joanna Page Trinny Woodall Dr Jenna Macciochi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Book Club Meets: Emily Henry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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:Brené BrownDawn FrenchCharlie MackesyBen WestLuluJamie Laing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Joel Dommett Mo Gilligan Harriet Kemsley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Vogue Williams Jamie Laing Erling Kagge Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Book Club Meets: Emily Henry Book Club Meets: Lorna Tucker Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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: The Good Girl Rebellion Florence Given Caitlin Moran Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.