Happy Place

Parenting your parent isn’t something any child thinks they’ll need to do, but TV personality, podcaster, and author Vicky Pattison found herself looking after her alcoholic dad. This in turn made her reassess her own relationship with alcohol. In this chat, live from the Happy Place Festival, Fearne and Vicky talk about everything from social anxiety, to PMDD, to cultivating a positive body image. They also explore the idea that we often think we have to wait until we’re a ‘better version’ of ourself before we can do something we’ve always wanted to do. Vicky reckons we should just take a chance – take the risk – right now.

Do you notice yourself reacting to situations, rather than taking the time to respond with a clear mind? Visionary writer Vex King explains why consciously responding rather than quickly reacting can have a positive effect on your mental health. In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival, Vex talks about the significance of gratitude, and why it’s important to sit with our feelings. Plus, he explains the difference between pain and suffering, as well as how to allow yourself to be vulnerable with new people. Vex's new book, Closer to Love: How to Attract the Right Relationships and Deepen Your Connections, is out now.

What happens after you’ve ticked achieving your big dream off the to do list? Broadcaster Nick Grimshaw had always wanted to present the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, which he did, extremely successfully. Then in 2021, he left the station, and has had to carve out new goals. In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival, Nick talks about how he’s created a new routine – and reveals the slightly misguided wellness hacks he tried out along the way... They also explore why it’s useful to make your goals as specific as possible, as well as the idea of feeling like an outsider. Nick’s autobiography, Soft Lad, is out now in paperback.

Fabulousness and seriousness can co-exist. In fact performer Billy Porter is clear that it’s important that they do co-exist.  In this chat with Fearne, Billy explains why he feels artists have an obligation to speak truth to power if they can, and together they explore why art in all its forms can be such a powerful medium for all of us when we feel we have something to say. Plus, he explains why his singing voice – his greatest gift – became his armour against an often cruel world. Billy’s single, Broke A Sweat, is out now.CONTENT WARNING: In this episode Billy tells stories of his own life experiences that include homophobic language.

Have you noticed yourself repeating negative patterns of behaviour throughout your life? Comedian and best-selling author Ruby Wax has become aware she was doing this in order to feel safe after a tumultuous childhood. In this chat with Fearne, Ruby acknowledges that her depression will most likely always come back, but working to understand it means she has the tools to cope a little better each time it does. They also talk about why it’s so important for mental health that we allow people to be multi-faceted humans. Ruby’s book, I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was, is out now.

How many times have you looked at a couple and labelled them ‘goals’? Couple goals is a phrase Tom and Giovanna Fletcher are keen to steer clear of, because they acknowledge all relationships go through their highs and lows, and that’s ok. In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival in Chiswick, Tom and Gi explain how they manage family time alongside thriving creative careers, as well as why it’s so important to be aware of your own difficult behaviours in a relationship. Plus Fearne reveals how Tom played a big part in helping her speak about her own mental health.

If outward accomplishment is coupled with great internal distress, is that really success? It’s a question Tan France had to ask himself when his business was doing brilliantly, but his mental health wasn’t. In this chat, Fearne and Tan swap thoughts about the realities of having a new born baby, and why it’s so important to establish what marriage means to you before you get married. They also chat about the power of using clothes to express creativity and identity. You can watch Tan on all-new Say Yes To The Dress UK on Really from the 16th of August, and can catch up on Discovery+. This interview took place prior to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank conversation about suicidal ideation, so do take care while listening.

More exercise, more therapy, and less alcohol: these are some of the things artist Tom Grennan knows he needs in order to stay mentally well. In this chat with Fearne, live from the Happy Place Festival in Chiswick, Tom explains how he’s learnt to ‘flip’ negative thoughts to positive ones using small language changes. They also share how anxiety manifests for each of them – from crying to trouble sleeping. Plus, how has Tom’s mum affected the way he interacts with crowds at his gigs? Tom’s album, What Ifs and Maybes, is out now. 

Psychedelics have been stigmatised and criminalised for over 50 years, but David Nutt, a professor of neuropsychopharmacology and a leading worldwide authority on drugs, feels we’re on the cusp of a major revolution in psychiatric medicine and neuroscience that could see psychedelics being used to treat mental health conditions. In this chat with Fearne, David explains the difference between the brain and the mind, and how psychedelics switch the latter off so the former can heal and lay down new thinking patterns. They discuss the potential therapeutic purposes of these drugs for conditions including PTSD, addiction, anxiety, and eating disorders. David’s new book, Psychedelics, has recently been published by Yellow Kite and is available as a hardback, ebook and audio book.