Happy Place

 Sometimes you have to just power through the self-loathing. Doing stand up comedy has helped Joanne McNally build resilience, take responsibility, and not take things so personally. In this chat, Fearne and Joanne share experiences of being hyper-independent; but can trusting and relying on yourself go too far? They chat about learning to delegate and ask for help too. Joanne was adopted as a baby, and she opens up about the process of piecing her identity together when she met her birth parents. Are you able to find the funny in distressing periods of your life? Joanne points out that in taking the piss out of yourself you ultimately have to take accountability for your own part in a difficult situation. Plus, Fearne and Joanne make some big admissions about their own pelvic floor health... If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Spencer Matthews Dawn French Matt Lucas

Do you feel pressured to look a certain way as you age? CEO and beauty expert Caroline Hirons reckons it’s no one else’s business if you want to get tweakments or simply wash your face at night. In this chat, Fearne and Caroline pivot looking after your face from something you do to look good... to something you do to feel good. Concerned about the texture or structure of your skin? Caroline clarifies when you might want to get tweakments, and when you just need a solid skincare routine. Caroline also talks through the effect hormones, diet, alcohol, and stress are having on the way you look, and explains why you should avoid washing your face in a hot shower! Plus, do you secretly love being busy and rushed off your feet? Fearne and Caroline bond over being ambitious women, but get real about how impossible it is to get any kind of work / life balance if you run a business... If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Olivia Atwood Emma Dabiri Matt Haig 

There should be no shame in being who you are. Musician and actor Olly Alexander has felt first hand how grappling with your identity can lead to poor mental health. In this chat with Fearne, Olly explains why he feels there’s such a high level of mental distress in the queer community, and how acting in It’s A Sin helped him unpack his own lived experience. Both Fearne and Olly share their experiences of poor body image, wondering if bulimia felt like a helpful tool to regain control in an intimidating world. How can you go from disliking your body to recognising the brilliant things it can do for you? Plus, how to let yourself off the hook when you’ve messed up at work or in a social situation, and what to do when you don’t feel you’ve ‘achieved’ enough to be of value... Olly’s solo album, Polari, is out in February. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about suicide, self-harm, and bulimia, so take care while listening. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Perrie Edwards Rebel Wilson YungBlud

Is your fate already pre-determined? Or do you feel you have true free will to dictate your own destiny? ...and if you could, would you want to find out when you’re going to die? These are the questions Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment grapples with. Here One Moment was our Happy Place Book Club read for November, and Liane joins Fearne to chat about why she wanted to explore chaos, chance, mortality, and psychic abilities in this novel. Fearne and Liane talk about the importance of having ‘main character energy’ in your own life, while also acknowledging that others are living their own fully formed lives too. Plus, how good are you at expressing yourself creatively without worrying how your efforts will be received? They talk through how to find intrinsic motivation for creative pursuits rather than relying on external praise...Thank you to Penguin Audio for the use of Here One Moment audiobook, narrated by Caroline Lee.Listen to Book Club Meets: Miranda July Listen to Book Club Meets: Gillian Anderson Listen to Book Club Meets: Patric Gagne Listen to Book Club Meets: Holly Gramazio

How quickly does your social battery drain? Do you know what you need to do to recharge it? Broadcaster Scott Mills admits he’s worked too hard and not relaxed enough in the past, but that’s all changing now... This episode is brought to you by British Airways Holidays, so Scott tells Fearne what he now does to take his holidays more seriously, including locking his phone away because – spoiler – nothing bad happens when you properly switch off from the world! Scott has advice if you feel like it’s too late to meet the love of your life... He reflects on his recent wedding, as well as revealing how the grand gesture of a helicopter ride in the early days of dating nearly ruined the whole relationship! How would you cope if you felt a relationship was moving a little too fast, or too slow, for you...? Plus, is it Fearne or Scott who reckons they were ‘The White Wine Queen’ during their chaotic Radio 1 days? They both think about when habitual drinking becomes problematic. If you’re ready to take your holidays more seriously, head to BA.com/holidays If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Rylan Jason Donovan Will Young

How good are you at letting yourself feel your feelings? Actor Riley Keough thinks it’s important to embrace the sad and angry moments as much as the joyful, hopeful ones. In this chat with Fearne, Riley explains how her own grief at losing her brother and mum has taught her that fighting or repressing emotions only makes you more anxious in the long term. Riley’s mum was Lisa Marie Presley, the only child of Elvis Presley. Riley talks about Lisa’s ability to live in a place of truth – she’d never do anything that didn’t feel authentic to her. What can we all learn about how to lean into our own pleasure? It’s liberating to not care if others like you! Fearne and Riley also discuss how impactful it can be when divorced parents are able to co-parent with grace. Plus, Riley reveals why she thinks her mum and Michael Jackson had such a deep connection. Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, which Riley finished, is called From Here To The Great Unknown, and it’s out now. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Taylor Jenkins Reid Gabor Mate Ashely Cain 

How good are you at saying no to people, plans, and dynamics that don’t serve you...? Just in time for the festive season (A huge work load! Time with family! Social events!) Fearne is reflecting on Happy Place chats that’ll help you stop people pleasing and start setting boundaries... In this episode: Melissa Urban is the queen of boundaries – what are they, and how do we set them? Life coach Michelle Elman talks about why we’re often reluctant to set boundaries, and Kirsty Gallagher explains how to take ‘radical responsibility’ for our own lives. Plus, there’s LeAnn Rimes on navigating difficult family dynamics, Grace Beverley on setting boundaries for work life balance, and Michelle Keegan on saying no to social events because sometimes we just want to be happy little hermits at home! If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Melissa Urban Michelle Elman Kirsty Gallagher LeAnn Rimes Grace Beverley Michelle Keegan Tell self-limiting beliefs to bugger off 

Did you have dreams of being extraordinary when you were a kid? For many of us, adult life starts chipping away at those big hopes and goals, but actor and disability campaigner Adam Pearson has no interest in being ‘normal’ or ‘mediocre’. In this chat with Fearne, Adam explains how never having the luxury of being invisible – he was born with neurofibromatosis – has given him confidence to really stand out. So how did he go from being bullied at school to boldly starring on the big screen? They talk about systemic ableism within the film and TV industries, and Adam explains why it shouldn’t be the job of the disability community to fix a problem they didn’t create... but often is. Plus, why is it that it’s always the movie villains who are facially disfigured, never the heroes?Plus, the three types of people you need in your life: a truth teller, a confidant, and a ride or die... If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Jono Lancaster Samantha Renke Sophie Morgan

You’ve got to give new things a go and not give up when you’re a bit crap at first. Team GB Olympic rower Helen Glover is clear that a huge part of her success is thanks to her mindset that it’s better to try and fail than not try at all. In this chat with Fearne, Helen explains how to have the discipline to stick at stuff that feels important to you, even if it doesn’t always feel easy. By her own admission, Helen “couldn’t have been further from an Olympian” when she started training... At Tokyo 2020, Helen was the first mum to represent Great Britain in rowing at an Olympic Games. She’s passionate about pushing back on the perception that age or parenthood should be a barrier in anything you’re trying to achieve. She and Fearne unpick the narrative that says women probably won’t be all that ambitious once they’ve had kids! Plus, what’s the weirdest place you’ve found yourself breastfeeding in? Fearne and Helen share theirs... If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Molly McCann Leah Williamson Adele Roberts