Happy Place

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Actors Daisy May and Charlie Cooper say growing up working class made them angry, but that feeling like outsiders in their industry has been a powerful motivator.In this chat with Fearne, Daisy May and Charlie explain how they’ve dealt with feeling threatened by authority and power. They also reveal why This Country almost didn’t happen because a contract meant they might have to pay £350,000 to buy back their own characters... They chat about the importance of trusting your gut when no one else believes in you.Is your sibling the funniest person you’ll ever meet? Quite possibly. Daisy May and Charlie explore their shared interest in the paranormal, and their wildly different parenting styles.Plus, how has Daisy May found inner peace now? Rules including no phone, no alcohol, and no people pleasing have definitely helped...You can watch Daisy May and Charlie on their new BBC show NightWatch now.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Joanna PageRahul JandialKirsty Gallagher

Fearne’s anxiety and OCD have been pretty loud recently, so she wanted to find a bit of solace in listening back to some other people with their own experiences of feeling anxious, low, having panic attacks, going through therapy, and accepting they’ll never be fully ‘fixed’... In this episode –-Musician Perrie Edwards explains why she brings her therapist to work with her-Actor Will Poulter’s taking a personalised approach to his OCD-Comedian Julian Clary reckons age and perspective have calmed his anxiety-Broadcaster Vogue Williams chats about medication and catastrophising-Musician YungBlud talks through learning to like yourself-Writer Natalie Lue explains how to recognise what’s beneath the anxious thoughts Listen to the full episodes here:Perrie EdwardsWill PoulterJulian ClaryVogue WilliamsYungBludNatalie Lue

We can learn a lot from scientists about getting comfortable with being wrong, says physicist Professor Brian Cox.In this chat with Fearne, Brian explains the difference between ‘having an argument’ and ‘making an argument’. The latter gives us confidence to ask curious questions, come to our own conclusions, and remain open to being wrong, without letting ego get in the way of connection or progress.Brian talks through what the physics behind the universe says about the meaning of being human, including finding personal motivation and purpose, and whether there’s life after death.Fearne and Brian also wonder how we can make sure young girls aren’t discouraged from pursuing science, and Brian tells the story of being on the set of a famous alien movie...Tickets for Brian’s 2026 world tour – Emergence – are available now. Brian’s reading list:Richard Feynman – The Value of ScienceCarl Sagan – The Demon Haunted WorldJohannes Kepler – Harmonice MundiArthur C. Clark – 2001Erwin Schrödinger – What is Life?Sir Paul Nurse – What is Life? If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Jane GoodallBjorn Natthiko LindebladMajor Tim Peake