From panic attacks to psychopaths: Fearne takes you BTS at Happy Place

Do you find yourself keeping quiet when you have plenty to say? Dame Harriet Walter – who has played 21 of Shakespeare’s female characters – has written She Speaks, which goes between the lines and imagines what Shakespeare’s women might really have wanted to say.   She Speaks was our Happy Place Book Club read for December. In this chat with Fearne, Harriet explains why she felt it was so important to finally let these female characters speak their minds. Harriet also expands on the characters in order to comment on modern day issues like the way ageing women are treated.   Fearne and Harriet chat about whether art mirrors the social hierarchy of its day, or perhaps offers an alternative worldview. Plus, Harriet reveals how female actors keep themselves in character when they’re waiting (often a long time) to speak on stage...   Thank you to Little Brown Audio for the use of She Speaks audiobook, narrated by Harriet Walter.   Listen to Book Club Meets: Liane Moriarty   Listen to Book Club Meets: Miranda July    Listen to Book Club Meets: Gillian Anderson   Listen to Book Club Meets: Patric Gagne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

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

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

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