Happy Place

Latest Episodes:

Dr Louise Newson: Anxiety! Joint pain! The perimenopause symptoms you’re ignoring May 21, 2026

Show notes

One in six women arriving at Dr Louise Newson's menopause clinic have suicidal thoughts. 92% see those thoughts reduce with natural hormones, so why are women still being prescribed antidepressants instead?

In this chat with Fearne, Louise explains why women are being misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety when the root cause is hormonal. Fearne admits she's the woman with her head in the sand about perimenopause, so Louise walks her through what the many (many!) different symptoms could look like, and how to talk to a GP about how you’re feeling mentally and physically.

Plus, is there any truth to the myth that HRT causes breast cancer? Why is testosterone the most misunderstood hormone in women's health? And would the contraceptive pill be approved if it was created today...?

Louise’s new book, The Power of Hormones, is out now.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Liz Earle

Cally Beaton

Naomi Watts

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

Fear can be wonderful or destructive! How to negotiate with doubt, with Joseph Fiennes May 18, 2026

Show notes

Without something creative to pour himself into, actor Joseph Fiennes says he'd eat himself alive.

In this chat with Fearne, Joseph thinks about why if he doesn't have a challenge to wear him out, restlessness and doubt will take over entirely. They also explore the strange duality of loving your craft... but dreading the judgment that comes with it.

Joseph has played England football manager Gareth Southgate on stage, and now on TV; he draws parallels between their principles around negotiating fear and encouraging vulnerability in men.

Plus, Joseph explains what struggling with reading and writing taught him about knowing who he is, and reveals the hilarious reality of forgetting your lines mid-Shakespeare...

You can watch Joseph in Dear England on the BBC from May 24th.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Gareth Southgate

Pippa Grange

Jack Whitehall

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

I still get triggered! Fearne on how to heal, cope with hangxiety, and having an empty nest May 14, 2026

Show notes

Fearne isn’t a massive fan of the relentless pressure to reach a definitive state of happiness. It’s just not realistic, so she’s dropping into your feed every week for some chat about what’s making her – and you! – feel great, and what’s making us feel completely crap.

This is the cosy corner where there’s no judgement allowed! All of us can explore what’s been on our minds, what’s been getting us down, inspiring us, and making us laugh. Want to join the chat? Send us a voicenote, DM, or comment on Instagram @happyplaceofficial!

In this chat, Fearne covers:

-Why walks are the best for deep and meaningfuls

-Going clubbing and feeling 18 again

-Why you’re only ever as happy as your unhappiest child

-How to make the ‘sexiest salad’ ever (according to Fearne)

-Coping with The Fear that comes with a hangover

-A plea to stop chatting on speakerphone on the train

-How to say goodbye to your child when they leave home

-Dealing with triggers when you’re trying to heal

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

Sex scenes are liberating! Nafessa Williams on Rivals, racism, and self-belief May 11, 2026

Show notes

Sex scenes involve a lot more padding and tape than you might expect! Rivals actress Nafessa Williams has found being at the centre of one of TV’s sexiest shows both nerve-wracking and incredibly liberating.

In this chat with Fearne, Nafessa explores what it means to play the only black woman in a white man's world in 1980s Britain, and why she sees her acting as her contribution to activism and representation.

Do you consider yourself to be ambitious and driven? Nafessa wonders if you rest as hard as you work... because you should! Plus, how to manifest the life you want, without forgetting the key component: action!

Watch Rivals series 2 on Disney+ from May 15th.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Rhonda Byrne

Leigh-Anne Pinnock

Afua Hirsch

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

Play therapy rewires the brain! Facing childhood traumas, with The King’s Trust May 07, 2026

Show notes

Everyone deserves the chance at a fulfilling life. Shauna Tiffany grew up in foster care, feeling ashamed of and responsible for her parents’ choices. Creative play therapy helped her work through her childhood trauma, and now – with the support of The King’s Trust – she’s built her own business doing the same thing for other children and families.

In this chat with Fearne, Shauna explains how she’s learnt to believe in herself because of the way others have chosen to believe in her. Emotional support has made her feel worthy of great opportunities, and practical advice has empowered her to turn ideas into reality, so they chat about how to gently chip away at increasing self-confidence.

Plus, Fearne’s got a big surprise for Shauna...

Check out Shauna’s work at Lighthouse Therapy Hub.

Find out more about The King’s Trust.

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

Nicole LePera: "Your nervous system is screaming at you!" Healing anxiety and panic May 04, 2026

Show notes

Were you praised as a child for being ‘good’, for keeping quiet, or not making a fuss? Psychologist Dr Nicole LePera reckons that praise may have taught you to disconnect from your emotions entirely.

In this chat with Fearne, Nicole explains how even well-intentioned parenting can leave us with patterns that run our adult lives on autopilot. She talks through the practical process of reparenting your inner child, starting with something as simple as finding a childhood photograph. We hold our emotions in our bodies, so she also shares ways to tune in with your body throughout the day to release stress.

Nicole also explains why your nervous system keeps you stuck in familiar patterns even when you logically know better, and why shame, people pleasing, and perfectionism are all protective strategies we developed to survive childhood.

Plus, why does healing require what Nicole calls a return to ‘radical honesty’?

Nicole’s book,Reparenting the Inner Child, is out now.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Philippa Perry

Break Free From People Pleasing

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

Book Club Meets: Rekindling intimacy in marriage, with Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees Apr 30, 2026

Show notes

Adam and Jules have been married for 25 years and are stuck in a bit of a rut. Adam stumbles across some old mixtapes he and Jules made for each other when they were young and falling in love, and when they play them... they get to travel back in time to different moments in their relationship. Will remembering the passion they used to have get the future of their relationship back on track, or will it just spark absolute chaos?

You & Me, You & Me, You & Me was our Happy Place Book Club pick for April. In this chat with Fearne, authors Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees – themselves a married couple – explain why they wanted to explore rekindling intimacy in the empty nest phase, and reveal how they write together on a practical level.

What do you reckon, if you could go back in time to tweak some of the decisions you’d made – would you? Maybe it would make you even more grateful for the happiness you have now...

Thank you to Vintage Digital for the use of the You & Me and You & Me and You & Me audiobook, narrated by Rory Kinnear and Sally Phillips.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Book Club Meets: Emma Gannon

Book Club Meets: Maggie O’Farrell

Book Club Meets: Nussaibah Younis

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

"You can't be a people pleaser and a leader!" Emma Grede on self-belief and female ambition Apr 27, 2026

Show notes

When was the last time you told someone exactly how much you earn? Entrepreneur Emma Grede - who co-founded Good American with Khloe Kardashian - says that when women avoid talking about money, money avoids them.

In this chat with Fearne, Emma explains why ambition isn't a dirty word, and why she wants every determined woman to know her worth. Fearne and Emma also explore why you can't be a people pleaser and a leader, and why getting comfortable with failure and self-doubt is non-negotiable.

As a mum of four, Emma has some big thoughts about mum guilt, and talks about why it’s so important that kids see their mums chasing their goals and loving what they do.

Plus, why you’ll never catch Emma working from home, or cutting her kids’ sandwiches into heart shapes...

Emma’s book, Start With Yourself, is out now.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Ashley James

Chris Appleton

Carol Vorderman

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

“I was overweight and unhappy!” Liz Earle’s perimenopause and midlife reinvention Apr 23, 2026

Show notes

What if your best decade is still ahead of you? At 62, broadcaster and healthy aging expert Liz Earle is fitter, stronger, and happier than ever.

In this chat with Fearne, Liz shares how she went from overwhelmed, overweight, and exhausted during perimenopause, to thriving in her 60s. She shares the small lifestyle shifts that transformed her health, and why women in midlife shouldn’t feel selfish moving themselves up the priority list.

Fearne and Liz dig into the science of aging well, including the power of sunlight (and whether we should be wearing SPF year-round!), and why we should be prioritising sleep and strength training.

Plus, what happened when Liz’s younger boyfriend took her clubbing for the first time at 60 years old...?

Liz’s book, How To Age, is out now.

Listen to Liz’s podcast, Age Better, here!

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Naomi Watts

Callie Beaton

Poorna Bell

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

Philippa Perry: Why everyone has an inner critic, and how to stop believing yours Apr 20, 2026

Show notes

Should you give your inner critic have a name? Psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry reckons giving that nagging voice in your head a silly name is the first step to stopping it running your life.

In this chat with Fearne, Philippa explains why not feeling ‘good enough’ is often less about truth and more about habit. She shares how to tell the difference between a helpful critical inner voice and a self-sabotaging one, and why negative thought patterns keep us stuck.

Fearne and Philippa also chat about the power of shame, and why talking about the things you feel most embarrassed about is the fastest way to shrink them.

Plus, how is your phone eating away at your ability to connect IRL? And what can you do if you can’t access therapy? Philippa talks through some of her favourite self-therapy exercises.

Philippa’s novel, Shrink Solves Murder, is out on May 7th.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Philippa’s first Happy Place episode

Flo Perry

Bryony Gordon

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