Happy Place

For Ashley Roberts, dance was her self-expression and meditation. Then, at the height of her Pussycat Dolls fame the art she loved became tangled up in extreme burnout and body shaming.

In this chat with Fearne, Ashley explains how discovering breathwork brought her back to herself after a period of intense anxiety and physical ill-health. Now, the Pussycat Dolls are making a comeback in their 40s, and this time round they’re doing it with a bigger focus on having more fun and giving fewer f*cks.

There’s a lot of mental illness in her family, so Ashley talks about the mental health toolkit she’s creating for herself, as well as the grief of losing her dad to suicide. Plus, she and Fearne both suffer from insomnia, so share what works – and what really doesn’t – for each of them.

The Pussycat Dolls will be touring Europe in summer 2026.

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Leigh-Anne Pinnock

LeAnne Rimes

Paloma Faith

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Natalie Heller is a tradwife influencer online. She’s got the perfect life: a brood of beautiful children and a handsome cowboy husband who eat her homemade bread and jams in their gorgeous red barn. What her millions of followers don’t know is that she’s got a whole army of hidden staff and industrial kitchen appliances helping her out.

Then, one day... she wakes up in the 1800s, and is forced to live this traditional fantasy for real.

Yesteryear was our Happy Place Book Club read for May. In this chat, author Caro Claire Burke joins Fearne to talk about the manosphere, motherhood, religion, and modern feminism. Plus, what does Caro make of Anne Hathaway turning her book into a film?

In June, we’ll be reading Honey by Imani Thompson.

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Book Club Meets: Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

Book Club Meets: Emma Gannon

Book Club Meets: Maggie O’Farrell

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Mary Berry has been married for 60 years and says she and her husband have never had a cross word. Her secret? Do a lap of the garden before saying the thing you might regret.

In this chat with Fearne, Mary shares the simple principles that have guided her life: be kind, contribute to community, and prioritise time in nature.

Mary’s 91, and her mum lived to 105. She believes a busy mind makes a happy person, so offers advice for getting into your gardening era (Fearne’s not quite there yet) regardless of how much outdoor space you have.

Mary also reflects on the wartime childhood in Bath that saw her school being bombed and her family needing to grow their own food. Plus, how do you move through the grief of losing a child?

Mary’s book, My Gardening Life, is out now.

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Mary Berry’s first Happy Place chat

Ruth Langsford

Liz Earle

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Alan Cumming's dad told him he was worthless, and his mum told him he was precious. Figuring out how he feels about himself has been a life’s work.

In this chat with Fearne, Alan’s open about the ways he’s allowed people to treat him badly, and how he’s learnt to get comfortable with confrontation and setting boundaries. He also explains why the rage in the script of his new TV show triggered painful childhood memories.

Fearne and Alan share their experiences of oscillating between relentless, excited creativity (constantly manifesting bigger and better jobs) and a desire to rest (Alan’s fantasies about becoming a tradwife...!)

Plus, what really happens on the Traitors’ set and how on earth does Alan manage to keep that poker face all the time?

Alan will be creatively involved in four different productions at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre this year, and you can watch Alan in Channel 4’s new show Tip Toe from May 31st.

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Nicole LePera

Shauna Tiffany

Zayn
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Ever looked in the mirror and told yourself “I am enough” ...and not believed a word of it? Psychologist Dr Julie Smith reckons affirmations only work to boost confidence if – deep down – you already believe them.

In this chat with Fearne, Julie explains why your brain needs evidence, not mantras, to change your critical inner voice and build self-worth. She also talks through why criticism from others can hit so hard, and why the discomfort felt is often an echo of a much older wound. Julie breaks down how the patterns we developed in childhood keep replaying in adulthood.

Julie also talks about her breast cancer diagnosis, and how it tested everything she’d been teaching everyone else about fear, agency, and mental health.

Plus, what’s the simple therapy exercise that could change how you carry pain?

Dr Julie’s best-selling book, Open When, is available now in paperback.

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Dr Julie’s first Happy Place episode

Estelle Bingham

Adele Roberts
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