Episodes
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Sociopathy should be understood as a spectrum disorder. It’s a disorder that affects roughly 5% of the population – similar to the number of people who have depression or anxiety. Patric Gagne is a sociopath.
In this chat with Fearne, Patric explains the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath. Sociopaths have access to inherent emotions like sadness and happiness, but struggle with learned social emotions like remorse, guilt, empathy, and love. There’s also a huge feeling of apathy for Patric, which in the past led her to anti-social behaviours like stealing cars and breaking into houses.
Fearne also points out the benefits of not caring what others think of you; while she people pleases a lot, she can see the freedom in having a lack of a filter. They chat about how to function in a relationship when you have to communicate any kind of mental disorder or illness too.
Patric’s memoir, Sociopath, is this month’s Happy Place Book Club read. Come and be part of the Book Club discussions on Instagram @happyplacebookclub.
Sociopath is out now.
Listen to Book Club Meets: Jo Cheetham
Listen to Book Club Meets: Jennie Godfrey
Thanks to Bluebird (an imprint of Pan Macmillan) for the Sociopath audiobook extract.
TAKE PART IN OUR HAPPY PLACE SURVEY HERE: http://bit.ly/happyplacesurvey2024
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Nobody’s worse off than you; everyone just experiences things differently. This is what 27 year old Ashleigh has come to understand about her own trauma. Previously, she minimised her own experiences, thinking it can’t be that bad, but learnt that until she acknowledged her own pain she couldn’t move forward.
In this chat with Fearne, Ashleigh explains how PTSD led her to develop facial tics and a stammer, isolating her personally and professionally. They talk about how to cope when those around you don’t understand what you’re going through, plus, how the Prince’s Trust have given her game-changing support to start her own business helping others with mental health struggles.
Fearne is a Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health and Wellbeing for The Prince’s Trust. They help support young people aged 11-30, and believe that every single young person should have the chance to succeed, no matter their background, or their personal challenges. They offer support into education, training, and jobs; that’s exactly what they did for Ashleigh.
As well as catching up on Ashleigh’s progress, Fearne has a very special surprise for her at the end of the episode...
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Missing episodes?
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How’s your mental health doing today? Do you ever wish people understood what was actually going on in your mind?
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, Fearne looks back at some of the conversations she’s had on Happy Place that shine a light on particular mental health conditions.
There’s OCD with Tuppence Middleton, cyclothymia with Matt Edmondson, and psychosis with David Harewood. Plus, neuroscientist TJ Power chats about how to increase serotonin levels, and sleep physiologist Stephanie Romiszewski talks through how to combat insomnia.
Hopefully you’ll find a moment’s solace from connecting over stories you might recognise if you have any of these mental health conditions yourself, and if you don’t... you may well know someone who does...
CONTENT WARNING: as David recalls racist abuse, this episode contains offensive and distressing language.
Watch Stephanie Romiszewski
Listen to Tuppence Middleton
Listen to Matt Edmondson
Listen to David Harewood
Listen to TJ Power
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It can be tiring being anything but yourself. Musician Zayn has learnt to lean into what really makes him content.
In this chat with Fearne, Zayn talks through the quiet lifestyle he loves in Pennsylvania: painting, being outdoors, spending time with his daughter, and staying off his phone. He also explains how fatherhood has changed him, whether he's the parent he thought he would be, and what impact the new depths of emotion he feels has had on his music.
They chat about how to find the balance between sharing enough information with others to really connect on a deep level, while keeping some things private just for you. Plus, Zayn gives Fearne a very thoughtful gift...
Zayn’s new album, ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS is out now.
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Do you turn to food for comfort? Actor Rebel Wilson spent a lifetime using food to numb herself from difficult emotions.
In this chat with Fearne, Rebel shares why she felt safe using her body as a barrier to true intimacy, not having sex until she was 35. Knowing that she was medically obese, Rebel made 2020 her ‘year of health’, but it was working through her trauma that made the most difference, not a specific diet or exercise plan.
Fearne also shares the realities of her bulimia, including the secrecy and isolation that can come with shame.
Rebel talks about feeling like a ‘loser’ at school and making a concerted effort to become popular through speaking to five new people each day, and being a part of theatre and sports teams for connection.
Plus, Rebel explains why it felt so important to speak her truth about what happened on certain sets in her memoir...
Rebel’s book, Rebel Rising, is out now.
Listen to How To Laugh When You’ve Been To Hell And Back
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Would you choose uncertainty over unhappiness? Happy Place Book Club novel, The List of Suspicious Things, is the first book Jennie Godfrey has written. She was working in a corporate job before she had a moment of clarity and quit her job with no plan B to become a writer.
In this chat with Fearne, Jennie explains why, having suffered with anxiety, she took control and chose an uncertain future over an unhappy present, with a little help from an episode of Happy Place...!
The List of Suspicious Things centres around the murders of the Yorkshire Ripper. It sounds like a grim subject, but this story – told through the eyes of a young teenage girl – is incredibly warm and charming. Jennie also reveals her family’s own connection to Peter Sutcliffe, the man known at the time as the Yorkshire Ripper.
Plus, you’ve been sending your voice notes, reminiscing about the teenage culture of the 1970s.
Join the Happy Place Book Club on Instagram @happyplacebookclub – DM your messages and voicenotes about May’s read, Sociopath, to have your thoughts shared on the podcast!
...and don’t worry, there are no plot spoilers in this episode!
Listen to Daisy May Cooper's episode.
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What are you dreams trying to tell you about yourself? Neurosurgeon Rahul Jandial feels dreaming is a vital part of being human.
In this chat with Fearne, Rahul explains that while our waking brain is generally ruled by the logical executive network... the dreaming brain liberates creative and divergent thinking. We dream, he says, to keep our minds open so they’re able to adapt if our world suddenly changes.
They also talk about the role dreams play as our ‘nocturnal therapists’. Dreams allow us a safe space to rehearse real life scenarios we might be anxious or confused about.
Sometimes our dreams can reflect what’s happening in our waking life, but what if what you’re experiencing in your dream life is flagging something that you haven’t even recognised about yourself yet? Rahul talks about how to use your dreams as a psychological thermometer.
Rahul’s book, This Is Why You Dream, is out now.
Listen back to Professor David Nutt’s episode about psychedelics
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‘If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry’, as the saying goes. These heightened emotions often sit very close to each other, and there’s a split second where we can decide whether to despair, or to see the funny side of a situation.
Today, Fearne revisits Happy Place conversations that highlight the crossroads where people have decided to cope with shitty incidents by laughing at them, or at themselves.
Amongst other guests, Adele Roberts tells the absurd story of what happened to her stoma the night before running the London Marathon, and Dawn French chats about owning the moments you were a bit of a twat.
...and for a really good laugh, there are some behind the scenes outtakes as Fearne attempted to record some calming – and unexpectedly erotic – sleepy stories for the Happy Place app...
Listen to Fats Timbo’s episode
Listen to Adele Roberts’ episode
Listen to Dawn French’s episode
Listen to Vicky Pattison’s episode
Download the Happy Place app
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When was the last time you enjoyed some silence? Musician Norah Jones appreciates the importance of silence – it allows us to tune into what our minds are trying to tell us.
In this chat with Fearne, Norah explains that the rare moments of quiet are when creativity flows most freely. They talk about the feeling of being embarrassed by your work when you’re young, but that it’s important to be ever evolving and honing your craft just by getting on and doing it.
Norah’s new album, Visions, is out now.
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How often do you connect with strangers? There’s something magical about those fleeting moments of intimacy and connection.
Today, Fearne introduces an episode of Where Are You Going, a podcast that sees host Catherine Carr chatting to strangers and asking a simple question: “where are you going?” The stories people end up sharing with her go to all sorts of unexpected places – some are funny or loving, and others moving or shocking.
In this episode, Catherine meets women who’ve been cold water swimming, and a group of childhood friends who’ve found solace and connection in fishing.
New episodes of Where Are You Going? are released every Tuesday and Friday. You can listen back to over 100 episodes wherever you’re listening to this right now.
Follow Where Are You Going? on Instagram at @whereareyougoingpodcast and get in touch with Catherine on X @catherineecarr.
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Perfection has taken on a life of its own in recent years. Dawn French worries that the pursuit of perfection is stopping us from being who we are, and from making mistakes we can grow from.
In this chat, Fearne and Dawn explore why when we have low tolerance for others making mistakes, we’re likely judging ourselves for our mistakes too. So, in order to have more self-compassion, we have to talk about the cringey times we’ve held inside for fear for being shamed.
They also discuss the best ways to apologise when we’re in the wrong, and to allow space for robust debate that might just change our minds. Plus, why it’s so important to be able to say “I don’t know”.
Dawn’s book, The Twat Files, is out now.
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Cancer, and having a stoma, has changed DJ and broadcaster Adele Roberts’ perception of her own body for the better. It’s shown her it’s ok to cry, and it’s ok to ask for help.
In this chat with Fearne, Adele talks through the symptoms of bowel cancer, what the experience has taught her about positive mindset, as well as the realities of going through chemo.
They also chat about why it’s never too late to embrace and practice a new passion later in life, and why it’s important not to write off the entire day just because it started a bit crap.
Personal Best, Adele’s memoir, is out on the 11th of April.
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Don’t underestimate the power your voice has. This is the key message to come from Happy Place Book Club read, Killjoy, which tells the incredible true story of the No More Page 3 campaign, and the unlikely everyday women who made a generational change possible.
Fearne chats to author Jo Cheetham about their early memories of Page 3, street harassment, and how cultural messages can affect the way we relate to our own bodies.
They also talk about acknowledging anger and channelling that rage into something productive, and Jo shares how self-sabotage nearly stopped her writing this book in the first place.
Join the Happy Place Book Club on Instagram @happyplacebookclub – DM your messages and voicenotes about April’s read, The List Of Suspicious Things, to have your thoughts shared on the podcast!
...and don’t worry, there are no Killjoy plot spoilers in this episode!
This episode features extracts from the audiobook of Killjoy, narrated by Jo Cheetham, with thanks to Picador.
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“Am I mad, or did it happen?” This is a question that poet Lemn Sissay regularly finds himself asking. Having grown up in care, he has no family members to bear witness to his life experiences; is his understanding of his own identity correct?
In this chat with Fearne, Lemn talks through why it’s important for us not to compare trauma, that everything’s relative, and no one deserves more or less empathy. He also exposes the reality of the care system in the UK, and offers practical ways for all of us to help those who’ve been in care better integrate into society.
Between them, they suggest how to watch out for when you’re performing to a crowd, rather than being present – that’s where a true feeling of belonging lies – and how to mitigate the negative voices that want to knock your confidence.
Lemn’s latest poetry collection is Let the Light Pour In and his memoir is My Name Is Why. Both are published by Canongate.
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A disciplined lifestyle isn’t restrictive, it’s freeing. That’s how dietician, nutritionist, and plant-based cook Radhi Devlukia-Shetty feels about the habits, boundaries, and guidelines she's implemented. They allow her to be in control, rather than outside factors controlling how she lives.
In this chat with Fearne, Radhi explains why committing to something – and following through – increases self-worth as it proves you can trust yourself. Trusting your instincts is something she wants you to be doing more of when it comes to nourishing food in particular. They chat through some practical ways to transition into eating more plant-based food, especially by using spices that invigorate and give you energy.
Plus, why is it important to check your own mental health when you realise you’re gossiping about other people...?
Radhi’s recipe book, JoyFull, is out now.
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How can you support your child’s healthy brain development? How can you strengthen your connection with your children? And have you already messed them up too badly to make a change? These are all questions broadcaster-turned-child therapist Kate Silverton answers in her new book, There’s Still No Such Thing As Naughty.
Kate joined Fearne on the podcast earlier this week to discuss how to help your child regulate their emotions, how screens affect development, neurodivergence, and more. Now, you can listen to an exclusive extract from Kate’s new book, all about separation anxiety.
Listen to Kate’s Happy Place episode here.
There’s Still No Such Thing As Naughty is out on March 28th.
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Did you learn to regulate your emotions as a child? Broadcaster turned child therapist Kate Silverton says our ability to regulate our emotions has been found to be the best indicator of future happiness.
In this chat with Fearne, Kate definitively explains why it’s never too late to change your relationship with your kids regardless of how much you think you’ve already messed up. Kate talks through why it’s not about changing our children, it’s about changing their environment. Similarly, it’s not that you’re bad at parenting, it’s that you’re being expected to parent while under often more stress and with less community support.
Fearne and Kate also chat about why all of these conversations are relevant even if you’re not a parent, because all these things – soothing anxiety, acknowledging emotions, cultivating resilience – also relate to our relationships with our own parents, and ourselves...
Plus, Kate gives her take on how best to help children with neurodiversity, and how screens are really affecting our brains.
Kate’s book, There’s Still No Such Thing As Naughty, is out on the March 28th.
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How often do you honour your emotions, and ask yourself “how are you, in this moment?” Spiritual coach and meditation teacher Kirsty Gallagher guides you through a meditation that helps you connect with your inner wisdom, and to get beneath the noise and chaos of the outside world.
So, find yourself somewhere quiet and comfortable for this gorgeous 10 minute meditation. While you’re doing that, you can first listen to a chapter from Kirsty’s new book, The Goddess Path, which is published by Happy Place Books. It’s a powerful read that will help you reclaim your self-worth, establish boundaries, and cultivate your intuition.
For more of Kirsty’s meditations, download the Happy Place app.
Kirsty’s book, The Goddess Path is out now.
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Some people are born driven; Zara Larsson is one of them. Sixteen years into her career, she’s still got huge ambitions for what she wants to achieve and what she expects of herself.
In this chat, Fearne and Zara talk about how to make sure we’re content and satisfied in the moment, while acknowledging that we continuously want to evolve and grow. We have to be curious about our human potential by pushing our own boundaries.
Plus, Fearne and Zara realise they’re the total opposite person – one being an introvert who craves time alone, the other being an extrovert who thrives on social interaction.
Zara’s new album, Venus, is out now.
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Change is scary but liberating. Grief has galvanised musician Jess Glynne, changing her outlook on life and making her more fearless.
In this chat with Fearne, Jess explains why learning that life is short has helped her trust her gut and make decisions that really serve her personally and professionally, rather than internalising other people’s feedback.
Fearne and Jess also talk through how to forgive both yourself and others for fucking up. We’re all going to make mistakes, so they chat about how we can give each other some grace and a space to learn, rather than creating a culture of fear.
Jess’ new album – Jess – is out on April 26th, and her latest single, Enough, is out now.
Listen to Glennon Doyle's episode of Happy Place here!
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