Happy Place

Fundamentally tells the story of Nadia, an academic who's been disowned by her puritanical mother and dumped by her lover, so she decides to get away by accepting a UN job in Iraq.Meanwhile, Sara is a precocious and sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen, and Nadia is astounded at how similar they both are: they’re feisty and opinionated, they’re from a Muslim background, and they both love a Dairy Milk and rude pick-up lines...In this Book Club chat with Fearne, author Nussaibah Younis explains how she managed to write an incredibly funny book based on her own experience of creating a de-radicalisation programme... Satire and comedy, she says, is vital in examining tough topics.They also natter about how you’d react if you had to hang out with your teenage self, and why doing the job you love can sometimes mean giving up a little bit of yourself.Thank you to Weidenfeld & Nicolson for the use of the Fundamentally audiobook, narrated by Sarah Slimani.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Day Book Club Meets: Elizabeth Gilbert Book Club Meets: Aisha Muharrar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Which episodes of Happy Place have stayed with you this year?Reflecting on some of the chats she’s had this year, Fearne explores her own OCD diagnosis, how she copes when she’s gripped by shame, and why her attitude towards periods has shifted.She also talks about just how powerful her friendship with Davina McCall is, and why her recent episode with Malala has prompted conversations about women’s rights with her own kids.Listen to the full episodes here:Afua HirschWill PoulterCharlie MackesyAshley WaltersDavina McCallMalala Yousafzai Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You’ve heard Fearne talking about them loads over the years... now it’s time to meet her best school mates! This episode is basically your girls’ Whatsapp chat come to life; Becky, Rebecca, Lucy, Ally, and Fran are here to talk through navigating Christmas when you’re co-parenting, sober, grieving, single, or just desperately trying to find a new place to put the bloody Elf on the Shelf.Everyone’s wearing their sequinned outfits, and like any good girls get together, there are cheeky games that elicit stories about teenage club nights, muting the school mums chat, and sliding into Craig David’s DMs… Oh, and you lot have been sending in your festive dilemmas too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Footballer Chloe Kelly has played a huge part in the Lioness’ immense success over the last few years, but severe anxiety has meant she’s often had to put on a brave face in public.In this chat with Fearne, Chloe opens up for the first time about how emotional stress led to hair loss, and why being sick often felt like the only way to release the anxiety. She talks through the work she’s done with a psychiatrist to break this habit, and the actions her family and friends took that helped bring her out of this dark place.Fearne and Chloe also explore how taking yourself out of an environment that isn’t good for you – whether that’s a workplace, relationship, or particular location – can change your mental health.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Leah Williamson Mary Earps Sarina Wiegman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grief can make you feel unnervingly vulnerable; this is how Kate Winslet reflects on losing her mum in 2017. In this chat, Fearne and Kate share their own experiences of both grieving and co-parenting at Christmas.Regularly labelled as “fat” by the media, Kate explains what effect that scrutiny had on her self-esteem, and why it’s made her even more passionate about setting an example to younger women by ageing naturally.Kate also offers advice on how to live by your own gut instinct, rather than other people’s opinions, and how to approach difficult conversations with loved ones.Having recently made her directorial debut, Kate talks through what really goes on behind the scenes on a set, the safe environment she hopes to create for her actors, and the double standards applied to men and women in the film industry.Goodbye June is in cinemas from December 12th, and on Netflix on December 24th.If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Joanna Page Trinny Woodall Dr Jenna Macciochi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.