The concept of a mid-life crisis has become a funny cliché, and that’s what Christian O’Connell jokingly told people he was having when he left his successful radio career in the UK to start a new life in Australia in 2018. The truth was that he had had what he now recognises as a break down, and needed to find adventure and joy as an adult to reignite the fire in his belly.
In this chat, Fearne and Christian share their experiences of having panic attacks, and compare notes on how they both use distraction techniques to avoid confronting difficult realities.
Christian’s book, No One Listens To Your Dad’s Show, is out now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian O'Connell

Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in-between as she reveals what happiness means to them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Personal Journals

Society & Culture

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

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

Where Are You Going? Cold water, childhood friends, and fishing

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

Dawn French: Shame, apologies, and being a twat

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

Adele Roberts: Bowel cancer, marathons, and mashed potato

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

Book Club Meets: Activism, misogyny, and Page 3, with Jo Cheetham

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

Christian O'Connell

Download our free app to listen on your phone