Are you coming to one of the Happy Place Festivals this year? We hope so! Have you been before and wondered how it all comes together? Maybe you’re unsure about coming and want to know what the vibe’s like...

Fearne’s joined by Team Happy Place’s Nicky Darling – she heads up all the live events – to get the behind the scenes goss on what it takes to make sure you have a gorgeous time at the festivals.

They chat about –

-Why it takes a whole year to plan the festivals

-Making sure there’s something for everyone, including yoga, breathwork, arts and crafts, shopping, book signings, live poetry, and DJs

-How your feedback changes future festivals

-Learning the hard way that more toilets and food trucks are needed

-The new area for 2026: The Happy Hub, where there’ll be hula-hooping, line dancing, and a silent disco

-Who’ll be doing brilliant talks on stage this year

-What happens when the weather doesn’t play ball

-Fearne’s mum living for the festivals’ logistical dramas

-Encouraging more men to come along – there’s loads for you too guys!

-The naughtiest things people have been found doing at the festivals

-The joy of surprising someone with the title of Happy Place Hero

In 2026 the Happy Place Festival will be at Old Deer Park in London on the 11th and 12th of July, and Tatton Park in Cheshire on the 5th and 6th of September.

Get your tickets now!

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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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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

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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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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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