Are you having the sex you want? Comedian and author Sofie Hagen reckons there are loads of things standing in the way of pleasure – everything from gender identity and body image, to parenting and the cost of living crisis.

In this Book Club episode – recorded live at the Happy Place Festival – Sofie tells Fearne why they haven’t had sex for 3000 days and counting... and why they’ve written about it in ‘Will I Ever Have Sex Again?’

What does sex mean to you? Sofie wonders if it’s about ‘enjoying bodies’, but how can you relax into desire if you have self-loathing around your body, or don’t trust that others will enjoy your body?

Plus, do you think labels around gender and sexuality are restrictive or liberating? Fearne and Sofie chat about their thoughts, and Sofie also explains why your PTSD, anxiety, or OCD is trying to protect you.

Will I Ever Have Sex Again is the Happy Place Book Club read for July, and is out now.

Thank you to Bonnier for the use of the Will I Ever Sex Again audiobook, read by Sofie Hagen.

Listen to Book Club Meets: Fearne Cotton

Listen to Book Club Meets: Jo Cheetham

Listen to Book Club Meets: Jennie Godfrey

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Do you have the confidence to speak up and say “no”? Rachel Stevens has learnt it’s ok to stand up for yourself and have a voice.

In this chat with Fearne – live from the Happy Place Festival – Rachel talks about how emotions are messy, and they’re better spoken out loud imperfectly than not at all.

They also chat about the early years of S Club 7; the band gave Rachel safety and structure when she needed to escape from a difficult family life. But over time it wore down her autonomy and independence; she explains how she found her voice so that you can too.

Plus, are you a worrier? Fearne and Rachel both share what they’re anxious about every single day.

Rachel’s book, Finding My Voice, is out now.

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Petrified that your parenting is screwing your kid up? Crying out for support from people around you? Fearne’s pulled together some stories and advice from Happy Place guests who’ll make you feel more empowered and less alone in raising children.

Not a parent? Not to worry! You’ll learn just as much about how to regulate your own emotions, how your childhood is affecting your behaviour today, and why feminism might have sold women an unrealistic dream...

You’ll hear from Paloma Faith on the pressure for women to ‘have it all’, Kate Ferdinand on caring for her blended family, and Gabor Maté on why we all need wider community support.

Kate Silverton asks: “are kids being ‘naughty’ or are they just really struggling to regulate their nervous system?” Alain De Botton explains how your childhood is still be affecting your actions, and Zayn reflects on how fatherhood has changed him for the better.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains some chat about suicide, so take care while listening 

Listen to Paloma Faith’s episode

Listen to Kate Ferdinand’s episode

Listen to Gabor Maté’s episode

Listen to Kate Silverton’s episode

Listen to Alain de Botton episode

Listen to Zayn’s episode

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Would you describe yourself as a workaholic? Fashion designer Zandra Rhodes has an insatiable sense of drive that’s fuelled her iconic career since the 1960s.

In this chat with Fearne, Zandra is honest about how she threw herself into work as a way to cope with things like the death of the love of her life, and her own cancer diagnosis.

Zandra is very clear that we need our own sense of creativity, colour, and vibrancy in life. She explains why it’s so vital to have self-belief, and how to make sure you’re not compromising your own values and style for other people.

There’s also the story of when Zandra was carted away in a police car for growing marijuana...

Zandra’s book, Iconic: My Life in 50 Objects, is out now.

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Do you think of yourself as a victim of circumstance? Ella Mills – the founder of Deliciously Ella – used to live with a sense that life was unfair to her. Now, she knows that ultimately the only person in charge of your life is you.

In this chat with Fearne, Ella talks about realising apathy was a symptom of depression, and explains why sometimes you have to hit rock bottom in order to acknowledge what needs to change.

Ella and Fearne also talk about why the way we eat has become so emotive and divisive. They reckon we should be focusing on sharing joyful knowledge that will make us all healthier and more energetic, so chat through some simple ways to feel good about what you’re eating.

Ella’s latest recipe book, Healthy Made Simple, is out now.

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Make yourself comfy in a quiet space. Lie down if you can. Meditation teacher Rob da Bank is here to guide you through a Yoga Nidra practice.

This is 20 minutes of uninterrupted time for you, to feel a little more self-love, and to move you into a deeply restful place through guided mental imagery, intention setting, and breathing exercises.

Head back to the Happy Place feed to listen to Fearne’s chat with Rob da Bank.

For even more of Rob’s Yoga Nidra practices, download the Happy Place app.

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We’re all so used to being in a constant fight or flight mode, you might not even realise that your body has the potential to be in a much calmer state.

In this chat with Fearne, DJ and meditation teacher Rob da Bank explains how practicing Yoga Nidra is a way to help your body digest stress. He also talks about why we all need to slow down to combat burnout, and how sauna and cold water therapy can help with this.

Plus, Fearne and Rob both share the stressful behind the scenes realities of organising big festivals – Happy Place Festival and Bestival respectively – as well as how they see their time as Radio One DJs now...

Now you’ve heard about the benefits of Yoga Nidra, you can find a quiet space and do a practice yourself. Head back to the Happy Place feed and you’ll find another episode – Rob will guide you through a beautiful Yoga Nidra there.

For even more of Rob’s Yoga Nidra practices, download the Happy Place app.

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It can feel awful when other people judge you, but it can be even worse when you judge yourself. Despite his immense achievements, Former European, Commonwealth and World Champion 400m medallist Iwan Thomas is no stranger to self-loathing.

In this chat with Fearne, Iwan talks about the innate need to make our parents proud throughout our lives, as well as how becoming a dad himself has changed his outlook on life. They also try to figure out the balance of pushing your kid to believe in themselves, without stressing them out with too much pressure.

Iwan is honest about the reality of feeling he couldn’t talk to even his closest friends about his mental health during his lowest moments, as well as how he’s learnt to open up.

Iwan’s memoir, Brutal, is out on July 4th.

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Summer body ready? How about your summer skin and hair? Fearne knows you might be feeling the pressure to look a certain way – both right now, and across your lifetime – so she’s reflecting on Happy Place episodes that stick two fingers up to made up beauty standards and body ideals.

You'll learn how to challenge all those social norms dictating how we should look, with some help from chair of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, Rob Wilson, broadcaster Amanda De Cadanet, and activist Emma Dabiri.

Plus, hear some deeply personal stories of how things like age, race, disability, and weight all intersect with self worth from Beverley Knight, Jono Lancaster, Adele Roberts, and Emily Ratajkowski. They talk about the moments they personally saw through the cultural crap and embraced their bodies for themselves …and you can too!

Watch 'What Is How To' on YouTube

Listen to Amanda De Cadanet’s episode

Listen to Emma Dabiri’s episode

Listen to Beverley Knight’s episode

Listen to Jono Lancaster’s episode

Listen to Adele Roberts’ episode

Listen to Emily Ratajkowski’s episode

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Do you feel burnt out, but also like you’re not achieving enough? Entrepreneur Grace Beverley believes implementing clear boundaries can be the secret to success.

In this chat with Fearne, Grace talks through the hard and fast lifestyle rules she sticks to in order to keep her mental health in check, and why self-care needs to be reframed as a valid form of productivity.

And stick around to the end, because there are some proper productivity hacks for your daily to do list!

Grace also explains the various routes for businesses to get funding... and why they’re so often not available to women (only 2% of venture capital funding goes to female founders in the UK!) They chat about why it’s so dire for society that we’re not investing in women. Getting angry, she says, can have a positive effect in galvanizing change, especially around gender and diversity.

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