Latest news with #HappyPlacePodcast
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Fearne Cotton: "I wasn't doing so well mentally in my old career"
Fearne Cotton is redefining what happiness looks like in her 40s. "It's just maybe a level of average contentment that I'm aiming for – I don't even know if I'm needing to land on happiness," says the podcaster and author. "I'm pretty happy these days when I just feel even and average. I'm not looking for euphoria. "It's about those moments where there's a bit of mental peace and I just feel kind of balanced," the 43-year-old explains. "It's not circumstantial. Before I'd think, [happiness is] being on a holiday with a beautiful beach and no laptop and having a nice cocktail. But actually I could do that and be going mad in my head." The former BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2 presenter, who rose to fame first on children's TV and later Top Of The Pops in the early Noughties, says her old TV and radio life "hugely" affected her mental health. "I wasn't doing so well mentally in my old career," says Cotton, who announced her split from husband Jesse Wood in December 2024 after 10 years of marriage. The pair share two children, Rex and Honey, and Cotton is stepmother to Wood's two children from a previous relationship, Arthur and Lola. She's largely left the TV and radio world behind, and says live broadcasting is not a position she wants to put herself in at the moment. "I think it's so exposing, people are incredibly judgmental. "There's no room in traditional media, certainly not when I was growing up as a teenager in the early Noughties, in my 20s, to be thoroughly yourself. "There was no space to fade up the microphone on Radio 1 and say, 'I'm feeling like death today'. You've got to be jolly and play music – so people probably only saw that side of me, and I was terrified to show the other side of me." Cotton – who has been open in sharing her struggles with depression and OCD – started the Happy Place Podcast in 2018, interviewing famous faces and notable people, exploring themes of mental health, wellbeing, and happiness. A year later she launched the Happy Place Festival and now also writes self-help, healthy eating and children's books. "I believe that what I've created, very luckily, is a career where I'm not waiting around to be chosen by anyone because I'm deemed good enough, or popular enough," she says. Cotton considers herself an introvert, but says, "I wonder how much of it is naturally, authentically who I am, and how much of it is almost a response to the more troubling times I've had being in the public eye – where you're so instantly judged and people so easily make assumptions, and you're so hyper alert to what you've said, in case someone takes it the wrong way. "So sometimes I wonder, am I an introvert? Am I naturally someone that likes to be in my own company, or is it just because it feels safer? But, she admits: "I crave being on my own with nothing to do, and then when I'm in it, I'm a bit lost, so I sort of have to push myself, because I actually feel great when I've had a good experience with other people." Connecting with other people is a big theme of both her podcast and festival (now biannually in London and Cheshire). "I hope [people] leave feeling a bit better really. "I know when I'm going through something that feels mentally trying, I always assume I'm the only person on the planet that's ever felt like that, because you get into that sort of narcissistic vortex of hell where you just think no one else has ever had these awful thoughts or felt so low." From guest speakers and workshops to meditation, sound healing and yoga classes, "People have deep conversations off the back of hearing talks, it might make you feel more connected to other people who have been through tricky things. I want people to come together and feel like it's a safe space to explore whatever they're going through in their lives and their heads and [know] they're not alone in it. "Once you have said that thing that you feel awful about in the past, or you're worrying about in the future, or the thing that you're very uncomfortable with, that you couldn't say out loud, I think there's so much power in that, there's an immediate sense of relief." Cotton says she'd be "in trouble" if she didn't go to therapy every week. "I feel lucky I get to do it because it's not always accessible and it's expensive, but I really need that time to talk to someone about what's going on in my head and sift through all the obsessive thinking that I can get stuck in, and [the] negative thought loops". Still says she's "a million times more confident than I was in my 20s – I'm perhaps learning the most about myself than I ever have." When Cotton is feeling off balance, "I usually start to not like myself quite quickly. Like self loathing is never far away, so I have to really watch that… "I start to look at the past and that becomes a bit obsessive, and my OCD kicks in. I might start getting into a bit of an obsessive thought loop, I do some of the more cliche things, like I have to check all the windows are locked and check the ovens are all turned off. But more so, it's the loops of thought that I get stuck in. The OCD is still on off, it's not debilitating." To counteract and rebalance, she loves smaller social occasions. "I like really small dinners, like one-on-one with a mate or two mates. I love painting – it makes me feel absolute euphoria like nothing else, if the painting's gone well. And even cleaning. "I love having my house really tidy. If it's a mess, I cannot cope with life. I have to have everything in its place, neat, with a candle on. I just need everything visually to be in place, so I feel like my head's not such a mess. "I actually enjoy the process of doing that. Every morning, I get up, clean the kitchen before the kids get up, get their lunch boxes sorted or their snack boxes, do a couple of emails. I just like everything being in order. When everything gets a bit chaotic, I don't cope very well." Walking helps, "which sounds so basic", she says, "but there's something about getting out of the house and not being trapped in it all – walking, getting a bit more perspective, seeing other humans. "I'm constantly trying to recalibrate and work out what the best thing is in those moments. I know that yoga is going to suit me better than a HIIT workout." But like any working parent, she does "whatever I can fit in, because the mornings are just absolute chaos!" "So many things you read, it's like, oh, just get up earlier, do half an hour of yoga, make a smoothie. Yeah, if you've got kids and a job… good luck with that one!"
Scottish Sun
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside X Factor's fresh backlash as former host reveals she was sacked and ex judge slams bosses over ‘lack of support'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) DESPITE being off the air for seven years, The X Factor has faced a fresh backlash. It came after a former host revealed she was sacked from the ITV talent show, while an ex judge slammed bosses over their "lack of support". Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 9 Music mogul Simon Cowell is the creator of The X Factor Credit: Rex 9 Dannii Minogue has opened on on how her time on X Factor turned 'toxic' Credit: Rex 9 The singer revealed that the show took a toll on her mental health Credit: Youtube 9 Former Xtra Factor host Fearne Cotton had a similar experience Credit: YouTube Created by music mogul Simon Cowell in 2004, The X Factor brought the world huge stars like One Direction and Little Mix. With its prime time Saturday night slot, at its peak the show was attracting 19.4 million viewers. But over the years the sparkle of the show started to fade, and it was was eventually cancelled in 2018. Since The X Factor was axed, more and more people have started to reveal their own personal experiences with the show. In a new interview former judge Dannii Minogue, 53, revealed how the "toxic" culture on the X Factor forced her to quit the show. The singer and TV star opened up to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place Podcast - who in turn revealed she was "sacked" from hosting the spin-off show, The Xtra Factor. Both women joined the famous show in 2007, with Fearne only lasting one year on the series. Speaking about her short time with the show, the podcaster said to Dannii: "The last time I worked with you was when I did one season on Extra Factor. "Before I left/Got Sacked. Not quite sure, blurry lines. Very blurry lines." The pair then compared notes on the gruelling work schedule, which included long hours that took its toll on them. Simon Cowell brands X Factor group 'most annoying' act Dannii revealed: "The next day (after the live show) we would go straight into rehearsing the songs for the next week, which none of the other judges went to. "And I was always there at 10am and I'd get home at 1.30am, it'd take me three hours to wind down from the adrenaline." Echoing these gruelling hours, Fearne replied: "It was crazy. I mean, I remember even doing the judges, not the judges houses, what's the boot camp before that? Yeah. "And we were all in this big house/hotel. I'm not sure what it was. 9 Dannii and Fearne appeared on the same series of X Factor together Credit: Rex Features "And you would film all day until, you know, sort of 6am till midnight. "You'd be on your knees and then you try and sleep and all the contestants would be up practicing their songs, playing the piano and you're like, this is torture. Absolute torture. "I mean, the schedule was a joke. It's a hardcore show to be part of. It's one of those shows where you think, do I want to work in TV anymore? Like this is too much." 'TOXIC ENVIRONMENT' Dannii then went onto reveal how the "toxic environment" created by drama between the judges led to her walking away in 2010 for the sake of her own wellbeing. She admitted: "I definitely had a moment where I was just like, 'If this is what it is, I don't know if it's worth it for me'. 'I feel like I got caught up in a lot of kerfuffle where it was just not my personality to be involved. 9 Dannii revealed the show took its toll her Credit: ITV 'But I felt like there was a machine keeping it going because it was incredible for the show.' She added: 'On my last season of X Factor, 20 million people watched the final, but I just got to a point where I didn't want to be a part of it any more. 'I thought, this show is going that way. In my soul, I'm going in a completely different direction. 'I dug deep into myself and found some strength [to quit].' Dannii revealed that she feels she has been taken care of more whilst presenting BBC Three's dating show I Kissed A Boy. She revealed there was round-the-clock mental health care to all participants and the crew, including her. Dannii said: 'That was the first time they thought my mental health was important, ever. 'It would have been really helpful back in The X Factor days to have anything like that.' 9 Dannii's last series of The X Factor was in 2010 Credit: Handout 'DUTY OF CARE' Dannii and Fearne aren't the only ones to voice concerns over the impact filming The X Factor had them. The show's host Dermot O'Leary - who fronted the series from 2007 to 2014, before returning for the final three series - talked about how the show would be different if it was on TV in 2025. 'If the show was made now, it'd be made differently,' the This Morning host revealed. 'The culture is different, but it was pretty much always celebratory. "Look, not everyone on the show is going to knock it out of the park. "Not everyone is going to have the best experience. 9 Dermot O' Leary was the host of The X Factor - seen here with One Direction in 2010 Credit: Rex "But most of the people we had on were treated really well, and a lot of people who have talked negatively about their experiences are talking about what happened after they left." Continuing he added: "So if there is a duty of care to be looked at, it's what happens afterwards.' Former X Factor contestants Katie Waissel and Rebecca Ferguson have also spoken up in recent years about the toxic culture on set, calling for more duty-of-care in the industry — especially on reality shows.
The Sun
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside X Factor's fresh backlash as former host reveals she was sacked and ex judge slams bosses over ‘lack of support'
DESPITE being off the air for seven years, The X Factor has faced a fresh backlash. It came after a former host revealed she was sacked from the ITV talent show, while an ex judge slammed bosses over their "lack of support". 9 9 9 9 Created by music mogul Simon Cowell in 2004, The X Factor brought the world huge stars like One Direction and Little Mix. With its prime time Saturday night slot, at its peak the show was attracting 19.4 million viewers. But over the years the sparkle of the show started to fade, and it was was eventually cancelled in 2018. Since The X Factor was axed, more and more people have started to reveal their own personal experiences with the show. In a new interview former judge Dannii Minogue, 53, revealed how the "toxic" culture on the X Factor forced her to quit the show. The singer and TV star opened up to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place Podcast - who in turn revealed she was "sacked" from hosting the spin-off show, The Xtra Factor. Both women joined the famous show in 2007, with Fearne only lasting one year on the series. Speaking about her short time with the show, the podcaster said to Dannii: "The last time I worked with you was when I did one season on Extra Factor. "Before I left/Got Sacked. Not quite sure, blurry lines. Very blurry lines." The pair then compared notes on the gruelling work schedule, which included long hours that took its toll on them. Simon Cowell brands X Factor group 'most annoying' act Dannii revealed: "The next day (after the live show) we would go straight into rehearsing the songs for the next week, which none of the other judges went to. "And I was always there at 10am and I'd get home at 1.30am, it'd take me three hours to wind down from the adrenaline." Echoing these gruelling hours, Fearne replied: "It was crazy. I mean, I remember even doing the judges, not the judges houses, what's the boot camp before that? Yeah. "And we were all in this big house/hotel. I'm not sure what it was. 9 "And you would film all day until, you know, sort of 6am till midnight. "You'd be on your knees and then you try and sleep and all the contestants would be up practicing their songs, playing the piano and you're like, this is torture. Absolute torture. "I mean, the schedule was a joke. It's a hardcore show to be part of. It's one of those shows where you think, do I want to work in TV anymore? Like this is too much." 'TOXIC ENVIRONMENT' Dannii then went onto reveal how the "toxic environment" created by drama between the judges led to her walking away in 2010 for the sake of her own wellbeing. She admitted: "I definitely had a moment where I was just like, 'If this is what it is, I don't know if it's worth it for me'. 'I feel like I got caught up in a lot of kerfuffle where it was just not my personality to be involved. 9 'But I felt like there was a machine keeping it going because it was incredible for the show.' She added: 'On my last season of X Factor, 20 million people watched the final, but I just got to a point where I didn't want to be a part of it any more. 'I thought, this show is going that way. In my soul, I'm going in a completely different direction. 'I dug deep into myself and found some strength [to quit].' Dannii revealed that she feels she has been taken care of more whilst presenting BBC Three's dating show I Kissed A Boy. She revealed there was round-the-clock mental health care to all participants and the crew, including her. Dannii said: 'That was the first time they thought my mental health was important, ever. 'It would have been really helpful back in The X Factor days to have anything like that.' 9 'DUTY OF CARE' Dannii and Fearne aren't the only ones to voice concerns over the impact filming The X Factor had them. The show's host Dermot O'Leary - who fronted the series from 2007 to 2014, before returning for the final three series - talked about how the show would be different if it was on TV in 2025. 'If the show was made now, it'd be made differently,' the This Morning host revealed. 'The culture is different, but it was pretty much always celebratory. "Look, not everyone on the show is going to knock it out of the park. "Not everyone is going to have the best experience. 9 "But most of the people we had on were treated really well, and a lot of people who have talked negatively about their experiences are talking about what happened after they left." Continuing he added: "So if there is a duty of care to be looked at, it's what happens afterwards.' Former X Factor contestants Katie Waissel and Rebecca Ferguson have also spoken up in recent years about the toxic culture on set, calling for more duty-of-care in the industry — especially on reality shows. 9
The Irish Sun
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside X Factor's fresh backlash as former host reveals she was sacked and ex judge slams bosses over ‘lack of support'
DESPITE being off the air for seven years, The X Factor has faced a fresh backlash. It came after a former host revealed she was sacked from the ITV talent show, while an Advertisement 9 Music mogul Simon Cowell is the creator of The X Factor Credit: Rex 9 Dannii Minogue has opened on on how her time on X Factor turned 'toxic' Credit: Rex 9 The singer revealed that the show took a toll on her mental health Credit: Youtube 9 Former Xtra Factor host Fearne Cotton had a similar experience Credit: YouTube Created by music mogul Simon Cowell in 2004, The X Factor brought the world huge stars like One Direction and Little Mix. With its prime time Saturday night slot, at its peak the show was attracting 19.4 million viewers. But over the years the sparkle of the show started to fade, and it was was eventually cancelled in 2018. Since Advertisement Read more on X Factor In a new interview former judge Dannii Minogue, 53, revealed how the "toxic" culture on the X Factor forced her to quit the show. The singer and TV star opened up to Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place Podcast - who in turn revealed she was "sacked" from hosting the spin-off show, The Xtra Factor. Both women joined the famous show in 2007, with Fearne only lasting one year on the series. Speaking about her short time with the show, the podcaster said to Dannii: "The last time I worked with you was when I did one season on Extra Factor. Advertisement Most read in TV Exclusive Exclusive "Before I left/Got Sacked. Not quite sure, blurry lines. Very blurry lines." The pair then compared notes on the gruelling work schedule, which included long hours that took its toll on them. Simon Cowell brands X Factor group 'most annoying' act Dannii revealed: "The next day (after the live show) we would go straight into rehearsing the songs for the next week, which none of the other judges went to. "And I was always there at 10am and I'd get home at 1.30am, it'd take me three hours to wind down from the adrenaline." Advertisement Echoing these gruelling hours, Fearne replied: "It was crazy. I mean, I remember even doing the judges, not the judges houses, what's the boot camp before that? Yeah. "And we were all in this big house/hotel. I'm not sure what it was. 9 Dannii and Fearne appeared on the same series of X Factor together Credit: Rex Features "And you would film all day until, you know, sort of 6am till midnight. Advertisement "You'd be on your knees and then you try and sleep and all the contestants would be up practicing their songs, playing the piano and you're like, this is torture. Absolute torture. "I mean, the schedule was a joke. It's a hardcore show to be part of. It's one of those shows where you think, do I want to work in TV anymore? Like this is too much." 'TOXIC ENVIRONMENT' Dannii then went onto reveal how She admitted: "I definitely had a moment where I was just like, 'If this is what it is, I don't know if it's worth it for me'. Advertisement 'I feel like I got caught up in a lot of kerfuffle where it was just not my personality to be involved. 9 Dannii revealed the show took its toll her Credit: ITV 'But I felt like there was a machine keeping it going because it was incredible for the show.' She added: 'On my last season of X Factor, 20 million people watched the final, but I just got to a point where I didn't want to be a part of it any more. Advertisement 'I thought, this show is going that way. In my soul, I'm going in a completely different direction. 'I dug deep into myself and found some strength [to quit].' Dannii revealed that she feels she has been taken care of more whilst presenting BBC Three's dating show She revealed there was round-the-clock mental health care to all participants and the crew, including her. Advertisement Dannii said: 'That was the first time they thought my mental health was important, ever. 'It would have been really helpful back in The X Factor days to have anything like that.' 9 Dannii's last series of The X Factor was in 2010 Credit: Handout 'DUTY OF CARE' Dannii and Fearne aren't the only ones to voice concerns over the impact filming The X Factor had them. Advertisement The show's host Dermot O'Leary - who fronted the series from 2007 to 2014, before returning for the final three series - talked about how the show would be different if it was on TV in 2025. 'If the show was made now, it'd be made differently,' the This Morning host revealed. 'The culture is different, but it was pretty much always celebratory. "Look, not everyone on the show is going to knock it out of the park. Advertisement "Not everyone is going to have the best experience. 9 Dermot O' Leary was the host of The X Factor - seen here with One Direction in 2010 Credit: Rex "But most of the people we had on were treated really well, and a lot of people who have talked negatively about their experiences are talking about what happened after they left." Continuing he added: "So if there is a duty of care to be looked at, it's what happens afterwards.' Advertisement Former X Factor contestants 9 Former contestant Katie Waissel has also slammed the show Credit: Rex
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dannii Minogue admits the X Factor 'took its toll on her entire life' as she hits back at the show for not prioritising her mental health
Dannii Minogue admits the X Factor 'took its toll on her entire life' as she hits back at the show for not prioritising her mental health Have YOU got a story? Email tips@ Dannii Minogue has opened up about her time on the X Factor, revealing that starring on the ITV programme 'took its toll' on her 'entire life.' The Australian singer, 53, was a judge on the talent show between 2007 until 2010, working alongside judges Simon Cowell, Cheryl, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne during her stint. Dannii's time on the X Factor was turbulent to say the least, having been embroiled in feuds with Sharon and Louis, with Danni later stating that she sought therapy after leaving the show. And in a new interview, Dannii reflected on her tough time on the show before making a dig at show bosses for not prioritising her mental health. Speaking on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place Podcast, she shared: 'I definitely had a moment where I was like, "If this is what [the show] is - the toll it takes on your entire life - I don't know if it's worth it for me". I remember thinking, "The show is what it is and I've got to step off".' These days, Dannii is currently working on BBC Three's I Kissed A Boy and the star was quick to compare the two shows, noting that her most recent project is the first time she feels that production have taken her mental health into account. Dannii Minogue has opened up about her time on the X Factor , revealing that starring on the ITV programme 'took its toll' on her 'entire life' [pictured in 2024] The Australian singer, 53, was a judge on the talent show between 2007 until 2010, working alongside judges Simon Cowell , Cheryl , Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne during her stint She explained: 'The first time I've worked on a TV show - bearing in mind I've worked on TV since I was seven - the first time I've ever been told, "If you need to speak to someone they're there", was on I Kissed A Boy season 1. 'It's the first time I ever thought that my mental health was important, and was acknowledged.' Suggesting that mental health wasn't a priority for the makers of the X Factor, Dannii added: 'It would have been really helpful back in The X Factor days to have had anything like that.' Meanwhile, the I Begin To Wonder hitmaker also made a slight dig at her fellow judges as se spoke about her work ethic on the show. She remarked: 'The length of the days were so long. We would go straight into rehearsals for the next week's songs and none of the other judges were there, I was always there at 10am.' So full on were her days working on the programme that Dannii confessed that she would have rather stuck 'pin in her eyes' than go on to feature on spin-off show Xtra Factor. She remarked: 'I'd get home at 1:30 and it would take me three hours to wind down, then they'd say, "Do you want to just pop over to Xtra Factor?" 'You just want to say, "I'd rather stick pins in my eyes". But, when you're a viewer at home and you get that extra bit... it was amazing. It just, energy wise, you didn't get the best of us.' Dannii's time on the X Factor was turbulent to say the least, having been embroiled in feuds with Sharon and Louis [both left], with Danni later stating that she sought therapy after leaving the show 'I definitely had a moment where I was like, "If this is what [the show] is - the toll it takes on your entire life - I don't know if it's worth it for me" Dannii noted that working on I Kissed A Boy [pictured] was the first time she feels that production have taken her mental health into account 'The length of the days were so long. We would go straight into rehearsals for the next week's songs and none of the other judges were there, I was always there at 10am' Elsewhere on the podcast, Dannii admitted he 'wouldn't be alive' if she wasn't so mentally strong after years of 'nasty comments' and being compared to her elder sibling Kylie Minogue. Dannii revealed: 'I've said this to my friends, "I know that, if I wasn't mentally strong and I did have any kind of eating disorder or something, I wouldn't be alive now." That is fact. 'It was so brutal, and it went on for years.' And despite critics trying to create a sibling rivalry, Dannii and Kylie, 56, remain a united force. She added: 'I was compared to my sister, who's always had a completely different body shape our entire lives. 'I wasn't living up to her body. At the time, the only body shape that was accepted was slim. Elsewhere on the podcast, Dannii admitted he 'wouldn't be alive' if she wasn't so mentally strong after years of 'nasty comments' and being compared to her elder sibling Kylie Minogue Despite critics trying to create a sibling rivalry, Dannii and Kylie, 56, remain a united force 'I was a square trying to fit into a hole. You read back now how nasty the comments were.' Dannii went on to share her priority is now is spending precious time with her family and only taking on work that's 'important' to her. She is in a relationship with music producer Adrian Newman, and said giving birth to son Ethan, 14, in 2010 changed her focus. She explained: 'I've spent my life travelling around the world, being away, missing birthdays, weddings, funerals. 'I'm really trying to find the balance now. 'You can't have just the happiness without everything else. If you accept there's light and dark, it's all part of it.'
