02 September 2023 , 11:00
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Fearne Cotton may be known as a wellness advocate today, but the beloved broadcaster and writer hasn't always led such a squeaky-clean lifestyle.
Since breaking onto the scene as a Top of the Pops presenter in the early noughties, the 41-year-old has built an impressive name for herself as both a TV icon and a successful author. Her first book, Happy, became a bestseller following its publication in 2017, prompting the launch of her award-winning podcast, Happy Place.
In light of the raving reviews of Happy, Fearne has written another eight self-help books, including a recipe book called Happy Vegan and a parenting one called Yoga Babies. In October 2022, she released her 'Happy Place' app, which helps users to be their healthiest selves by providing guidance on exercise, food, breathwork, sleep and meditation.
Fearne herself follows a plant-based diet, with walnut Bolognese and lentil dahl just two of her staple meals, and has been mostly sober since her late twenties. She is also a huge advocate of incorporating wellness into the benign parts of your day, advising people to do simple things like reducing their screen time and enjoying walks around their neighbourhood to boost their mood.
Fearne is all about wellness these days (Dave Benett/Getty Images for Everleaf Drinks)
Fearne would go out for drinks once or twice a week when she was younger (Getty Images)Fearne's journey to wellness is ongoing, but she's undeniably come a long way. Now a mum of two with husband Jesse Wood, she no longer identifies as the 'party girl' she was during her teens and early adulthood.
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"I would cram my first flat with as many humans as possible back in the day, music blaring, vodka flowing and very little food," she recalled for Ideal Home last year. "In my twenties, I would happily wander off to bed with beer bottles in the sink and even actual humans sleeping on the sofas."
In 2008, she told the Guardian that she drank alcohol once or twice a week, and would be "absolutely p****ed on four or five drinks" if she went out for cocktails with her female friends. She has also admitted to smoking 'socially' in the past, having tried her first cigarette at the age of 18.
Fearne Cotton and ex boyfriend Peter Brame in 2004 (Getty Images)
Fearne Cotton has described herself as a former 'party girl' (WireImage)These days, Fearne has little time for such vices. "I don’t want to go to a party and talk to people," she says. "I’ll have my feet rubbed, thanks very much."
When she hosts, she's more likely to put effort into the dishes than the drinks. "While makeshift cocktail making was the crux of my parties of yesteryear, today decent grab-able food is where it's at," she said before adding that tends to serve foods like homemade veggie burgers in buns and fruit kebabs with juice to keep guests happy.
Fearne's famous friendship with Holly Willoughby, which has also been well documented in the media, is likely another source of the London native's happiness. They met age 17 while both working in children's television and became fast chums. They grew even closer after appearing on an ITV reality show called, Holly and Fearne Go Dating, in which they both sought to find each other the perfect man over the course of six episodes.
Fearne and Holly have been friends since they were teenagers"Fearne and I have that sort of friendship where we’re always so busy that when we see each other, it’s great and we can pick up where we left off," Holly told the Daily Mail in 2010. "There is no guilt, no resentment." Fearne echoed these sentiments, adding, "Because we do the same sort of job, we understand if the other one doesn’t phone back for a week." "
Holly has also gushed about the time she asked Fearne to be her bridesmaid at her 2007 wedding to Daniel Baldwin, calling it "one of the happiest moments of my life."
It was widely speculated that the close friends later fallen out, however, due to the pressures of their respective family lives and careers. In recent years, they've reportedly rekindled their relationship.
"They had grown apart over the years as their lives and careers took them in different directions, but now they have so much in common – bonding over juggling motherhood, their careers and their mental health," an insider revealed.
“When they got back in touch, they both admitted fault over the fact they had gone so long without checking in with each other, and it quickly felt as though no time had passed at all. They were just as close as they always were.”
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