Fearne Cotton reveals she will never do live TV or radio again: "it was literally ruining my mind"

Fearne Cotton has candidly revealed that she will never return to presenting live TV or radio - adding that there is not enough “money in the world” to entice her back into her former career.

Cotton, 42, began her career as a presenter for CBBC in the late 1990s. She quickly rose to fame, becoming a beloved television personality known for her vibrant and engaging style. Over the years, she expanded her portfolio to include radio, co-hosting the Radio 1 Chart Show and later the mid-morning show on BBC Radio 1. Despite her successful career in broadcasting, Fearne transitioned to focus on mental health advocacy and her podcast, Happy Place, which has garnered a large following for its honest discussions on wellbeing.

It is this transition to pushing for mental health that has reinforced her decision not to return to the world of live presenting. In 2015 she announced her departure from the BBC, adding that her work was “literally ruining my mind”.

During an interview with The Times, Fearne, who is married to Jesse Wood, son of Ronnie Wood, opened up about her decision to avoid live TV and radio. She said: “I’d get a week down the line and go, ‘I feel ill - I can’t do this.' I got to the point where I just thought, ‘Why am I doing this to myself? Am I that desperate to be seen or heard?’

“I’ve learnt that I couldn’t do live radio or TV today for any money in the world. The thought of going on to someone else’s platform [with] that level of risk and judgment, and that element of the unknown? My nervous system can’t take it - it’s absolutely shot. Putting myself in that is like putting me in a pit of lions.

“All my mental health lows are because of my job. Nothing else. It is not conducive to a balanced mind. You could do one thing and you’re done, you’re dead. Bye! Everyone’s waiting for you to cock up so they can all point fingers and say that you’ve always been terrible. It’s in our culture to try to level people out. We celebrate the new person on the scene, but then as soon as you’re established, people cannot wait for you to f*** up - I also think I’ve had positive feedback from what I’m doing now because I’ve actively chosen to step away from the shiny stuff [TV and radio] - and people like that."

Another downside to the world of showbusiness, the mother of two also revealed that she has been sacked “a million times” without being informed. She added: “I’ve been sacked and not told I’ve been sacked. You just turn the telly on and someone else is doing your job.

“It’s all a big game. You’ve got the Monopoly board out and you’re moving around [trying to] dodge the danger.”