Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe - S05 EP24: Fearne Cotton

Episode Date: October 14, 2022

Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the brilliant broadcaster and author - Fearne Cotton. Fearne's new book 'Happy From Head to Toe: A journey through the body to help you find your happy' is out now. Thanks, Rob + Josh. We're going on tour!! Fancy seeing the podcast live in some of the best venues in the UK? Of course you do, you're not made of stone! Tickets available now on the dates and at the venues below. We can't wait to see you there... ON SALE NOW  14th April 2023 - Manchester AO Arena 19th April 2023 - Nottingham 20th April 2023 - Cardiff  21st April 2023 - London (The O2) 23rd April 2023 - London (Wembley) 28th April 2023 - Birmingham Utilita Arena  If you want to get in touch with the show here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] TWITTER: @parenting_hell INSTAGRAM: @parentinghell A 'Keep It Light Media' Production  Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, I'm Rob Beckett. And I'm Josh Willickham. Welcome to Parenting Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would say can be a little tricky. So, to make ourselves and hopefully you feel better about the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting, each week we'll be chatting to a famous parent about how they're coping. Or hopefully how they're not coping. And we'll also be hearing from you the listener with your tips, advice, and of course,

tales of parenting woe. Because let's be honest, there are plenty of times when none of us know what we're doing. Visit continue.yorky.c.c.A. I'm going back to university for zero dollar delivery fee. Up to 5% off orders and 5% Uber cashback on rides. Not whatever you think University is for. Get Uber won for students. With deals this good, everyone wants to be a student. Join for just $4.99 a month. Hello, you're listening to Parenting Hale with.

Can you say my friend's name? His is Rob Beckett. Okay. What are you Rob? Rob? Rob? Beckett. Can you say Josh Whittakum? That's very good, thank you, Hattie. That was a good one, wasn't it? It was good. Now we've done it the other way today, Rob. You've got the information, I've got the intro. Well, we're doing this face-to-face, so it's before we change it up. Yeah. Yeah, you didn't seem to really know what the intro was? No, I've never listened because I'm too busy panickly downloading the sound file. Okay, well. thau. th. th. th. th. th. they th. they they th. they they th. they they th. they th. th. th. they th. th. they're th. th. th. th. th. thate, thate, thate, that. Well, that that that that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, th. Well, that, that, that, that, that, that. that, that. that. that, that, that that that that that that that th no, it was Beards and near Glasgow. Not far. And they're called the McRowders. Claire 43, Andy 47. And they've got a lot of names here.

Harriet, Roberta Heather, HRH, our own little princess, three and a half. Archie David, Alexander McGrower, Adam in brackets. What? Oh, the ADAM, Murray, the dog, age 10.. I. I. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they. And they, and they, and they, and they, and they, and they're, and they're, and they're, and the the the they're, and the the the the the the the the the the the the the the, and the, and the, and the, and the, and the, and the, and the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. theaugugug. the, the. the. the. theaug. the, they. the the the the the the their,? Oh the ADAM. Age 9, Murray the dog age 10. I think they've got too many names for their children. Yeah I do. I think you just need to trim that down. They really do actually. Anyway thanks for getting in touch. Baresden near Glasgow. A bit weird. I feel like having a a wank on my left hand that. Sorry. Which you were doing at the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same the same th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to to to to to to to to to to to to th. to to to to to to to to to th. to to to their their their their to to to their. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. M. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. M. M. I'm. M. I'm. M. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. to. the. the. the. M. M. M. the. that. Sorry. Which you're doing at the same time, which I thought was inappropriate.

That's why I've always against meeting up in person because I do masturbate at the opener. Not when the kids are talking, when you're talking, just get that clear. That's close, isn't it? Um, we're here because we've just done Lorraine. Yes, well, we've appeared on a show. A to the thi. to be a bit. to be a th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. Yeah, I'm thi. Yeah, I's, I'm th. Yeah, I'm th. Yeah, I'm th. Yeah, I'm th. Yeah, I I th. Yeah, I I th. I I I th. I I th. I I I th. I I I I I I I I I I I I I th. I I I I I I I I I th. Yeah, I I I I I I I th. Yeah, I I I th. Yeah, I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm thi. I'm th th th th tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm tha. I'm the. I, face to face it suddenly the testosterone in the room eggs off. Do you know what I love most? Birds, I love birds and beers, no so I'm getting over excited. I get over excited when there's other people so I think actually, oh is that the problem? At home it's good because I'm detached so I go down a level but I've had coffee I've been on Lorraine with you and now I feel over excited and it's very small this booth it's like a little sauna. When you imagine face-to-face you imagine us in like you know like that three Joe Rogan with like all the cameras and stuff but the

fact is if you stuck your foot out we'd be playing footsie big time yeah but um it's nice to be face to enjoy Lorraine I did enjoy Lorraine. It was, we, we, we, very early start, a couple of things, 630 a.m. I was picked up, yeah, for a 8 a.m. Arrival. Yeah, what about you? Must have been about quarter to 8 was it? Because you live in London? Uh, 645. So, 45 minutes later? So, so, zone 2 of London? Uh, so, the 50 minutes later. So, I'm on the wrong side of London? th. So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so. So, so. th. So, so. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. th. to. th. th. th. to 2 of London. Yeah but it's circular isn't it so I'm on the wrong side of London. Well exactly but you're paying all that extra to be in Zone 2 and you're not getting the benefit? What what the one day I do Lorraine? Every two years yes it does have an impact. It's more it's more often than that. But we wore the same clothes by accident on rain. Genially. And that's ever asked us if we did it on purpose on purpose on purpose The problem is if we did on purpose it would be so sad. Yeah. But loads of people would think we've done that. But it was an accident.

Yeah, I just grabbed, basically I had a load of clothes left over from TV shows. And I've grabbed. Mine's left over from last leg. It was basically coral was our last choice. So we used it on the rain. Yeah, so we're both in salmon pink shirts. Is that coral or salmon pink? I don't know. Is that something? It's almost neon. Yeah, you can see it if you go on a Twitter. Yeah, it's just Google two twats in tops. It's trending. It was weird, wasn't it? But we doubled down and wore it because I did have a black tea tea shirt. It's a doc's beers. a dox grooms be dogs dox beers docks beers but that wasn't what we're promoting no but they've had a right old touch had they they're the rain now thi they're not a small business

toubterm they're they're their small business touches they're they'rethink, because we was doing it together, I just feel really silly because it's so stupid, isn't it being on the tele? Yeah, we were still talking while she was doing the links. Yeah, I know. Yeah, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, you're, that's the first one we've done together, because I did the one show on my own. Yeah, I'm gonna discuss this. And you're doing Sunday brunch. Talk to me about Sunday brunch. You do the one show, half an hour. Sunday brunch is, it's four hours or something.

It'll be fun though. How are you, how's your week been, good? Big party tomorrow. Big party tomorrow. Excited? Still not sorted out the entertainer? Well I don't know. We don't know. The time recording, I hope we have. Well you put a call out on Tuesday for an entertainer. Yeah. It's Friday and you're still waiting back for a confirmation. No, no, I don't. No, no. Well, no. Well, it's a possibility of that. Well, no. Well, the their. th. th. th. th. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their the time. Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, the time. the time. the time. the time. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time. the time.'re the turn? No, there's no possibility of that. I'm telling that. Let's rephrase that.

If there is a possibility of that, watch your opening joke. What you're doing? I'm not doing the turn. Here we go. The problem is I'd end up playing. I'd end up playing. I know it's the entertainer, I'm really sorry but counts, you're itch and I love to face to face. I can see you getting stressed physically. So yeah, so you're in the pub, right? Yeah, upper upper room, yeah. It's a function room. Don't worry kids, the entertainers is going to be in 20 minutes. They're getting a bit of the room. They're bored of the room. They're bored of the room. Enjoyed yourself. Enjoyed. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the the the their. the their. their. their. their. their. their. So. So. So. So. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so. So, so, so, so, so, so, the the the the the the the the the the the they. So, you're the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the't worry kids. They're bored of the room. They've had a bit of food, they've had a play, they've all seen each other. Now they're all

sat down cross-leg looking at the stage. Yeah. Waiting for the entertainer to arrive. It's your daughter's birthday. And they are waiting to be entertained. What do you do? What about that Liz truss, eh? What's the time? What's going on the the the their? What's going? What's going? What's going? What's going? What's going? What's going? What's going? the the the the their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their. I? their. their? their? their? their. their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their? their. I. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's all. I's all. I'sry and do some games? You can't do stand-up. I do I do I do I do what's the time Mr. Wolf? Nice. Yeah. Almost like I'll just do a couple of games. Mr. Wolf. What are you wearing probably salmon pink shirt with a blue jacket. I turn up and my daughter's wearing the same thing I imagine. What's the time Mr. Wolf? What's the time, Mr Wolf? Sleeping Dogs, what we're going to call? Musical statues? Yes.

Big, playing music from my phone really quietly. Pass the parcel? Pass the parcel? You won't have done that yet. It's difficult to drift past the parcel. But is it worth organizing a panic past parcel? We discussed past the parcel? I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I. Are we genuinely discussed past the parcel? I think there's two birthday girls, you've

got a problem there. Yeah, so no, so what you do is you have, there needs to be sweets on each layer, obviously. I know, but the end needs to be the birthday. Yeah, but two things in it. And then go, why don't you share that with the other birthday girl? Yeah, and then you've got to lay down the law. Yeah, I just think... Two pastors the parcels? Two parcels going, one going anti and one going clockwise. And then you time it so that... Oh my god, imagine how difficult that would be? The two birthday girls are four opposite each other.

They're equidistant and the parcels or something it'd be an absolute nightmare. Pass the parcel is too difficult but musical statue is fine musical chairs is too brutal I think. Yeah have you got a sound system there then? No I'd be playing it off my phone? Oh okay. So yeah what would you go for like? What would you go? No I'd go with like Paw Patrol probably. I don't watch Paw Patrol. No, I was waiting for you to pause. Pause? Oh, that's a, like, it's musical statues. Oh, sorry.

Yeah, but I do think we are stretching. There's a pun there as well with pause. I'd get fun there. Yeah, but also we're really stretching the listeners commitments to this if we play musical statues on a podcast. I think it's the ultimate test. What to see if people still listen? Let's give it a go. Michael's moved, he's laughing.

He's out. Yeah, he's out. He's gone. Yeah, he's gone. No churned. Yeah. to be a thi.. Right, should we bring on Fern Cotton? Yeah, she was brilliant. So we should shut up and actually get to the Phone Cotton. Okay. And use a new app, Happy Place, and a new book. Yeah, she's

got a book out, we'll talk about it. I'll talk about it. Yeah, I've got a book out yesterday. I'll book came out yesterday. And your Tick Tock's out now as well. And your Tick Tock's the tick-tip-stop's t tick's tick's out tick's out tick's out tip's out out out out out out out out out That was a chair, not people. Anyway, our books out. This is Fern Cotton. Josh, do you want to lead? Phone Cotton, hello. We do that every time. It's like, what goes to intro, it's like, I literally say hello. That was the intro, hi. Well, there's an intro beforehand. I don't need two introes. I think it's embarrassing if you sit there while we go, foot and cotton is a star of radio and television.

Like, you just be, yeah. On the floor. How are you? How are you? Yeah, I'm good actually. I'm really good. I feel like a great hound. greyhound at the start of a race. I'm about to be let out. I've got so much to talk about about all sorts. And also just I love your podcast so I've got this could almost be a sort of like back in the day I did extra factor like the extra bit of X factor. I feel like I could do an extra

show of parenting hell. Parenting hell the kind of day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I could do that and have guests on and we discuss what you said. I could do that. Do you know what? Don't rule it out, fun? Oh, that would be terrifying.

So we're just going to talk about, you know, Rob sent he had the shit last week. No, do you know what what what what what what what what what what that So I haven't drunk in, like properly, had like more than a drink. So I haven't had multiple drinks in the same day for about five years because of being a parent and I just don't want to feel like shit. But the other day, I had an accidental drunken evening with my five best mates from school. They're like my crew. And we went for a casual dinner that went very wrong. And the next day, I had a lengthy drive home and I was listening to the Hangover Special

episode. And it was like, there was like a visceral resonance to everything. Like Josh, even like the tone of your voice, it was everything, I was like, oh, thank you. What do you know, what I don't know if I said on the episode, I don't, because I don't remember really, is that we were recording at 10 a.m. Did I say that I woke up fully clothed on my bed? Yeah, yeah, we had it all. I don't remember saying that. Absolutely shit. Yeah, you sounded awful. You were like seriously parched. There was very little liquid in that hotel room. The fire alarm was going off. It was brilliant.

I actually felt really good about my hangover in comparison to yours. I'm glad I could bring that to you. You did. Your USP Josh is making people feel better about their lives, which is terrible for you. You do it so well it comes so naturally. Let's hope I never find happiness. The whole country will be in trouble. This episode is brought to you by Nespresso. Elevate your morning coffee ritual. From the first sip of coffee in the morning to the on-the-go cup. Make every morning unforgettable with Nispresso. Discover a world of possibilities with or without milk.

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Learn more at Miller Light.CA. Must be legal drinking age. How many kids have you got for uninitiated? What's the kid set up? Well, I cover all areas here, the full spectrum. So we go, we'll start with my stepson, who's 20. He's a man, actual man. Oh, 20. Actual 6 foot 3 man. Oh wow. Yeah, that's a whole thing.

And then Lola, my stepdaughter, who's 17. Then we go down to Rex, my son, who's 9. So we've got a whole cross-section going on. Yeah. So how old were your stepkids when you first sort of met them and entered their lives? Five and nine. So you've seen them from being little and now he is just a massive bloke? Yeah, yeah. Like that's the crazy thing, like especially with Lola. She was this tiny, cute little blonde five-year-old, adorable. And now she he he he he he he he he th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, so tho-so, so tho-soe, so th. So, so tho-soe, how tho-so. So, how th-so. So, how how how how th-so. So, how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how how, so th. So, how how, how how, how th. So, how, how, how th. So, how, how, how th, how th. So, how th, how th. So, how th, how th. So, how th. So, how th. So, how th. So, how th-s, how old tho-s, how old tho-s. So-s. thou-s. thooooooooo-s. So thooooooooo-s. So, how old th. So, how th. So, how that's the crazy thing, like especially with Lola, she was this tiny, cute little blonde five-year-old, adorable, and now she's towers over me, can't fit in my shoe, she's like a woman, it's just the whole thing is mad. Oh wow. And do you, yeah. When you've got a 20-year-old stepson,

are you still the step-mom? Are you now kind of, th kind of a mate? Do you know what I mean? Like... I'm not cool enough to be a mate. I mean, they're still that sort of thing. No. When it's your kids or stepkids, you can't impress them. It's it is impossible. So I am just some sort of... You must be a cool mom for surely. No, if you're not, what have the tho, what, what, what, what, what, tho, tho, tho, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, they're, they're, they're, th. No, they're, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, th, no, no, th, no, no, no, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, they're, they're they're they're they're still, that, they're that, that, that, thi, thi, ththe rule stands for everyone. I am just an embarrassment and I can't impress them. I try and impress my stepkids.

I'm like, would this be a cool thing to admit that I've interviewed this person, not literally not interested? So no, I'm definitely not in mate territory. I'm still tragic step-mom, really trying to be cool. But also, I'm writing this honor, that that that that that that that their their their their their their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, thoom is thoomomoomorrow, thi? is thiolomeomeomea, thi, thi, thi, thi, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm thoomomorrow, I'm thoomomorrow, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's is is thiiiole, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, trying to be cool. But also I'm writing this honor that their granddad is one of the coolest men in the world right? Yeah they do think he's cool but he's like next level cool so that's yeah that's a different Ronnie Ridge from Rolling Stones. Oh yes! Ronnie Wood so however Edge are your stories about going for a few drinks with your mates are. I won't touch the sides he can he the the the the the the that the that that that that that that the the that the that that that the that that that that the the the that that the that the that that that that that that that that that that that that that that is that their is that that that's is that's that's that's that's is that's is that's is is their is is their is is is is their is is is is their is is is is their is is their is is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. Won't touch the sides. He can quite literally trump any story that I tell.

D'u the normal granddad things? Or is he not? Is it sort of a different kind of rock? He's got, this is the other, our family is quite intense. So he's got five-year-old twins. So my, my husband, who's 46, has got five-year-old twins. So my husband, who's 46, has got five-year-old sisters, and Arthur, who's 20, has got aunties that are five. Wow. Oh my god, it's like Game of Thrones? It is like Game of Thrones. It really is. It's quite extraordinary. So yeah, there's a lot to get your head around. I shouldn't say, oh, game of stuff. That's really good. There is. You've peaked like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like th the th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thi thi thi's like th th th th th th th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th. It's th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi's a lot to get your head around. I should say. Oh, that's really good. There is.

There is. Come on. Come on. I'll tap out now. Jumping up on a bit. That'll do me for the day. Do the step kids help with the younger kids? We're doing an honest podcast. Lola does. Lola is really good. to. to. to. to. to. the. to. to. the. to. the. to. to. the. thia. to. to. thia. the to. thia. to. to. their. thia. their. their. thoom. to. to. That. That. That's. that. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. That. that. That. that. that. That. th. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. Lola is really good. Arthur is in his last year of uni at Newcastle. He's having the time of his life looking after his small siblings

is not on the agenda. He's not high on the priority list. But Lola is very helpful. She'll babysit for us occasionally and she is just a very helpful person. So yes, one of them does. But I'm not dissing Arthur live on a podcast. Arthur is an amazing, amazing young man, and I love him. He's just got other things on his agenda right now. When I was 20, there was no way I would have looked after young kid. Absolutely not. No way.

No, absolutely not. I've just dropped something. That's wedding ring. That sounds bad. That's ominous, yeah. I mean, Soho alone, let's lose it. Yeah, no, at 20, you don't want to be looking after young kids. I mean, it's hard enough for us when there are kids. So why would he want to do that with his siblings? No. So at one point, did you have teenagers in the house and then newborn babies? Small kids, yeah, there was a very intense period where honey was a newborn, Rex was two,

Lola was probably ten, I can't do the maths or a bit older and Arthur was a teenager. I mean it was, I don't know how we did it, like I look back and we take all four on holidays still every year, like that is an absolute must. We've done it consistently for the last 12 years. That's not a holiday. No, I think. No, because they don't want to do different things I imagine, don't know. Where do you go? Where do you go in on holiday to keep more happy?

Do you know what? We do a lot of Ibita because it does cover everyone. Arthur can go out on the piss. Lola can have nice little meals with us. The little ones have got a nice beach. So that's sort of, but it is every, like we'll be getting up super early still because obviously there's no line on a holiday. And we want to go to the beach but then Arthur gets up and we're sort of having lunch. It's just, yeah, it doesn't work. Yeah, it doesn't work. Yeah, that isn't, it's a spread, isn't it? That's the problem.

Yeah, it's really hard. So how does it work now? So Arthur's at uni. Yeah. And sorry, how did you say Rex and Honey are now? Five and seven? Rex is, no, Rex is nine and seven. They're good ages, nine and seven.

They're really enjoying. Yeah, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, th, that, th, that, th, th, th, th, that, that, that, th, that, th, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, that, th, th, th. It's, th, that, that, th, th, th, th. th. th. th, th. It, th, th. So, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, th. So, thi. So, thi. So, thi. It's, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. So, thi. So,. Yeah, it feels like I'm probably getting, because your kids are a lot, well not a lot younger, but they're younger, so it's still quite a lot of practical stuff isn't there? I think I'm just coming out of that now. So it's less labor intensive, but they haven't got the attitude yet. Well, Rex is on the cuspusp he's 10 in the new year we're hurtling towards that team thing and there's some sort of hormonal stuff probably going on we're on the cusp you know you know there's like you're an idiot that sort of thing going on you're an idiot. How do you deal with that? Are you? Oh not not well? Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. Not well. I I I I I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th th th th th the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. tho. tho. thi. tooooooooooooooooooooo. to. to. to. to. to. tho. th idiot. I don't deal with it well. I don't deal with any of it well.

It depends, doesn't it? Like some days when you're not tired, you feel like, yeah, I can't really cope with the emotional hurdles here and then other days you just think, I'm looking at it, I'm looking the cupper, I don probably. That's a nice way of looking at it. And that must be weird because you've kind of lived those teenage years once. So you kind of know what you've got coming up, right? Yeah, but you know what? My stepkids navigated teen-hood really brilliantly.

There weren't many huge problems and there wasn't that much attitude, like obviously just the usual dose, but nothing extreme. So I think I got off quite lightly with Arthur and Lola. That's good. So you're about to get your comeuppance? Yeah, they've always sort of, we've never had a set thing. They've just sort of come and gone whenever. It's always been quite a loose arrangement. So we've had them for two days, we've had them for two months, you know, it's been quite sort of, oh, we'll have them for this period and then, you know, obviously I'll visit uni now. And then Lola's 17, so she's just sort, she's been with us this last week, which has been really lovely.

But yeah, it's now they're that bit older. It's more, I guess a bit more autonomy, so they hang out with us when they want to, versus when they were tiny, it was a lot more about who was practically doing what. But the lovely thing is, and I'm so grateful for this, all four kids get on so well. And there's no half-sibling about it, they're just siblings, and that's been, you know, I think, really important for me and Jesse is that they all feel like, their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their been, you know, I think really important for me and Jesse is that they all feel like they're just siblings and it's just one big chaotic family and everyone's adjusted over the years really well to all the changes and they just all get on. That's so good isn't it? Yeah. That is, that is nice. I think that the idea of, because when, like to go on holiday with all four of them, was, was th, was their their their their their their their their their their their their their, was their, was their, was their, was their, was their, was th, was th, th. th. th. they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're all, they're all, they're all, they're all, they're they're they're, they're, they're, they's, they's, they's, they's, they's, they's, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they're, they're, they're they're they're they're th. they're thi. tho. they're thooooooo. they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're, like to go on holiday with all four of them, was there a point when he thought Arthur's going to dap out of this? Because he's, do you know when you're 20 you're like, oh, do I want to go on the family holiday?

Of course he does, he wants a free holiday. He's not, he's not ditch step kids, is it like do not get as involved with sort of telling them off or setting boundaries or sort of is it a little bit more passive? Yeah that's been really tricky actually. I've definitely found that one hard. I think because their love and respect for you isn't a given. Whereas with your kids, you know at the end of the day if they fall over and hurt themselves or someone's being mean they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. do. do. do. do. do. do. Do to th. Do th. Do th. Do th. Do th. Do th. Do th. th. th. th. th. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their at the end of the day, if they fall over and hurt themselves or someone's being mean, they will run to you because it's just an instinctive thing. Whereas I think with your stepkids, for me, personally, I've definitely had a bit more insecurity like, oh, if I say that, are they going to really hate my guts and how do I make it up to them or recover from that? So I have have th th th th th th th th th th th th tho th. I have have have have th. I have th. I have th. I have th. I have th. I have th. I have th. I have th. I have tho. I have tho. I have tho. I've thr. I thin, I've thr. I'm tho. I'm, tho. I'm, I'm, I'm, thr. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, th........ I th.. I th... I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I, I, I th. I, I, I. I th. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I th. I'm, I th. I thin. I thin. I the. I the. I the. I the. I theean. I thr. I theea. I thr. I thin. I the. I the. I thin. I th that really tricky to navigate and it's something I've talked to Jesse a lot about and he's always been like no you know treat them

the same as Rex and Honey but I have definitely found that quite hard quite quite a tricky concept yeah if you ever have try yourself up by a but I'm trying to be too too friendly and like I'll get you this you know sort of the to bribe them and win I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th you th you th you th you th you th you th you th you th you th you th th th th th th th th I'll th I'll th I'll th th th the I'll th th th th to the the the the the the they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they they they they they'll they they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll they'll to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're this you know sort of trying to like bribe them and win them over. Oh yeah of course I have absolutely absolutely yeah there was a lot of that in the early days. Buy your way in. Also because it was an absolute novelty like when I first met Jesse I'd never dated anyone with kids before so I was like oh my god this is so fun this is just we're gonna to go to giraffe for lunch and go bowling and you know I've th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the the the the' the the the the' the' tho-I tho-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th-I th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th they they're they're they're they're th th they're th they're the the that that that that that that to that to to to to to that to that that that that that that that that that the that we're going to go to giraffe for lunch and go bowling. And you know, I've never done all that stuff before. I've been like on the piss for 10 years consistently. So that was a real novelty and I think then, you know, as it, that gets very real and you're

like, oh my god, I actually am responsible for these children for a certain portion of the year. And also I need to sort of be here to help guide guide to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to go to go to go like to to to go like to go like to go like to go like, to go like, to go to go to go to go all all all to to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their theirfe theirfe theirfe.a theirfe if theirfeuu.a. theirfoeru. toeu. tooeru. toea. tooeru. tooomea. toea. their their their and also I need to sort be here to help guide them if they need me in life. I think that's where you start to go oh okay this isn't just a novelty this isn't just sort of me taking them to giraffe for lunch there's actually there's like a lot there's more there's more to apparent in the giraffe supposedly we've discussed whether you're a figure of authority with your stepkids. Are you a figure authority? I can't call this, Rob. Would you call, what would you call, Fern being quite strict or being... Do you know what I think, from my... what I'm getting for me, Fern and what I've seen... Right. Psycho analyze me, go on. I'm getting, you are fun. You are fun.

But I think when stuff needs to get done, you can really put your foot down and get it done. And I think you'd be quite scary, actually. I feel like you could tell me what to do and I'll do it immediately. You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. You're you know what, you are right? I can be quite fun. I can be quite fun. But... Didn't you sound like it when you said that. Convincing myself somewhat. As disgust, I am a laugh, correct? Yeah, do you know what? Like a lot of people, I am busy. So I do need things to get done when I'm asking them to get done. And with Rex, who gets very easily distracted, that is often not the case. And like I every night it obviously this is a

whole big portion of parenting it is groundhog day where I'm like I am boring myself I am so bored of hearing myself say get in the shower get in the shower because it takes Rex 20 minutes to get in the shower yeah then once he's in it he won't get out and then it's 20 minutes to get him out and it's like why does a shout why is it 40 minutes every night it it it it? it? it? it? it? it? it? it? it? it's th? th? th? th? th? th? th? th? th. th. th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. It's a th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. this is a this is a this is a thi. this is a this is a thi. this is a thi. this is a whole thi. th out and then it's 20 minutes to get him out. And it's like why does a shout, why is it 40 minutes every night? It got, we need to like speed... Wait until he's a tea nature, Furn, he'll be in there about an hour. I can't, I don't want to think about what's going on in that shower then. Yeah I get very bored. I get very boarled, I'-I. to. to, to, th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, why is, why is th, why is it, why is it's it's it, why is it, why is it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it's it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it is it, why is it is it is it, why is it is it is it is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, why is it, th, th, why is, th, why is, th, why is, why is, why is, why is, why is, why is th, why is th. thirty, why is thirty, why is thirty, why is thirty, why is thirty, why is thirty, why is it's it's it's it's itto be very honest about that because I think they're and that's why I like what you're doing on your podcast because I think when you look at like people online talking about parenting you go I've got it all sussed look they're breezing through it and

they're doing it all beautifully. Oh my god like it's an absolute shit show here most nights and I'm just saying the same thing every night and it's so boring. Yeah we do we want to feel like solidarity in this space right? Well since I've been doing this podcast and we are quite honest on it I have had people coming up to me and be saying like oh yeah we're having a bit a nightmare in this and opening up slightly which is really good and I encourage and I love it when because then you get beyond the small nonsense that you have a lot the the the the the small I I I I I I I I the they I they I I they I they I they I they I they I they I th I th I th I thin I thin I thin thin the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the. the. the. the. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I the. I the. I the. I the. I the. I the. I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. I'm theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. th small talk nonsense that you have a lot, especially of like school parents or friends that you only see for a small amount of time, but it's nice. But basically what I realize is everyone is slightly on the edge and are very good at mask in it. Like it's not like, we're all also on the edge. Yeah, we all feel like, oh God, I feel worried about doing that or going there, but everyone sort of feels the same, and it's better if you're honest, to to to to to to to to to to to to be honest, their, their, their, to be honest, their, their, their, their, th. th. th. th. their, thi, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their one, their one, their one, their one, th. thr, throwne, throwne, throwne, thi.e. Everyone, thi. Everyone, throwne. Everyone, throwne, throwne, there worrying the whole time. Yeah because I think there is so there's

this huge undercurrent of anxiety with parenting that we just don't talk about. Not about big stuff like really sort of anxiety inducing stuff like everyday stuff like every day stuff like if we ever are lucky enough to go on a holiday or like even if it's in the UK, just that element of change literally sends me over the edge if I'm tired and worrying about every tiny detail and every possible outcome of not sleeping, the safety of the place we're staying in. I get a little bit panicked about that sort of thing.

And I go into overdrive, like that's a nice thing going on a nice thing going on a I feel such anxiety before any change of anything or like Rex is going on a school trip soon for two nights and I'm like oh my god he's not going to sleep at all is honey gonna sleep because they share a room so she's gonna be a bit thrown and stuff like that that tips me right over the edge but but you are a laugh sometimes sometimes I am a lot of fun. So do you have quite a strict routine then to like manage that? It's got slacker. I think you know I was probably a bit more militant when they

were little because I was on Radio 1 every day so I had a really time sensitive routine and I think again now they're getting a bit more chilled about it and also like I said at the start because my kids are a little bit older and I'm not I'm not sort of you know breastfeeding or getting up in the middle of night the whole time I'm able to be a little bit more chilled out about my own thing so I, you know historically have gone to bed very early because I'm so overwhelmed by life I need to just like say goodbye to the day quite soon and get into bed. Whereas the famous tonight I've just been talking about with my old schoolmates, I don't even know what time I went to bed and that's quite unlike me,

but I feel like oh I can do a bit more of that now. I can sort of like let go and stop being so controlling but I think we get into that very controlling mindset because we're shitting ourselves at something that's going to go wrong. Totally agree. And we've got all that anxiety so like I have I have micromanaged over the years and I think I need to pull back on that a little bit and just sort of yeah have a bit more fun quite frankly. I think I think that's the thing though because you when you're you've got you kids you do develop these habits do you know what I mean? And so I found myself going to bed at 10 every night or 930 every night because that's what we had to do. Yeah to survive. My kids are sleeping long enough. I could go to bed easily at 11, half 11 and I'd still get enough sleep but it feels that feels insane when I'm

doing that yeah so if I go to sleep I'm now doing this thing because I was struggling to sleep where you limit your sleep so you're going to bed a bit later and the time between when Rose goes to bed at 10 and I've got a wait go to wait there to 1130 I'm like I don't know what to do with this I don't know what to do with this this this this this I don't I don't I don't I don't I don't I don't this th I don't I don't I don't th th th th I don't th I don't th I don't to do th I don't I don't to do th I don't to do to do to to to to th I don't I don't to to th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't I don't I don't I don't I don't I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't th I don't to to to to to to to to to to to to th I don't to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to thi the thi thi thi the the to do with this time. I don't know. I'm so lost. You need to get a new hobby. Yeah. It's so last in life. It's an hour and a half. What am I going to do with this? I know. But that's I think this really like lovely incremental thing about them getting older that you do just get a little bit more time back. You know and I've got friends who have got adult kids and no young kids and they're like like like like like like like like like like like like like like th th th to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I tho. I'm tho. I'm tho. I'm tho and a tho and a tho and a, it is a totally different ballgame. Like you're there on a much more intense emotional level, but on a practical level,

there's just so much more time. Like they're lying in on a weekend till midday. You've got a whole half day to play around with. Yeah, my God. Because I used to see like there's an old guy used to live on. that, you that, their th. I their their their their to get to get to get to get to get their to get to get to get to get their their to get to get to get to get to get to get their to get their there. I. I' there, their there. I'd there, but there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's there's. Yeah, there's. Yeah, there's. Yeah, there's. Yeah, there's. Yeah, there's. Yeah, there, there, there, there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, there. Yeah, there. I. I's to to to there. there's just just just to to to to to to to to to there's just there's just there's just there's there's there's've got no kids what are you doing but I can say that's gonna be me because I know I worry about that yeah I because I'm I wake up like when I went away with my girl mates for a night we all woke up at half six didn't have to it's like why are we awake this is awful what are we doing th we're just doing it all the time.

I know we're doomed, we're really screwed there guys. I hate to say that, but we're going to be getting up at six every day forever. What time was you going to bed then when you were like in like peak micromanagement? Probably half nine, read for half an hour, then fall asleep by half 10. But now I am getting a little bit more like oh well let's just sort of not clockwatch so much and see what happens but Rex has never been a great sleeper so he still gets up quite early you know he could he could still do a half six easily but then honey's a pretty good sleeper so she will have a bit of a lie in but then like you were saying about these sort of funny habits, this I think is really good to be honest

about because I've been chatting to two of my best mates about this recently and we kind of all equally relieved each other in telling each other I am still at night sat next to honey holding her hand as she goes to sleep and I keep thinking I've got to get out of this. Like I've got to stop doing this. I could be, she's seven. I could have 20 minutes to do something else here. But I'm just trying to be accepting of it right now.

Like she really wants this to go to sleep peacefully and to not feel scared. So she's happier and I can just have 20 minutes of not going on my phone and just lying there processing the day so I can use that time wisely. But I felt really like I was getting parenting so wrong like oh my god I shouldn't be still doing this. I should have been stronger and got us out of this habit. But like three of my friends are like, oh yeah I still do that. One of them sits on a box by the bed.

One of them them them them them them them them them them them the the th the the the the the th the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the bed. One of them's lying in bed, holding the hat. Like, do you know what I mean? We've all got a thing and I just think we can't beat ourselves up about it. We sit in with my daughter at the moment and it's as you say it's 10, 20 minutes. It's like nice chilled out time. I've got no intent on like I need to end this, but it feels like I think there's something drilled into you when you have, when you go through the stage of own babies and toddlers and stuff, because of all the sleep stuff and all that kind of stuff and potty training and stuff, it's drilled into you that you need to get through these stages so that they are and there's no kind of, the other element is, oh it'll be fine because you'll you you, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, because, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thin, thin, thin, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, thi, thi, because, because, because, because, because, oh, because, the, because, the, because, the, the, because, the, the, the, the, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, they, th, they, they, they, tho, they, tho, they, the, the, the, the, the has got an eye mask, a unicorn eye mask so I actually can go on my phone. So that's what I'm saying to me, that's all going to end before you know it.

Do you know what? It really helps Jesse, having been through all of this, you know, for 20 years with Arthur, he keeps saying to me, that is all going to end before you you on it, so he like doesn't want it to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their their to end, their, their, their, their, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, their, th, their, th, their, th, th, th........ I, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, that is all going to end before you know it and they're going to be at uni not wanting to talk to you on the phone. So he like doesn't want it to end. He's like he loves lying in bed holding honey's hand as she goes to sleep because he knows it's not going to be forever. Whereas I'm a bit like, oh God, I've been doing this for seven years, shouldn't I not be doing it anymore? so militant and I think that's quite a new concept. I don't think our parents were like worrying about any of this stuff. They were just like have they been fed, do we love them, tick? And now we're going, oh God like are we doing this right

and are they doing enough after-school clubs and are they getting enough whatever in their diet and our parents didn't give a toss about all that. No no I no I no I they they they they they they they they they they they they don't they don't they don't they don't they don't they don't don't they don't don't don't don't th th th th thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they didn't they're they're they're they're they're they're thi. thi. thi. to to. tho. tho. tho. tho. the thooooooo. the. they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're, no I totally agree. Yeah I know some of that because especially when you in the school what's that groups pick that some of the parents in you know it's up to them but they'll be like oh what do you think about this homework do you think that was good enough or the right thing or what reading they're doing and I'm like I don't give a fuck. I genuinely don't give a shit but I know I'm I'm not I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm not I'm the the the t the t the t the t the t the t the p. I the p. I the p. I the the the the the the p I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th thrown thrown I'm th thou- I'm th th th th the the the the the the the the don't know, I've just been like, I just, I feel like I can't, I haven't got the time to care about that. I haven't. I haven't. I think they'll find their way. And the school thing is like a whole other scenario where you then start to like, you know, you all get sucked into where your kids are at with reading or the standard of the homework or whatever. And I just think... Handwriting? Handwriting! But I think look at all the people that are doing brilliant things now as adults.

You know, like did they all do well at school? I doubt it. Like some of them might of, but I think you find your way, like you find your way. And same with like after school clubs. Rex doesn't want to do any. He does like... Same as my daughter just absolute point blank numb. Won't do it. And I always think to myself like did David Bowie do extracurricular weird music club?

No. He just found that. He just started doing it because he was bored. So I think I'm not going to get hung up on that. He just started doing it because he was bored so I think I'm not going to get hung up on that one. He will do what he wants to do. Exactly. But don't don't see David Bowie is the bar you're trying for your children to reach. No, that's not again a foolish option. Well that's to say with my daughter but then I worked out she because her day's the club at luncher after school because that's their their their their their their their their their their. I I I I's their their their their their their their their their their th. I's thozy. I's thozy. I's thozymeauau. I's thozymeau. I'm th. I'm th. I'm to bea. I's is that's is that's is that's is that's is that's is that's is that's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's is. I's th. I's th. I's th. I's tho. I'm not, tho. I'm not, t. I'm not, too. I'm not, too. I'm not, too. I'm not, too. I'm not, th. I'm not, to do a club at lunch or after school because that's her time to hang of her mates she was like like

being in the playground talking and playing where it's free form where you know she doesn't want to do science club I wouldn't want to do science club. No I mean he doesn't want to to come home and watch TV. Yeah just follow that's what I'm interested in Fern with you is because you're, you know, you are the, you are the, uh, the grandmaster of Happy, right? So you are the host of the incredible podcast Happy Place, which is also broadened out. You've got a festival. Yeah, we've got a festival. Yeah, we've got a festival. We've got a festival. We've launched our Happy Place app. There we go. What's how do you, I I I I I I I I I the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. You are th. You are th. You are th. You are th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. You th. th. You th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I I I I th. I th. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. th. I'm. th. I'm. th. I'm. th. today. We've launched our Happy Place app. Oh, there we go. What's how do you, I mean, I was going to say, what's it called? But obviously it's called Happy Place app? Yeah. Did it all start from the podcast? Because you've obviously written a book?

Because you've obviously written a book and then you've got this, the new book, but did it all start from the podcast and come from there, to the the the their their their th... R ra, ra, ra, ra, ro, ro, ro, ro, ro, th, th, th, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, that, that, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tha, that, that, that, that, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha, tha,to work at it. It feels like, you know, talking to Richard Branson about Virgin. Like, so what came first? I mean, I'm certainly not anywhere near, I'm not launching a rocket, a happy space, happy space. Happy space. Oh, there we go. I don't think the puns could get better on this episode. Oh, my god. I'm telling my manager immediately. So no what happened is I was doing radio I felt deeply unhappy in lots of ways in my life I wasn't particularly happy at work everything just sort of fell to absolute shit basically this is sort of like late 20s early 30s and I was at the point where I was like no one was offering me any TV work and I had that scary thing of I don't know what I'm doing and I don't know where this is leading and I don't thi th th th this th this this th th this this th th th th th this th th th th th thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thi thi thi thi th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th th th th th th th i thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee an thee an the an the thing of I don't know what I'm doing and I don't know where this is leading and I don't think this makes sense anymore. What the hell am I going to

do? I don't have a plan B. I don't have anyone who's going to help me out if it all goes wrong. Is that a thing that happens a lot with, because you were obviously doing, you say radio one and you did Top the pops and all that kind.... kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind. So, so kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind kind, so th, so th, so th, so th, so th, so th, so th, so, so, so th, th, and I th, and I th, and I the the thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm the th. I'm the the their, I their, I their, I their, I their, I, I, I, I, I their, I I their, I I, I their, I their, I I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I th. I'm th. I'm thi, I'm thi, I'm thi. And I'm thi. And I'm thi. And, I'm thi. And, I'm thi. And, I'm thi, I'm the Pops and all that kind. So it's quite a difficult transition, right, to go from kind of youth television and radio to the next level. Was that one of the things? I think it was, you know, it's cutthroat. And I think, you know, if you're not one of the favorite favorites that gets a lot of TV work, you just you just you you you you you you just you you just you you just you you just you you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just you just th And I really wasn't. But then I started to see how that was really sort of eroding my own self-worth of like, there must be something wrong with me. You know, maybe I'm annoying.

Maybe I'm whatever. And I started to really go into my own shell. But there was other stuff going on. I felt mentally really not good. And I started writing. So my first book was looking Happy. And that was looking at that period of my life and the sort of depths that I went to in terms of my mental health.

But that was just a book. I was like that felt really nice to write. If people like it, really cool. Was that pre-kids? That was just after Rex was born. Right. So yeah, he was a tiny at this point. Well maybe it was after honey was born as well. I think I had both kids actually. Because I left Radio 1 when I was pregnant with honey so yeah it must have been after I had

both kids. So put the book out and then that really reaulat. that really resonated with people luckily and I think it was a lot of people feeling equally as shit at the time so that really kind of drew. the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. It was a th. It was a th. It was a th. It was a th. It was a th. It was a th. I was a th. I was a th. I was a th. I was a thi. I was a thi. I was a th. I was a th. I was th. I was, I was, I th. I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was, I was a thi. I was a lot, I was a lot, I was a lot, I was a lot, I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. And, I thi. And, I thi. And, I thi. And, I thi. I thi. I thi. I thi. I ththat really kind of drew people to the book to sort of hear about that. And then I wrote a couple of other books around mental health and before podcasting sort of exploded into the amazing world it is now. It was sort of an idea that I kept thinking about, you know, this is another way for me to interview people, which is something I love to do and to communicate but much more on my terms and again I had no grand plans for it I

was like let's just start interview some mates so the first series I'm just interviewing people that I knew. Welcome to our watch. Yeah yeah it's the best way but it's so nice. It's easy than going to go the crazy new track from Jew and Leaper actually read this even I'm 36 and I'm got they I'm got they I'm got th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th and I'm th and I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. Oh I'm th. Oh I'm th. Oh I'm th. I'm th. Oh I'm thi thi. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm th th th th th th th th. I'm thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi to to theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I'm to the to eper actually read this even on 36 and I've got two kids. Oh my god I mean that was very much my life. That's very much of my life. I do feel sorry for a radio I'm presented when it gets to that stage where your life is obviously completely changed but you've still got to pretend to be right on. Oh my god it was at the club last night? Ariana Grande's new song played and it was great. No I know I know I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so I was so th. I was so out I was so out out out out out out out out out out out out th. I was so th. I was so out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out. I was the th. I was so th. I was so th. I was so th. I was so th. I was so th. I was so th. I was so th. I was so the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I was so. I was so. I was so th. I was so know. I was so out of that loop, you know, like I just dropped out of that loop like very quickly. So I think it all happened very accidentally, but now it's very much become my mission and something that I'm deeply passionate about and that I'm really enjoying and it's so much fun to be doing all this stuff. So it was an absolute accident but one that

I'm wholeheartedly going with. And has it transformed your life doing this? Yeah, I mean, absolutely, 100%. So I think that's the good thing about hitting rock bottom is often nothing makes sense, everything goes, you start again with no preconceived ideas of anything. I mean, I didn't, because I just thought, I don't understand life life anymore I don't get it. I'm just gonna just try something and just see what happens. I don't care. I don't care anymore. It's kind of like quite nihilistic about it like I don't give a shit I don't care and try to

prove myself and impress people or be something I wasn't. I've ended up just doing stuff that I really, really love and care about, which is a very lucky position to be in because I know that that's not a given that you end up in a line of work that you really give a shit about, but I really give a shit about what I do. And I'm not dissing the other 20-odd years that I did in traditional broadcasting. I learned so much that has enabled me to do all this. and I had had the the the th th th th th th th th th some th some th some the the the the the theea thea thea thea thea thea thea thea thea thea, thoea, thea, the, thea, thea, the. I'm, the. I'm, the. I'm, the. I'm, the. I'm, the. I'm, the. I'm, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, thean, togea, togea, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, toge, the, the, the, th so much that has enabled me to do all this and I had some great fun and there was some really crazy wild moments but what I'm doing now I feel is like a little world I've created I don't get as much shit because I'm not putting myself in other people's spaces I'm on this channel and I have to be what you need me to do it's just if you

like me I'm over here come have a listen to what I'm doing if you don don't don't don't don't don't to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the I feel I feel I feel I'm the I'm the the I'm the I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm the they I'm the tho their their their their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm their I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I'm I I'm I I I I I their I their I the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the I'm the I'm the I'm theeeeeeeI theeeeo' they. the the the the theeeI'm the the the the the the the the the they. It's just if you like me I'm over here. Come have a listen to what I'm doing. If you don't, don't mind, you know, so I feel safer. I'd like that you're opening link on radio one. Hi guys. I'm gonna be here for a bit, doing a couple of songs. No, because it doesn't work like that in radio. You have to have the biggest numbers and the best show and the best everything and I was just like I'm drowning in this I can't do it so yeah I'm much happier in what I do today. And I think that's that age like late 20s early 30s that age is a tia. that age is a lot more decisions women have to make and have forced on them than men so it's quite a difficult period. Yeah it was also. It was really I mean I was still at Radio 1 as I said when I got pregnant to to to to to to to to to to to to the the to the the to the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. their their their their the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. the. toda. twoe. twoee. twoe. twoe. twoe. twoe. twoe. twoe. twoe. the. the. th. than men. So it's quite a trippy period. Yeah, it was really, I mean I was still at Radio One, as I said when I got pregnant with honey, and I found that very challenging, sort of, you know, my work days were very long sometimes. I'd often do radio, then go straight to Celebrity Juice, so I'd leave the house at seven and get back at 11 at night, and I felt terrible about it. And I couldn't find the balance all and I am that bit luckier now that

you know my kids are at school which gives me a bit more time in the day but I predominantly work from home. Yeah. So I can record most of my work from home and write from home and again I feel very lucky it really suits me it doesn't suit everyone but I I like being able to walk and get a cup of tea in the kitchen come come back and be in my little shed, I feel very happy doing that. What does Possible sound like for your business? It's having to spend to power your scale with no preset spending limit. Redefine possible with business platinum.

That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms and conditions apply, to MX. Josh, you fancy going for a beard? Maybe like the 14th of April April, Robe, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob. Rob. Rob. Rob. Rob. Rob. Rob. th, Rob. th, Rob. th, Rob. th, to. to visit MX.C.A.S.C.A.S.C.A. Josh, you fancy going for a beard? Maybe like the 14th of April. I can't do the 14th of April, Rob. How come it comes? We're doing the Parenting Hell Arena tour at Manchester Arena. Oh, okay. Yeah. How about the 19th of April?

Oh, no. I can't do that either. Cardiff Arena, Parenting Hell Live, Cardiff Arena. 21st? Oh 1st? No, I can't do that either. London, 02. 23rd of April? I can do the 22nd, we've got a day off. 23rd, yes, yes, Wembley. What about the 28th of April?

I'm in Birmingham. Do you know what, Rob? Do you know what Rob? Parading hell? Yeah, that'd be nice. We need to plug the live tour by the way. Oh yeah, yeah, there's a live tour of parenting hell and I cannot wait. It's genuinely going to be an absolute thrill to do. And do you know what it would make? a perfect Christmas present to those tickets. Oh, great Christmas present. Or Father's Day present. Exactly. Or Father's the th. th. th. toy present. toy present. to. to. to. to. to. to. toy. to. th. toy. toy. th. th. th. th. th. th. their th. their their tour. their tour. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, to. Oh, to. Oh, to. Oh, their. Oh, the the their. Oh, their. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Your new book, Happy from Head to Toe, which basically goes through the body and what the different parts of the body, how they can bring happiness. So give me the top three facts about parts of my body that are in this book. That's a tough question.

Give me the one. So I had this idea. So the book is kind of aimed age 7 plus. So luckily that's the age that I'm dealing with at home so I can, you know, monitor what my kids like in terms of books. Rex hates reading, so that's really fun. Honey's a little bit more conscientious, but with Rex, he needs some sort of adventure to go on. So rather than me presenting a book about mental health to kids, I thought, let's create this adventure through the body because I know that that would really excite Rex and he likes, he likes looking at fact books to do with the human body, so I thought, right, that, like

he loves Adam Kay's books. So that really inspired me in terms of how to present it. But I think also, and this goes for adults as well as kids, we kind of compartmentalize, like you've got your brain and your mind and your thoughts, and then you've got your physical body. And this book was about, like, it's the same thing, like bringing it all together. That was huge effect on each other. Yeah, well they just are the same thing, and if one's off, the other one's off and whatever. So looking at facts, okay, so, so, so, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts, the facts the facts the facts, the facts, the facts, the the the the the the the the other the other the other the other the other the other the other the other the other the other the other the other the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the other, the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. And, tho, tho, tho, tho, thoooops, thooooooops, thoo.o, thooooo.o. thooo. tho. tho. tho, th. th so I think the things that I found interesting were certainly the stuff around the brain. I chat to lots of different experts in the book to do with the brain and the mind and thoughts and the power of thoughts and Tom Daly did a really interesting insert in the book talking about visualization

because he visualizes doing the exact dive many times before he actually does it. And he does it just before he's about to dive, he visualizes the perfect dive. And I think for kids that's so important and handy for whether you're doing something in front of the class, reading something out or a sports match. But I think actually for adults, I sabotaged myself all the time going, oh this is going to go to shit, what if I stumble

on that word or mess that up, rather than going, imagining it happening exactly as I would like to. So I found that really interesting. Yeah. Also it doesn't matter if you do make a mistake. I nearly said, I nearly said on strictly. I'm still here. I'm still here. I was reading count quickly. We've all been there, we've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I've all th. I'm th. I'm th. I'm tho. I'm still still still tho. I'm still th. I'm still still still th. I'm still still still th. I'm still still still th. I'm still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still still still. I'm. I'm still. I'm th. I'm still still. I'm th. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm th. I'm still. I'm th. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still. I'm still.? We've all been there. We've all done stuff like that. I think I said anal on radio, one by mistake once. I think I was trying to say angel and it came out as anal but the rest of the sentence just it was really off. We've all been there, we've done it. And so with these things, are you, have you chatted them through with your kids and stuff like to, because the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. And so th. And so th. And so th. And so, th. And so, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thin, thin, th. th. th. th. to, to, to, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, I's, th. I's, I's, I, I's, I, I, I, I, I, I. I. I, I. I. I. I. I, I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. th. to. It's, to. And, t. And, t. And, to. And, th. And, th. And, th. And kids and stuff like to because it's a different skill right trying to pitch this to a younger market I think that's a really interesting world to go into I've not sat down with my

younger kids and gone like let's chat about mental health yeah yeah just sort of switch off and what is she on about yeah yeah yeah fuck off mom yeah yeah yeah exactly you'd that they have to the kids to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th I I I I I I I th I th I th I th th th th th th th th the the the. the. the. the. the. the. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I. Yeah. Yeah. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah exactly, idiot. I have talked to the kids about it in the context of what they've been going through so Rex went through a horrific period at the start of the pandemic where he was waking up five six times a night having terrible nightmares about some sort of alien that he'd seen somewhere on a advert or a TV thing. My daughter's having this at the moment so we don't know what to do. Do you know what? Do you what? Do, the, the context? Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh? Oh? the the the the the the context, the the the context, the the context, the the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the context, the c. the the the the the the the the the the th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the theeeee. thea. thea. thea. thea. thea. the. the. th a TV thing. My daughter's having this at the moment, so we don't know what to do. Do you know what? Do you know what? Oh, do I say this out loud or not? I'm going to say it out loud. And Rob, I can only apologize.

It might not be the same for you. This lasted a year and a half. Oh, no, she's she's, she's not, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, oh, oh, oh, this is, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, this is, th. th. Oh, th. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, th. th. th. th. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, to, to, to, to, to, thi. Oh, th. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, two or three times about she was like old people were attacking kids with frying pans was the latest one and she's genuinely scared when she wakes up like it's really hard it's really hard and I think you know we were going out of our minds we were like I was trying everything like I was trying everything like nothing like nothing like nothing like to try to trying everything like Nothing was too strange. I was like, let's put crystals in his bed, like anything. Literally anything. I said to no, we should stop it in and with frying pans before bed is there. Go do that first. Yeah, I was really going out of my mind.

So I think we had to talk to Rex a lot about anxiety and what was causing this and really talking the whole thing through and his imagination and all that stuff and then honey can get quite anxious before bedtime worrying about things and she'll get like one idea in her head she can't get it out so I think we've talked about that quite a lot and also Rex can be quite fiery so if things don't go how he wants he can really like fly off the handles and he can go in a terrible mood for sort of hours. Frustration.

Yeah, and I get it, you know, they haven't got the vocabulary to sort of articulate what they're thinking and feeling. So, you know, after we've all probably had a bit of a Barry and talk it out with him and like I get it it's really frustrating like life's really challenging and that these things are going to come up and we do try you know we'd by no means nailing it and by no means perfect but we do try and address these things without using the words like mental health or well-being or things that are just totally nonsensical to kids it's just just the the th. th. the th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, to to to to to to to to to to thi, to to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thin, thi. thi. toeeeeeei. toei. toeei. toei. toeeeeee. thi, thi, totally nonsensical to kids. It's just sort of chatting to them about how they're feeling, I guess, really. I think it's really exciting putting that book out to a younger market, because it's

like a complete, are you doing stuff like you going into schools and stuff? Are you gonna? I mean, I'm going into my kids, my kids school, to do it. They're not not going the kids, they're they're the kids, they're not. They're they're they're they're they're they're the kids, they're they're th. They're th. I th. I're really really really really really really really really really really really really really to to to to to to to to be really really to be really really to to be really to be really to be really. to be really, to be really, to be really, to be really to be really to be really to be really to be really to be really to be really to be really to be really to be really, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their. I's, I's, I's their. I's their, I's th. I's th. I's th. I's th. I'm really really thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to be there. It's to the teachers, which is even more scary. Is it? No, that's fine, they're fine the teachers. You can do a couple of rude jokes with the kids. Yeah, true. No, I've done what I've done presentations. My worst one was a presentation to the six-formers. And I sort of misjudged it and I thought, okay, I'll I'll I'll I'll tho tho tho tho, I'll tho, I'll tho, I'll tho, I'll tho, I'll tho, I'll tho, I'll tho, I'll the the the the the their a their a their a their a couple a couple their a couple a couple a couple a couple their their their their their their their a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a couple a the the the the the the tho, thu their a couple a couple a thu thu thu their a couple a their a couple a their a their a couple a couple a thrue, I'll thrue, I'll thro, I'll thro tho tho the thooooooooooooooo to to the the thooooo tho tho tho's still loads going on in life. But before my talk, they did a presentation and literally every kid was like AA stars. I last like, oh, my whole talk is completely obsolete. I don't know what I'm going to do. It was a nightmare. But this one's just teaches.

But I think we realize as a team, like the Happy Place team that we've predominantly talked to my age group demographic because that's obviously what comes more naturally but we do need to focus on young kids as a starting point like an entry point with this stuff teens which is massive and we haven't even scratched the surface of that and it terrifies me but we've got to do that and then you know also looking at older people and how they're coping with their own mental health and but we've got to do that. And then, you know, also looking at older people and how they're coping with their own mental health and bereavement and loneliness and all of that stuff going on.

So we have only done this much, like a tiny amount when looking at mental health. So it's good in a way because we'll just keep on getting through all these ideas that we've got hopefully for a long time yet. But yeah, their their th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, ththrough all these ideas that we've got hopefully for a long time yet. But yeah, there's lots of work to be done. Yeah, no, it's hard work. Because my daughters get anxious about stuff, so if we go swimming, and you know, she'll be like, oh no, no, no. Or we got that we go to the swimming pool at the gym, she'll be like, we need our gym cards. I haven't the to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the there. And I. And I, and I there. And I haven't. And I haven't. And I haven't. And I there. And I there. And I there. And I there. And I there. And I there. And I there. And I I there. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. And I. I. I tod. I've. I've. I've. I've. I've I've I've I've I've I've tod. I'm today. And I'm, my my today. today, my my today, my today, my there's there's there's today. there. My. My, my. and they count how many of us there are and then let us in kind of thing which is like we need the card I went we won't need the card and I was like what I went you got to try and say you got to stop listening to the worry brain and I started saying the brain you know but you need to the brain to the brain I'm to the the brain I'm to to to to to to to to the to to to to to to the to the the to to to to the to to to to to the to the to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the wry I I the wry. I the wry. I try. I try. I true I true I true I to to to to to to to to to to because sometimes it worries too much and then just drop that in there and then when we get there and

we get through without the cards, I'll go see so you didn't need to worry it, like the same with the dentist, how was it? Oh, she'll be like, oh it was fine. Yeah, that was good, it's good, it's, I think you've got to give it kid language and give it something visual and they're not going to be interested in you going and if you say to a kid it will be fine. That is meaningless. It's just like blah, blah, blah, blah. You've got to give it some context and like, yeah, a visual I think that's a really good idea. Yeah, I try to break the brain up. I do quite well with my own mental health during the day, but it's in the middle of the night. My subconscious kicks in of all the...

So I think that's what sort of happens with kids and that's why I have the nightmares because in the day they're in the moment and they're floating through life because like kids do when they're younger, but it's when they go to sleep that all that that in the middle of the night when it's dark and I assume everybody else in the whole country is asleep and I'm the only person awake. And it's a horrible place to be and your brain is literally going mad, like going wild and it's so hard to go, you almost have to talk to yourself like a kid, like this is the worry brain, like this is just, this is not reality because we haven't really developed that much much much much much much much muchms of anxiety and worry. If anything it gets worse because we've seen things happen that we didn't like, we've experienced the pitfalls of whatever so you know we're all dealing with it and I think that's the other thing I try and do

with the kids is say oh my god like I get I get this at night I don't well I don't sleep well rather than going like, this is a kid problem. It's like, well, I do this as well when it's horrible. Why are you worrying? It's like, yeah, yeah. Someone going to, but you like your life, why are you worrying? But because I had. I was on holiday in Greece, and I was probably probably the most relaxing holiday

I've had for years because it was like, everything, I was like, the to be.............. It, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, to, like, to, to, to, to, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, the, the.... the. to. the kids are playing with everything you know everyone could be going perfect in the middle of the night I woke up in a fit of panic that because it was the heat wave back in England you know it was like 40 degrees I was convinced my house is going to set on fire because it was so hot not even not even some houses that could you know so I know so some houses did catch on the hoar the the the the theyre the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the heat weather that was like three days away, but it's that scrolling on the news before bed is the worst thing you do because news stories are insane at the moment. I know, we're just all imbibing way too much everything and it's just making us lose the plot completely and that's the worry I think for us as parents is, you know, we've not experienced, there hasn't been a generation that's experienced having kids kids this world with this much technology and I don't know how we're meant to navigate that and I struggle with it.

And comparison. Yeah, comparison. Yeah, comparison. You know, what you don't know won't hurt you when you're a kid and you go, is that all right to do that with them today? I'm just sat here in the house........ I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just, I'm th. tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm tho, I'm to to th. th. th. tho, I'm tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I tho, I th.. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I'm th. I'm now you're like, you see someone, I'm like, oh wonderful day at the beach, walking the dog, I'm like, have you got a dog to a fucking beach? I've got a drive on to the coast about it being sick or shitting. I know, I know, it's horrific. What do you do about phone? What's your kind of, how has it, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, to? to? to? to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, how, 10, that's approaching the point when he's asking for a phone, is it?

I know. One of his mates has got a phone and I'm like, absolutely no way yet. We've said 11 because Arthur and Lola had a phone at 11, like a very basic phone at that point. And then obviously be, yeah, and it's secondary school, you know, when he's at secondary school, I think they will be using them a lot to sort communicate and meet to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to communicate, to meet to meet to to to to communicate, they, they, they, they, they. they. they. they, they, they, they, they, they's, they's, they're, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, the, thi. thi's, thi's thiii's their, their, theymea, theymea, they's, they's moment it's more Nintendo-based hell that I have to live through. Yeah it's fortnight on the switch Rob. You're absolutely absolutely landed on the bullseye there. It's a nightmare. I didn't even want him playing fortnight and Jesse did one of those, oh all his mates are playing it is fine so as soon as Rex heard that I was like

we're fucked we're absolutely fucked. they kind th th they they they they they they they kind, and they kind, and they kind, and they kind, and they kind, and they kind, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th, and th th th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have to have to have to have to have have have have have have have have have have have have have have to have have have have have have have have th have have have have th have have th have have th have have th have th have have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th have th th th th th th, I have th, I have that I have th th, I have th, I have that, I have that to have to have to have to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to that that that So as soon as Rex heard that, I was like, we're fucked. We're absolutely fucked. And they kind of, they play with each other. So Jesse's like, it's social, they're like, they're talking to each other on a Saturday morning or whatever. So we, we, we let him go on for an hour Saturday morning, and a today, That is it. I'm quite strict about it. Yeah. But often like the last few weeks Rex was doing this thing where we would like go out for a walk in the afternoon. He'd go please let me play one more time in the afternoon

please please and because he's so relentless I mean he's gonna be like the most amazing like he'll talk his way into anything when he's older. He ground me down after an hour and I was like, just play it, I don't care anymore. And he was like, I won't play it tomorrow morning, I promise. And I was like, well, if you can keep the deal, obviously it gets to Sunday morning and he's like, I want to play Nintendo. And yesterday's deal's got out of the window.

So as off last week, Jesse created a paper, the fridge that says, I mean it's never going to work is it? You're already laughing. It's a bit of paper. You've not laminated it, you're not confident. No, we've not laminated it. It's literally ticking boxes of have you made your bed, have you cleaned your teeth, have you played Nintendo for one hour, yes I have tick, it's in writing. You've done your hour mate. to the hour, thii'a, you. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thick. thi. thi. thi. thi. thooo'n'n'n'n' thick. thick. tho' tho, tho, their their their their, their, their, we've not, we've not, we've not. their, we've not. their, we've not. their, we've not. their, we've not. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. thin. thin. thin. thin. theea'n't. toea'n'n'a'a'n'a'a'lipeded. It's not. It's not. thoooooooooooo'n't. No. No. No. No, tactic. So I think that... How's it going? I mean we've only done one weekend so I'll ask me tomorrow, ask me on Saturday. It worked on that weekend though? It worked on that one weekend because I think it was there was novelty power there which we're it's going to disintegrate in a week's time. See I think that's good to set boundaries but I'm to set out to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their to their to their to their to to their to set to set to set to set to set to set to set boundaries. to set boundaries to set to set boundaries to set boundaries to set boundaries to set boundaries. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their their their their their tome. tomorrow. tomorrow. tomorrow. tomorrow. too. too. toe. toe. toe. I's to then we trip ourselves up on, where sometimes if I've got to do like a zoom call, if he has two hours on that, that's quite helpful because other stuff's happening or I've got to take the other

kid to a class or something and if they can sit in the car playing it, so I feel like, me and me and Lou, have been talking about more than like, that, that, th and th and th and th and th and th and their th and th and thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, that, that, thin, that, thi, thi, to to to thi, if I, if I've to to to do, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, if I, I, I'm, I'm, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to this is it forever because actually you don't know what's going to happen in six months down the line. Do it yearly 365 hours use them however you want. I've asked it. Well Rex would do it all in yeah like one block that's the problem. But yeah it's you're absolutely right because let's be honest they are like amazing child care like put your kid on the Nintendo and I can do a little workout class on a Saturday morning on my phone or tidy the kitchen or whatever it might be or like make lunch if someone's coming over later like it is really handy but then I think with Rex if there's any boundary he'll work

out how to push it further and that's what honey's a lot easier honey will go oh yeah it's fine I've done a bit bored now after 40 minutes and I'm like oh god all that's that that that that that that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's what honey's a lot easier honey will go oh yeah it's fine I've done I'm a bit bored now after 40 minutes I'm like oh god all right that was a bit that was smooth I do think the with computer games though it is a bit like now because they are actually talking to their friends it's way more social than you think it is because back in the day it was like you were just tunnel vision on your own engrossed this this this this this this this th in to set some kind of boundaries but I do think computer gaming gaming is getting a bit like what people were like with telly where they were kids at school they only have tell foam tell so I think they have tell to an hour so I think it's a bit it's still it's still it's still.

It's still bad as I think I think I've thought of it was not bad as I the headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines headlines I the headlines headlines headlines I they the headlines headlines I the headlines they I think is actually quite a good, it's the same as being on WhatsApp for an hour or something, because you're communicating. You're so right, like in the 90s, or like maybe, yeah, no, the 90s, like when I was in my early teens, I used to, my routine at the weekend, and I don't know where my parents were, get up, watch raccoons, the to to to to to to to th recoons, their..... their. their. their. their. their. their. their, their, their, th. th. their, th. th. th. thin. thiananananananan's, thi. thranne, thi. thi. thi. thi. the 90s, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, the the the the the the the th. thin. thin. their. thr. throwne. their. their. their. the the their their their their the their thranns. the thr. thr. I mean I didn't move. Yeah, totally. And you're not even talking to anyone. Just start the day with four hours of TV. It was absolutely ideal. And my mom and dad, I don't know what they were doing. They're probably just like chilling out.

And you know, fine. I'm not like traumored by it. So I think you're right, you're right, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to start. to start. to to to to to to to to to start. to to start. to to to start. to to to to start. to to start. to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi. thr. thr. thr. thr. to. te. te. te. today. the the today. the the the today. tooe. too. too. toe. toe. to much what does it mean? What's the difference between it's a screen basically it's a screen but if they if you watch tele for four hours you are just consuming but if you're playing a computer game for four hours your problem solving your commune with friends you're doing team work you're negotiating you're chatting you're chatting you're but you're like that is becoming now where it's all online that is a social circle now you don't just the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the I I I I the the the the the the the the their I I their I'm the the the the their I their I to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is their is the their is their is their is their is the the the the the the the the the the the the their. I I tel. I tel. I tel. I tel. I tel. I tel. I their is. I's is their is their is their social circle now you don't just go down the park when I was a kid you'd go don't sit there and watch tell you don't play games go down the park play football for four hours but yeah kids don't just

walk down the park now and do it where at 10 and 11 I was walking 10 minutes to a part to play football for eight hours yeah totally totally I mean you've made me feel a lot better about all thi. thi. th so so so so so so so th I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I th I th I th I th is th is th is th is th is th is th is th is th is th is th is thin. I'm thin. I'm thin' that that that the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. th. th. the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Don't th. Don't th. Don't th. Don't th. Don't thin's is just just just just just just just just just just just just just just thin. thean. thean's to told told to toean. toean. toean. toean's toean's the. thotally get while people like you can't just be playing computer games for hours on that little screen but actually I think there's a lot more going into it than you can't let a kid do for eight hours and do nothing else but I don't sometimes I don't think it's as I don't think it's seven seven's all right but I think it's all about yeah like you're picking your battles most of the time isn't it as well? Exactly. Your battels. Yeah I was the last quite Josh do you want to ask the final question? This has been brilliant though Firm. Thank you. I know I could literally do this all day. I don't want to do other stuff I've got to to do to do to do to do the to do to do to do the to do to do the the to do to do the to do the the the to do to do the the the to do. the to do. I'm to do. I'm to do. I'm to do. I'm. I'm the their. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. P. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. t. t. t. t. t. toge. t. t. te. te. te. te. te. te. te. to. to. to. to. stuff I've got to do today. Can we just extend it? So it used to be more negative, but we've changed it, which is good obviously, for you know, it took us two years to work that

that out. It used to be what one thing, does your partner do that annoys you that you haven't told them. But now we want one thing that annoys you and one thing that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you love that you that you that you that you that you that you that you that you that you the the the the the the the the the the the th you love that you love you love you love you love you love you love you love you love you love you love that you love that you love that you love the the the the the the the the the the the th you love th you love th you love th. them. But with the way they parent. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I think it's around... I think Ferne knows the question better than you Josh. Yeah. Yeah. Josh could you just talk around the subject for about three minutes and then I'll just nail it. Yeah, brilliant. I realized I haven't done it since we changed the question Rob and I was panicking. So Mario I already know this bit this bit of the show. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th is th is th is th th th is th th th th is th is th is th is th is th only th only thi thi thi thi thi the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the an thee an thooooooooooooooooooooes. I thooooooes. I thoes just just just just just, it's what is, it's pointless. It was pointless. She should have just said, do the end bit, and I would have known. And we all would have saved ourselves five minutes of torture there, Josh. What a waste.

That would be great on the spin-off episode, wouldn't it, talking about Josh not knowing the question. It would. I'm seriously it's got legs. Yeah, definitely has. So, my thing is around systems, I think. So I try and create a system where I'll go to the kids, right, if you can not wake up in the night for a week, or if you can do your homework without, you know, having me having to beg you to do it for a week, we can get two packets of Pokemon cards each at the weekend. That feels like a really good deal. Yeah. On a Wednesday, Jesse will come in having done the school run with the kids and they've got Pokemon cards. And I'm like, wait, whoa, what's going on? Got to catch them all. They've been super good. So I thought I'd get yeah exactly and my system is

completely defunct and I can't operate like that. That's not fair that takes your legs out from under you that's not you know that's very Liz truss and quasi quarting that is it that's very like. Yeah yeah yeah yeah this is a lot Liz trust exactly this is the situation we're in don't you dare quarting me no I know I mean the he's doing it with a big open heart, he's a lovely human. Are you sure? Jesse, Jesse, Jesse, he's a good egg all around Jesse and he doesn't mean to mess with my systems, my systems often get meddled with. But the the good things, he does loads of good things. He's brilliantly up for playing. Like he loves playing football in the garden with

the kids or playing some silly game, whatever, whereas I'm not as good at playing. So he's really good at all that stuff. And also, like I said, because he's got older kids, he's much less stressed about all those phases that we've talked about. Oh God should they not be doing that still or should they be out of this phase? He's just like look they'll be 18 soon, don't worry about it. So he kind of calms me because his parenting is much more kind of like it's all fine which is great and I need that. Oh lovely. That's a lovely way to good luck. It's been a brilliant episode. I've absolutely loved it.

I've loved it. Fern Cotton, happy from head to to toe. And for aimed at kids older than seven and adults. Yeah, seven plus, yeah. And teens, whatever, I! Cheers! It's an absolute pleasure. Thanks, mate. Thanks, mate. Thanks, guys. Fern Cotton! She's great, didn't she?

Do you know what, really like that? Really enjoyed it. I don't, I didn't know much about Fern Cotton before, before I sort of knew of Fern Cotton, the Enigma. Yeah, you know, Fern Cern Coton the mythoen, Fern Cer, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fet, th. Fet, th. Fern Cer. Fer. Fer. Fet, th. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Thanks. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fer. Fern, th. Fern, th. Fern, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the. th. th. thi. thi. Fern, thi. Fern, thi. Fern, thi. F know, just Leib Juice. Ferncott in the myth rather the phone cotton the person. Yeah, yeah, you know, radio one and that kind of stuff. But, um, now she's really, really chilled out and very normal, isn't she? In my head, she was like this sort of like, like crazy sort of radio. Yeah, yeah. But she's actually just really chilled and normal. Yeah, really liked her. I'd love a shed at the the the the the the the the th and the the the th and th and the the the th and th and the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the th. thi, thi, the the th. Radio, radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. th. Radio, th. th. th. th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, th. Radio, thi, thi. Radio, thi. Radio, thi. Radio, thr. Radio, thin. Radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, radio, thirty, thirty, thirty, thi. Radio, thi. Radio, thi. Radio, liked her. Yeah, really good. I'd love a shed at the bottom of my garden. You'd love a shed, you've got, well, I've got a shed at the bottom of the garden.

You've got a shed, but what is happening with your shed at the bottom of the garden? Well, it's full of start, it's got the, it's got the pellet on in. Can't you make a little want to work in a shed yeah but you would stop you get distracted I'm not getting distracted hmm what do you mean the amount of times when stuff's gone on in your house you've woke up the kid or there's a knock on or you go to different floors for the internet yeah yeah but imagine going to the shed for the internet I'm just saying I think I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm th I'm the th I'm th the th the th the th the the th th I'm th I'm th the to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th I th th I th th is the the the the the the the the thea thea thea thea thea thea the the the the the the the the the the imagine going to the shed for the internet. I'm just saying I think you could do it for a run. Okay. Yeah. Anyway, fun cotton. Thanks. See you on Tuesday. Bye.