Fearne Cotton became ‘sort of a hermit’ when ‘crippled with anxiety’

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

TV presenter Fearne Cotton has reflected on becoming “sort of a hermit” two years ago when she felt “debilitated” and “crippled with anxiety” during a time of personal challenges.

The broadcaster and podcaster, 44, revealed she needed surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jaw in December 2024.

A week later, it was announced she had separated from husband Jesse Wood, the son of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, after 10 years of marriage.

I was crippled with anxiety. I had panic attacks constantly. There were lots of things I couldn't do - I couldn't drive a car, couldn't do a lot of TV work I'd been doing. I just felt debilitated

In an interview with The Sun on Sunday, the mother-of-two opened up about being “stuck in deep anxiety” during this turbulent time in her life.

Cotton said: “I was very scared of getting things wrong, getting socialising wrong.

“I built up a snowball of anxiety that could be triggered by just stumbling over a word in a conversation.

“I could go to a party and then come home and repeat every word that I’d said on a loop, and I couldn’t sleep.

“It was just nuts. I was crippled with anxiety. I had panic attacks constantly.

“There were lots of things I couldn’t do – I couldn’t drive a car, couldn’t do a lot of TV work I’d been doing. I just felt debilitated.”

Cotton, who has been in the spotlight since she was 15 years old, has often been vocal about her anxiety and the pressure of being in the public eye.

She has discussed how a therapist said her recent issues stemmed from feelings of anger that she was struggling to channel in a “healthy way”.

She told the newspaper: “We all know that stress will manifest physically.

“I had a tumour in my face two years ago that I had removed, and as soon as I had it diagnosed, I was like, ‘oh, I know exactly what that is’.

“That is clutching my jaw. I was so intense and livid before the therapist had revealed this epiphany.

“It’s not good for us. We know it’s not. I’m pretty sure it is disastrous for all physical health.”

Cotton added: “Now I’m having loads of fun, and for anyone stuck in deep anxiety, I believe it’s absolutely possible to get out of it.

“If it’s debilitating to the point where you can’t do things, you’ve got to face things that you might not want to face.”

She said her priority now is to ensure she is enjoying life, adding that positive experiences with her friends and loved ones can “boost me for an entire week of solo parenting”.

Cotton launched her career as a teenager, hosting children’s TV shows before pivoting towards major entertainment programmes such as Top Of The Pops, The Xtra Factor and Celebrity Juice.

She also hosted her own BBC Radio 1 show until 2015, when she stepped back from live daily broadcasting to prioritise her mental health.

Cotton founded wellness brand Happy Place, which includes a podcast where she discusses life, love and loss with a celebrity guest.