Overthinking is my demon! Erin Doherty on changing old behaviour patterns

Do you constantly replay conversations, wondering if you said the wrong thing? You’re in good company; actor Erin Doherty’s biggest demon is overthinking. In this chat, Fearne and Erin explore how fearful cancel culture has made us all, as well as how to have the courage to speak your mind, even if it means being disliked. Erin has an unapologetic attitude towards ambition, and explains why she wants to see more queer characters on screen. Plus, how do you feel about long-distance relationships? Erin and her girlfriend tried it for a while... Fearne and Erin also bond over their love of the Kardashians. You can watch Erin in A Thousand Blows on Disney+ from January 9th. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Ashley Walters https://pod.fo/e/2da5a5 Naomi Watts https://pod.fo/e/2a7df4 Kate Winslet https://pod.fo/e/361cc1 Child on the line is a three-part documentary podcast series celebrating the Volunteer Counsellors of Childline, and the brave children & young people who contact the helpline service. Listen here: https://www.childonthelinepodcast.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy https://acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  Hi, I'm Natalie Dormer and I'm proud to be an ambassador for Childline. This year, Childline turns 40. To market, I've made Child on the Line, a three-part documentary podcast. We hear why children needed a helpline in 1986, how it was built against the odds and the challenges children face today, from abuse and mental health to social media and AI. Search Child on the Line and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

• 0:28Fearne Cotton?

  Hello and a happy new year. Oh my God, why does 2026 sound futuristic? Um, I can't get my tongue around it. Welcome to Happy Place. I'm Fern Cotton and this is the show that stops the overthinking and gets everything out in the open. Today, I'm chatting to Erin Doherty.

• 0:48Speaker 02

  Every experience is tinged with your approach because that's the very first note and like colour of the canvas almost. So actually, if you saw out your head before approaching anything, that's the general theme that will then seep into the rainbow that ensues. And you've always got that ability to just put the brakes on and go, are these feelings old stuff that I'm bringing to the forefront because we're creatures of habit and our brains are always lovely and trying to protect us? But is it just old stuff that I'm bringing to the plate that is not actually of use to me anymore?

• 1:22Fearne Cotton?

  It's a new year. Hey, how are you feeling about that? I never know how I feel about this time of year. I mean, if you're listening to this in the UK, January, I was about to say January and February, but really it's January, February, March, April, sometimes May. The weather is absolute dogshit. So we have to really buckle up and get ready to quite literally weather those months. And there's not necessarily the option to just sink into coziness like we could before Christmas for some reason. It feels like we're meant to be like super motivated to do everything, but many of us are still just feeling that post-Christmas lethargy and we can't quite get into gear. Look, I feel like that. I just think, don't worry about it. What, what are we in a rush to do and achieve?

• 2:07Fearne Cotton?

  Let's just ease our way in. It's a new year. I definitely, saying that, do want to shed some old skin from 2025. I feel quite... Strongly about that this year, that I want to enter this year with a little less to carry. I want to get rid of the things I know aren't working for me, simplify things, and really lean into the stuff that makes me feel good. That's about as far as I'm going to go with any kind of New Year's resolution. Now, this chat, I was particularly looking forward to because I had actually met Erin before because she, I don't know

• 2:49Fearne Cotton?

  how I managed to pull this off, but she narrated my audiobook for the novel that I wrote, Scripted. And, you know, I put that ask out with my wonderful publishers, Michael Joseph, hoping and praying that Erin might even look at it or consider it. But she said yes. I don't know how. I, I was such a fan of Erin, playing Princess Anne in The Crown. I was, at this point, obviously now I'm a fan of her in literally everything that she's been in, but I was so over the moon. So I went down to watch her record a bit of the audiobook. And the thing that is so magnificent about Erin's skillset is that

• 3:32Fearne Cotton?

  she's unbelievably dynamic. She can change into a completely different character. She can do any accent you throw at her. And it's just the most mesmerizing thing to watch. So god, lucky, lucky me. So if you're not into reading fiction, you like audiobooks, give the scripted audiobook a go because you get to hear her wonderful, ever-changing voice. Erin, of course, as I already said, played the young Princess Anne in The Crown on Netflix. Also so convincingly that I thought she was posh. So when I met her and she's like, "All right, babe!", like when I met her for the audiobook recording, I was like, "What? I thought you were Queen's English posh!". Also, of course, she was mesmerizing

• 4:14Fearne Cotton?

  in adolescence. In fact, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for that performance. And you can watch her in A Thousand Blows on Disney Plus 2. We had this chat towards the end of last year, just after Erin had been the premiere for series two of A Thousand Blows, wearing quite possibly my favourite red carpet outfit of all time ever. And also, therefore, an apology that there's a little bit of Christmas chat in here because we were all getting very excited at that point about not working for a bit and chilling out.

• 4:45Speaker 03

  Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets, and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at go.o.gle/workspacewithGemini. That's go.o.gle/workspacewithGemini.

• 5:19Speaker 04

  It's time. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Halloween.

• 5:27Speaker 05

  And you guys know we don't do Halloween by halves.

• 5:30Speaker 06

  Full costume, full prosthetics, full commitment. I'm a rat.

• 5:33Speaker 05

  And I'm the chef. It's our Ratatouille special. Then we're grabbing our broomsticks for the witches.

• 5:40Speaker 06

  We've got a spooky hotline caller.

• 5:42Speaker 05

  An update from our woman who was in love with the ghost of Prince Albert.

• 5:45Speaker 06

  And your tarot card dilemmas.

• 5:47Speaker 05

  Listen to our Halloween specials. Search for The Girl's Bathroom.

• 5:56Fearne Cotton?

  Okay, here we go. This is the show.

• 6:20Fearne Cotton?

  We've already started. We're just talking about Christmas.

• 6:22Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 6:22Fearne Cotton?

  It's so exciting.

• 6:23Speaker 05

  I could talk about it forever.

• 6:24Fearne Cotton?

  I think when this goes out, it's not Christmas. I think we've done Christmas.

• 6:27Speaker 05

  Fine.

• 6:28Fearne Cotton?

  But anyway, we love it.

• 6:29Speaker 05

  Who doesn't want to talk about Christmas?

• 6:30Fearne Cotton?

  It's the greatest, the greatest. But before we get into any of this stuff, what I need to say to you, Erin Doherty, is that dress that you wore last night.

• 6:41Speaker 02

  Have I seen it?

• 6:42Fearne Cotton?

  Have I seen it? I've looked at a picture of it from every angle. It's the best dress that's ever been worn by a human.

• 6:48Speaker 02

  Do you know what I was saying? Do you know what I liked about it is like, yes, it looked very dramatic, but it gave me this like sense of security. I felt like I was wearing a hat, like at a premiere, I was like, you don't know what I'm doing behind here. I could be, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was fantastic. I was, I felt like free and also it was so like loosey goosey down there.

• 7:10Fearne Cotton?

  Heaven.

• 7:10Speaker 02

  So it presented as very, very like, oh, statement, but I felt like I was in my pyjamas.

• 7:16Fearne Cotton?

  That's what I love because I think for anyone that hasn't seen these pictures, this is from the premiere of series two of a thousand blows. And you're wearing this black gown that had this sort of lace shield. It stood up erect around your face like this and then trailed down the back. And I so know what you mean because obviously doing something like a red carpet is horrific. Like abs, I'm sure some people enjoy it. I've personally, I don't do it really anymore at all, but if I ever had to back in the day, I would come out in hives, like horrendous. You wanna feel comfy.

• 7:46Speaker 02

  Always. And it took me a long time to learn that lesson because obviously like there are so many elements that go into that thing. And you're like, oh, that person wants to show off that thing and like the, the branding on here. And you're like, kind of like, you're wanting to like make everyone happy. But actually, if, if you're not comfy, then it does show in the photos and it sounds so cliched, but you also just don't have a good time.

• 8:05Fearne Cotton?

  No.

• 8:05Speaker 02

  So I'm finally there when I'm like, how comfy am I gonna be? Like, am I gonna be sat down, are we eating food?

• 8:11Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 8:11Speaker 02

  Let's go loosey goosey. You've always got to think about these things.

• 8:14Fearne Cotton?

  You do, you don't wanna be uncomfortable, like breathing in all night and. But just having a lace shield in life is maybe the way forward.

• 8:21Speaker 02

  I think so, I think so. Like my go to is always a hat or strangely like headphones, because they're always kind of deterrents.

• 8:28Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, do not talk to me.

• 8:29Speaker 02

  The red carpet version is a lace shield.

• 8:32Fearne Cotton?

  You've absolutely smashed it. You've, you've worked it out.

• 8:35Speaker 02

  I really thought like I cracked the code. I've done it.

• 8:39Fearne Cotton?

  You've done it.

• 8:40Speaker 02

  And now you'll just see forever more just different colours of shields.

• 8:43Fearne Cotton?

  Correct.

• 8:43Speaker 02

  On every carpet.

• 8:44Fearne Cotton?

  It's your thing.

• 8:45Speaker 02

  Maybe I'm the shield lady.

• 8:46Fearne Cotton?

  I think you are the shield lady.

• 8:47Speaker 02

  I'm like Sia.

• 8:48Fearne Cotton?

  You're like Sia.

• 8:49Speaker 02

  But in reverse.

• 8:49Fearne Cotton?

  Yes. It's not a fringe, it's a lace. What are we even calling it? Just a shield.

• 8:54Speaker 02

  I like the shield.

• 8:55Fearne Cotton?

  A shield. Oh, well, it looked fantastic. Was it a good night? Did you have a good time?

• 8:59Speaker 02

  It was, it was. I was there with all my best people, having a great time. And genuinely, again, it sounds cliche, but that show was like the epitome of a family. Like, we were on it for a year. We all just fell in love, in a way. And so we were reunited last night and it was really lovely.

• 9:15Fearne Cotton?

  That's so great. And obviously you did series one as well. And during series one, you had a conversation with Stephen Graham, who said, I've got this idea for a new show I'm working on. You were kind of in before the description of Adolescence was even out there.

• 9:30Speaker 02

  I know. It wasn't called Adolescence. It was just Stephen talking about a police car, like, and the camera would follow this journey. And it would get into the police station and you'd see it all happening. And I was like, that's gonna be great. And then we rap a thousand blows and a couple of months later I get a voice note from him being like, pick up your phone. And I never pick up my phone, just because I just.

• 9:48Fearne Cotton?

  Well, do I hate it?

• 9:49Speaker 02

  I hate it. If you're ringing me, I'm always just like, just voice note me or send me a text.

• 9:53Fearne Cotton?

  I have a panic attack if my phone rings.

• 9:54Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 9:54Fearne Cotton?

  It's just on silent.

• 9:55Speaker 02

  Yeah, always. Do not disturb. Always.

• 9:57Fearne Cotton?

  Always.

• 9:58Speaker 02

  So he was like, respond. And so eventually I did. And he started speaking to me about Adolescence and was like, would you wanna be a part of it? And I didn't even read the script and I was just like, yeah. So it was honestly, it's from start to finish, the whole thing's been a whirlwind.

• 10:11Fearne Cotton?

  I can't even imagine. I mean, the last time I saw you, you very kindly did the audiobook of my novel, scripted.

• 10:19Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 10:19Fearne Cotton?

  Which I'm still in shock that you said yes to that. So thank you for doing that. But since then, you've been on the most insane rollercoaster. I can't even imagine what your life has been like for the last couple of years.

• 10:31Speaker 02

  But kind of similar, because I really distinctly remember having a chat with you in, like, so we were just kind of out, we'd done all the, like, recording and we were just having a chat about, like, essentially the industry and being a bit like. I don't really, I don't really feel like, I don't, like, yeah, it's, it's very overwhelming, very overstimulating and it's kind of, it took me a while to be like, I don't know where I fit into this thing. So, yes, this year's been really, really phenomenal and lovely. But at the same time, I still just feel like me and like I'll go home and make dinner and, you know, make the bed and, you know, I, I'm very, I'm, I, I'm very adamantly clinging on to like every ounce of humanity.

• 11:12Speaker 02

  Whilst being like, wow, this is great. But I just, yeah, I still don't really feel like that world is anything to get too sucked into. Still a little bit nerve wracking.

• 11:21Fearne Cotton?

  No, and I don't think you should. I mean, you're clearly not going to, because you're just a normal, amazingly grounded person, which is, you know, always the best in this situation where I get to interview someone. I don't feel like, oh my God, what can I say and what can I not say? Like, we're just two humans having a chat. But people do get, you know, sucked into that whole world and get totally lost in the vortex of it because it is enticing and titillating and it's just everything, all consuming if you get sucked into it. So I think you've got to be pretty sure of your values and what you want out of life to not be flung into that.

• 11:56Speaker 02

  I was gonna say, I think that's exactly it. I think it's literally, it's kind of, because also there's a ho- horrible thing that happens where sometimes people essentially say, that's success.

• 12:05Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 12:05Speaker 02

  Like, if you don't jump in, you're not gonna be successful. And that's the fear factor that I was always like, oh God, am I gonna have to just figure out a way to swim in those waters? Because I love acting, I don't ever wanna give it up. So is it always just gonna have to be like a strange payoff? But actually, I just don't, just don't wanna buy into it. I just think, nah. Nah, we just don't, we don't have to, like, we can just, like you say, we're, we're all just human beings. That's what we connect with at the end of the day. That's why I think shows like Adolescence resonate so much, is they're all just normal people on our screens and we're going, oh my God, like, that could happen to me.

• 12:38Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 12:38Speaker 02

  So why would I wanna take myself from normality when it's the most relatable thing in the world?

• 12:43Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, and it's where all the joy is, like in just the simple stuff, like making the bed. I love making my bed. I do it every bloody morning. I wouldn't leave the house without making it. And I feel like, okay, I'm, my day, I'm already a Achieving in my day, because that has been done.

• 12:55Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 12:55Fearne Cotton?

  It's got to be done.

• 12:56Speaker 02

  And that's the tip top of the day, like, that's like, that's rule number one. Yeah. I love getting stuff done in the morning, then I'm smug all day and I'm like, you don't even know, I've done the food shop. I've done my food prep, bathrooms cleaned.

• 13:09Fearne Cotton?

  Batch cooked, freezer, freezer full. I love it. But do you know what? It's so funny, because I can remember having that chat with you. We were at Ebree at Penguin Random House, where you can record audio books. Amazing little studio there. And we had this really lovely chat. And I think at that point, you had not long just moved out of London. And you were kind of like, I'm having a quiet time, I'm enjoying just being at home. So did it feel jarring? Or just full on to then be swept into all of this craziness?

• 13:39Speaker 02

  It kind of came at a really lovely time in my life. So basically, yeah, when we met, I had moved out. Because I just, I had hit my kind of peak stimulation. And I was just like, I, I, I was at a real kind of stopping point in my life. My sister was like, come live with me. She lives in West Sussex, like it's in, like, she's got walks on a doorstep. We could just like go out every morning, whenever we wanted. And she was just like, Erin, come to me. Like, that's, I love my sister so much. Like, she is just my safety net, my best friend, she's just everything. And I lived with her and her fiance for a year. And I just kind of reset and recalibrated. And she completely brought me back to earth and was, and made me feel like me again.

• 14:25Speaker 02

  And then after that, I met my now girlfriend. And she has always, always lived in North London. And so we just kind of like came to a place when it was like, as much as I love getting on the trains and going to see her and having days in London. I also want to wake up next to you. So it's like a natural progression. Like, I'm such a romantic. I'm like, it's lovely, but I hate saying goodbye. At the end of every day.

• 14:48Fearne Cotton?

  Long distance is fun for about four seconds.

• 14:51Speaker 02

  Yes, I hated it. I'm so bad. And people say it's like a cliche lesbian thing, like where you immediately move in. And so like, we were like, okay, maybe we just like, we held on as long as we could, but I was like, I really think I should move in now. So I, I really, really did. I, I like tried to make it as, you know, non cliches possible, but I just love her.

• 15:10Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, too right.

• 15:11Speaker 02

  I start, at the start of this year, I moved in with her. And uh, and then it's been the like, the craziest year of my life.

• 15:18Fearne Cotton?

  I can't even imagine. I mean, both of those amazing women you just mentioned, you mentioned in your Emmy award-winning speech.

• 15:24Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:24Fearne Cotton?

  Which was, so, I mean, again, I can't even imagine being on that stage and the overwhelm of processing what's happening in that moment. Trying to figure out what the hell you're gonna say in front of all of these people.

• 15:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:35Fearne Cotton?

  But it was a beautiful speech from the heart.

• 15:38Speaker 02

  Well, that was it. Again, I, I think I've kind of, whilst being overwhelmed, I've always got this little thing in the back of my mind that's like, just, just be you. Like, at least, cause even if you say the wrong thing and for whatever reason, especially like in this moment of cancel culture, it like, you are always slightly terrified of saying something that will, but I'm like, okay, even if on some level I say something, that someone will point a finger at me and I'll be like, I'm really sorry. At least I could always walk away and go, okay, but I was being true to me and I do believe that I, I'm not a bad person.

• 16:09Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, yeah, yeah.

• 16:09Speaker 02

  Like, I've got to the point where I'm finally like, everyone has anxiety, like, everyone has those horrible voices that are like, you're awful, da la la. But I, I do think I can trust that voice now and just go, okay, I'm just gonna be who I am and hopefully that leads to good things.

• 16:24Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 16:24Speaker 02

  So it just popped up in the back of my mind when I got on that stage. It was just like, Erin, just be yourself. And I said what I wanted to say, I shouted out who I wanted to shout out and then I swore at the end of it and I was like, well, you know, if that's not Erin from Crawley, I don't know what is.

• 16:40Speaker 02

  So there we go.

• 16:41Fearne Cotton?

  That is true, 100% authentic Erin.

• 16:44Speaker 02

  There it is.

• 16:44Fearne Cotton?

  And what did you do after? Did you celebrate? How did that night go?

• 16:47Speaker 02

  Well, randomly. So there's like, you all kind of go off and you have your pictures and it's like woo woo woo. But there was also, before we fully left, there was this random interview where I essentially did three shots of tequila in like the space of three minutes.

• 17:00Fearne Cotton?

  I would be hospitalized.

• 17:01Speaker 02

  I, at the, I was kind of like high on the win and also like on those shots and like I, so I left the building kind of like floating. I had a discussion with a random person about being on RuPaul's Drag Race that I can't for the life of me remember what happened.

• 17:17Fearne Cotton?

  Go on as a guest?

• 17:17Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 17:17Fearne Cotton?

  And you said yes?

• 17:18Speaker 02

  I wanna be on it, yeah. I just remember, again, my girlfriend was there cause she was like, we need to leave. And I remember being like, RuPaul, I just absolutely. Loving on RuPaul. So like, yeah, just like in the thick of this tequila blur.

• 17:30Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 17:31Speaker 02

  And then we got to the after party and I had a bunch of burgers and we danced the night away.

• 17:34Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, it's perfect.

• 17:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, it was pretty great.

• 17:37Fearne Cotton?

  What an amazing, amazing night. And also so deserved. I mean, we touched on it a bit, but obviously adolescence has had this, and we had Ashley Walters on not long ago. This huge cultural, societal impact that I'm sure Stephen and all of you were hoping for, but you don't know that's going to happen. It's not a given.

• 17:55Speaker 02

  Oh, no. And also you don't kind of aim for it. I think like, again, kind of like the authenticity thing, like if you're, if, if like accolades and recognition is the finish line, then you kind of, you, your eyes are on the wrong thing. So I think, and this is what I've learnt like from Stephen Graham and Hannah Walters at Matriarch, like they're just, they're the loveliest people in the world. Like, again, like it's, it sounds like it's too hyperbole to believe, but like they are, they are just the, the most generous people on the planet. Um, but like their kind of ethos is always what story needs to be told, like who are we talking to? It's as simple as that. And that was what adolescence was born out of. And from my perspective, like that's what

• 18:37Speaker 02

  was there every day of filming. And when we packed up and said bye, it was like, oh, what a lovely thing to have been a part of. And you just left it at the door. And then it just took on a life of its own. But I think it was all bred out of just a sincere desire to, to talk to people.

• 18:53Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, that storytelling is so imperative. And when we were talking to Ashley, he, he would go home and sort of crumble at his doorstep, like the pressure, the weight of that one take shot. And the amount of dialogue, but not only the amount of dialogue, like the themes that you're facing, the scenes, especially that you had to act with Owen, being in that role with him, how did you, are you good under pressure?

• 19:19Speaker 02

  I've come to think maybe I am because or or I think what happened really early on is like I'd seen Boiling Point and I I'd seen like the style of and I loved it so intensely and I remember talking about it being like this is gonna be the best thing in the world like cuz I've grown up doing theatre. I was like that's just like the whole thing smooshed together. So I didn't ever really approach it as this kind of, oh no, but if I get it wrong, then it's screwed. I was just like, it's just a play. So I think it was actually a really good lesson in like every experience is is tinged with your approach cuz that's the very first note and like colour of the canvas almost.

• 19:57Speaker 02

  So actually, if you saw out your head before approaching anything, that's the general theme that will then seep into the rainbow that ensues.

• 20:06Fearne Cotton?

  I like that a lot.

• 20:07Speaker 02

  You know?

• 20:08Fearne Cotton?

  I think what you've said there is incredibly important because even if you look at parts of our lives that aren't as intense as filming an hour-long show in one take, you're so spot on. You know, you could approach whether it's like, I don't know, the school gates picking up your kids or going to the doctors with the worst anxiety and fear, which I know sometimes feels out of control cuz we've all been there, or with a sense of like, oh, this is a challenge or positivity. And it does, you're right, it sets the tone for it.

• 20:36Speaker 02

  Yeah, and you've always got that ability to just put the brakes on and go, are these feelings old stuff that I'm bringing to the forefront because we're creatures of habit and our brains are always lovely and trying to protect us, but is it just old stuff that I'm bringing to the plate that is not actually of use to me anymore? And it's kind of, I've I've like, I'm such a massive advocate for therapy. I did like six years and I just think it's an absolute game changer. But it was like, that was my kind of biggest takeaway of like being your own therapist almost is just going, how am I feeling? Just checking in with yourself and it all kind of comes from, it stems from self-love and giving yourself that time of going

• 21:16Speaker 02

  rather than blindly entering everything and being like, and then assessing it after, actually going, how would I like to like move forward today?

• 21:25Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 21:25Speaker 02

  And having that chat prior to and seeing what that does.

• 21:38Speaker 05

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• 22:01Speaker 04

  Then I thought, what if I've scaled businesses? What if I scaled my philanthropy? What if I did as much in one year as I've done in my whole life?

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• 22:13Speaker 03

  Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithGemini. That's goo.gle/workspacewithGemini.

• 22:46Speaker 05

  Help I Sexed My Boss is the podcast where manners meets mayhem. I'm William Hanson.

• 22:51Fearne Cotton?

  I'm Jordan North.

• 22:52Speaker 05

  And together we take on the hilarious challenges of modern life.

• 22:55Fearne Cotton?

  William's the arbiter of etiquette.

• 22:57Speaker 05

  And Jordan's the chaotic yin to my perfectly polished yang.

• 23:01Fearne Cotton?

  So if you want laugh out loud stories and brutally honest moments, then you'll love Help I Sexed My Boss.

• 23:07Speaker 05

  Watch and listen every Tuesday and Friday.

• 23:09Fearne Cotton?

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• 23:12Speaker 05

  Just search Sexed.

• 23:13Fearne Cotton?

  Be warned, it's a bit rude.

• 23:19Fearne Cotton?

  I've heard you talk before about overthinking being a bit of a demon. Is that still something that you have to reckon with?

• 23:25Speaker 02

  Yeah, like, and like you were saying, I think I also have the thing of like, oh God, but everyone has their things. I'm like, I don't want to be that person that everyone's, oh yeah. And now Erin, Erin's talking about her trials and tribulations. But I'm like, but, but everyone does. Everyone has their things.

• 23:40Fearne Cotton?

  Of course, we all do.

• 23:41Speaker 02

  We do. And in a way like that, for me, I love nothing more when someone tells me about theirs.

• 23:47Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, I love it. I love it.

• 23:48Speaker 02

  Yeah, that's what I mean.

• 23:49Fearne Cotton?

  I'll walk away going, oh, we're all in this together. It's not just me, you're not just a freak.

• 23:52Speaker 02

  Yeah, so that's how I like get over that hurdle of being like, get over yourself, Erin. And just talk about what you're, what you're going through at any given moment. And yeah, so basically my, my thing is just overthinking. Thinking I'm, I have or I'm gonna say something wrong, something that just doesn't need to be said. And people will all walk away and be like, yeah, but do you remember what Erin said? Or like, do you remember that thing that Erin did? And actually, again, I, it, it then goes one over and it's like, oh, but Erin, why do you think people even care about you that much? And then like, it's just this multitude of like hate. But eventually I, I, I just have to get over myself and I'm just. I really, but it's having good people in your life that you get to share it with, that you're like, oh yeah, we all, we all do do those.

• 24:37Fearne Cotton?

  We all do it. My God, I mean, it's liberating, I think, hearing people like you say that, people that we can all go, oh my God, they are nailing life right now. But of course, under the surface, we have all got idiosyncrasies and things that we're dealing with and habits that we've been in probably since childhood. I hear you on that one. I've had it, I'm feeling pretty all right at the moment, but when my anxiety was particularly bad, say sort of six, seven years ago. I would overthink or, or lay in bed at night and recall every conversation I'd had that day and go. Might they have thought that I meant that? Or did that come across badly? Or God, I shouldn't, maybe that was a bit clumsy. And I would. I wouldn't sleep for hours. I'll be overplaying, like live the whole day again at night time.

• 25:18Speaker 02

  I do that. I still, that's what I mean. So, and what's also like, I've had to just get accustomed to is accepting that some. Some moments in your life are, are louder than others in that way and just going, okay. I, I don't know what it is for whatever reason, but right now I'm, I, I really have to just slow down and. And hear it and go, I've learnt to, yeah, like I say, hear the sentences, really, really give them the time. Because I think the more that I ignore it, the more that it spirals and gets like, but yeah, I, I, I don't, I'm not sure that it. Will ever just fully disappear.

• 25:54Fearne Cotton?

  No, I don't think, I think some of it's kind of healthy to have that level of self-analysis and self-awareness. I think when it, when we know it tips into. Oh my god, it's hindering my sleep. Or actually, for me at times, it stopped me speaking altogether. I would just be kind of the mute one in the group.

• 26:10Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 26:10Fearne Cotton?

  Which, I don't know, might seem surprising because I love a chat, but but at times I think, oh, I just don't wanna say something that's gonna rile someone or for someone to. Actually, I think my worst fear was to to be disliked.

• 26:21Speaker 02

  I think that's mine. And I think, yeah. And so mine would go one further and I just wouldn't even go to the thing.

• 26:26Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah. Oh, I stopped going out.

• 26:28Speaker 02

  I'd be stuck at home.

• 26:29Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, same. Yeah.

• 26:30Speaker 02

  And I'd tell myself that I'd wanna be at home, but also on that same level, I'd I'd feel trapped.

• 26:35Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 26:36Speaker 02

  Because I'd be like, God, I really have not left this house in like a week or something. And the invites are there and I'm just, I'm I'm in this like place of absolute like gated.

• 26:48Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 26:48Speaker 02

  Leave me aloneness.

• 26:49Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 26:49Speaker 02

  But I don't think it was ever a true desire to be alone. I think it was a a fear of being disliked. That I was like, well, if I don't put myself out there, no one can dislike me.

• 26:57Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, I absolutely hear you. Like, honestly, I still now have to force myself to go to like social things.

• 27:03Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 27:04Fearne Cotton?

  And again, I will, if I put myself in that environment and there's people there that I don't know very well, I most definitely will get into bed and replay all of the things. And also because I know that my tendency when I'm nervous is to just chat, like I will just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

• 27:21Speaker 02

  But that's so great. Like for people like me who who do officially switch off.

• 27:25Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, I can chat and chat and chat. If I'm really nervous from the get go, like, oh, I don't really know these people. I'll just, and then that's when I get home and go, I said, I told them everything about myself. I told them every detail of my life and I don't know them.

• 27:40Speaker 02

  But I love that because then in like in my head, I'm like, I'm the one in the corner not talking. And I'm like, I told them nothing about myself. They think I hate them. They think I'm stuck up and I don't wanna be there and they're not worthy of my time. Like I I so literally like you you can never win. Like, that's the thing. And I've learnt to just go. Oh, all right then. Like have your moment in the sun, but I'm not, you're not the main character here. Like, leave me alone.

• 28:05Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, and also. I'm trying to get to this point of like almost exposure therapy, which luckily is readily available for me, where I actively acknowledge that there are people out there that do not like me. Because for all of us, there'll be people that go, oh, I don't like Happy Place, or whatever, I don't like, oh, it's not my cup of tea. You know, it's very freely, these opinions are thrown around on social media, like, we all know it. And the levels of discomfort, I think, are only tolerable if you've got your own back. And that's where I think I'm at now, where I'm like, do you know what? I've got my own back enough to go, I hear you, Andy from Bogner, but I still like myself, all right?

• 28:40Speaker 02

  That's so true. Do you know what I don't get either, is like, is that people feel like if you're in the public eye, like, that they can just lob those comments. And it's not the same hurtful thing that any stranger on the street would feel. And again, like, but then it doubles over in my head and they're like, I say to myself, but then they'd be like, oh, shut, like, as, again, like, it's just like, you can never win. Like, because then there's the whole kind of celebrity complaining about the being of a celebrity. And it's like, but I, I don't, it's not like I would like to be on your Instagram. I don't want to be there if you don't want to see my face.

• 29:19Fearne Cotton?

  No.

• 29:19Speaker 02

  But it's just, we're in this culture of like, we have people that are famous, or like, in the public eye more, but for whatever reason, that then means that you can hurl these things at those people and they're, they've just got to take it.

• 29:31Fearne Cotton?

  No, it's an impossible ask. And also, I think, I used to massively gaslight myself in those situations and go, you're not allowed to have any problems. You're not allowed to even acknowledge that you're struggling because people have got it so much worse. And actually, that's not helpful to anyone, because you're, it will come up, if you're suppressing that shit, it will come up. So actually, it's much better to acknowledge it and go, yeah, I actually feel hurt, upset, rejected, whatever it is, and deal with it in the moment, rather than go, I'm not looking at that because I'm, I'm a celebrity, thanks very much.

• 30:01Speaker 02

  Yeah, it's, it's an absolute minefield.

• 30:04Fearne Cotton?

  What a head for.

• 30:04Speaker 02

  It really is. But that, like, this is why it's so, ultimately, just airing it.

• 30:10Fearne Cotton?

  Airing it, babes, airing it. And this is a point where, in your career, you are gonna now relentlessly find yourself in these strange situations. Like, I'm sure last night, you know, you're walking a red carpet, you've got your cast with you, everybody's going, Erin, Erin, wanting to chat to you, taking your picture. How do you find, I guess, there is a level of, especially the industry you're in, of fickleness, where it could even be directors, producers or other actors who didn't give you the time of day three years ago, that are now, they wanna be your best mate. How do you deal with that?

• 30:43Speaker 02

  Again, I think I just kind of, because I am an introvert, like, my circle is already so, so small. And I, I love it. I, I love the people in my life, like, and they're there for, for the rest of it. Like, they are solid, they are, they're the absolute ride or dies. And so, I kind of always have a little awareness of the kind of second bubble. And so, I think because that inner circle is so solid, I'm kind of like, you know what? It's okay, like, it's more on, I've, I've put that on the other people of the people that swim in and out of the second or third circle, whatever, they may do whatever they would like. And they can be there and they can send those texts and it's, it's no skin off my back to reply and to be like, "Oh, thanks so much, la la la."

• 31:26Speaker 02

  But I think because I've got this, I'm kind of like, I'm sorted. Like, I just, I, I, I have my, my dudes.

• 31:35Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 31:35Speaker 02

  And so, it, I've learned to kind of go, that's more for you. And if you'd like to send, send that message, then that's lovely.

• 31:42Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 31:43Speaker 02

  But where have you been for the last five years?

• 31:45Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, exactly.

• 31:46Speaker 02

  So it's like, it's fine, it's, it's lovely, but I'm not gonna now.

• 31:50Fearne Cotton?

  But what a healthy way to approach that industry. So I think, I don't know, how do you feel you would have reacted to being in this sort of environment with this level of attention and being seen by so many people, I don't know, 15 years ago?

• 32:05Speaker 02

  I, I really think I, I potentially would have thought about not doing it.

• 32:09Fearne Cotton?

  Really?

• 32:10Speaker 02

  Yeah. Cause I think I, I, and again, like, I have the voice in my head being like, "Oh, yeah, yeah, la la." But I, I, I only ever wanted to do this because I love the act of acting. I really just love it. Like, it's really lovely that people, when you're in a play, people come and they sit down and they watch it, or when you're in something, they're in their homes and they stick on their TV and they watch it. But that's kind of secondary. Like, I, of course, wanna do stuff that speaks to people and reaches out and speaks to things that are really important and present in our current culture and climate, but also. Just as an artist, turning up to work every day and exploring a scene and sitting down with someone and looking in their eyes and being like,

• 32:55Speaker 02

  how are we gonna do this scene then? I just love that.

• 32:58Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 32:58Speaker 02

  Like, I could do it for the rest of my life and no one ever watched what I do.

• 33:02Fearne Cotton?

  Hmm.

• 33:02Speaker 02

  And I'm happy.

• 33:03Fearne Cotton?

  What is it about, is it escapism? Like, what is that feeling that you're getting from it?

• 33:08Speaker 02

  I think it's that. Like, I think I, I love people and I love the complexities of what it means to be a human being. And I love the intricacies and the messiness and the darkness and the light. I just love. Maybe it's a strange kind of way of easing the anxieties that I've got about, about the complexities and just the disorder and like, I could be this on one day and I could be that on one day. And sometimes I'm so confused by how, how I am in certain situations that through character exploration, I kind of allow myself the ability to be whatever I wanna be.

• 33:47Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 33:48Speaker 02

  Or whatever feels right on any given day, because that's the key to a good scene is just being present and letting it flow. And so I've then learnt to apply that to being Erin. It's like, okay, this may not make sense to me right now, but it just feels right, so I'm gonna do it.

• 34:05Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, how fascinating.

• 34:06Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 34:07Fearne Cotton?

  And do you think you learn specific things from the actual characters you're playing? Because, I mean, what we all know, but what I will say is that you are insanely talented at what you do. Like, you are unbelievably dynamic and can change, almost morph into an unrecognisable person. It's like, oh my god, that's Erin Doherty. Like, you're so fully all in. I'm imagining that you are sensing that character. Like, you are, part of you does become it. That sounds fucking cheesy, but I can see that that might be the case for you.

• 34:38Speaker 02

  I, and that is my, like, the fact that you've said, like, thank you, that is, that is the dream. That, like, if I could watch back my work and I'm not myself.

• 34:46Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 34:47Speaker 02

  That'd be, that, that's what in my head I'm doing. Like, I'm, I'm not rocking up, like, I, I wanna get as far away from myself as possible whilst remaining intact with what makes this person a human being. So it's, it's a level of escapism, but also it's like a, a safety way of channeling, yeah, channeling these emotions or thoughts that I'm having or whatever. So that, I am in there, but the idea of transforming and, and having people go, oh my god, I didn't even know that was you. That's it, like.

• 35:17Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 35:18Speaker 02

  That's it.

• 35:19Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 35:19Speaker 02

  Like, I, I, again, like, that's the exciting thing of, of, of acting. And that's why I, I really, I really couldn't care less if someone knows that I was in that thing. Because I kind of don't want them to.

• 35:31Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 35:32Speaker 02

  So like, I, I've kind of, I've got this old relationship with social media. Cause I, I'm, I, I, it's, it can invade your life and, and, and it's so addictive. But I will always make the time to promote the things. Cause I'm like, I'm, I'm really proud of this piece of work.

• 35:48Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, too right.

• 35:49Speaker 02

  So I get that and I get, that's how I kind of use it. Yeah. So my work is kind of, it's escapism. But the, the kind of social media aspect is the way that I'm like, okay, no, I do, I do probably need to promote this thing.

• 36:03Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, of course you want people to watch it.

• 36:04Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 36:04Fearne Cotton?

  Of course, especially when you're proud of something.

• 36:06Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 36:07Fearne Cotton?

  It's like, of course you want people to see that. Like, it's a piece of art. And especially if you know it's gonna either, it doesn't have to be as culturally game changing as adolescence. But something like A Thousand Blows, something that, that audience, you know that they can have that level of escapism and get lost in.

• 36:23Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 36:23Fearne Cotton?

  It's like, that is what I need after work is just to like, I need to watch something totally unrelated to my life.

• 36:28Speaker 02

  I was gonna say, like, for me, like, I genuinely, I love watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians. I'm like, I, I am such a fan.

• 36:35Fearne Cotton?

  Obsessed. Do you know who I've just had in here?

• 36:37Speaker 02

  Who?

• 36:39Fearne Cotton?

  Chris Appleton, who is their hairdresser.

• 36:41Speaker 02

  Stop it right now.

• 36:42Fearne Cotton?

  And he said to me that I have to bleach all of my hair and cut it to here and I'm doing it.

• 36:46Speaker 02

  Why? Are you doing it?

• 36:47Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 36:47Speaker 02

  Okay, okay, Chris.

• 36:49Fearne Cotton?

  He was like, this is just all too dark. And I was like, I, I agree. I know. He was.

• 36:53Speaker 02

  I love.

• 36:54Fearne Cotton?

  I love the Kardashians.

• 36:55Speaker 02

  I love them.

• 36:56Fearne Cotton?

  Bring on, me and Amelia from Team Happy Place were just saying, there's so many elements to it that are brilliant. One of them being other people's problems.

• 37:02Speaker 02

  Yes.

• 37:03Fearne Cotton?

  Love.

• 37:03Speaker 02

  I, and, and I, and that's what I'm, that's what life is about, right?

• 37:08Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 37:08Speaker 02

  It's like dealing with your own stuff and getting in the trenches, but then also just shelving it and being like, what, what's your, what's your stuff? I need to know what Kris Jenner is doing at any given moment in time. Oh my God, doesn't she look great?

• 37:19Fearne Cotton?

  She looks incredibly.

• 37:21Speaker 02

  I know.

• 37:21Fearne Cotton?

  I know.

• 37:22Speaker 02

  And also I'm kind of like, go you.

• 37:23Fearne Cotton?

  Go you.

• 37:24Speaker 02

  For just doing it.

• 37:25Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, you're seventeen. You're looking amazing and living your best life.

• 37:28Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 37:29Fearne Cotton?

  Did you, like me, waste about four hours looking at pictures of her 70th birthday online?

• 37:33Speaker 02

  No, what happened?

• 37:34Fearne Cotton?

  Well, get ready to do that later.

• 37:35Speaker 02

  Ah, well.

• 37:36Fearne Cotton?

  It's just like every famous person in their amazing house with like all the excessive flower walls and all the stuff you would expect from Kris Jenner. It's amazing.

• 37:44Speaker 02

  I, she is my fave.

• 37:46Fearne Cotton?

  She is the great. We all aspire to be like her. I actually need to buy a tie and a suit because that's what, I just want to be her.

• 37:53Speaker 02

  You should.

• 37:53Fearne Cotton?

  I'm gonna make it happen.

• 37:57Speaker 03

  Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithGemini. That's goo.gle/workspacewithGemini.

• 38:30Speaker 06

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• 39:00Fearne Cotton?

  Hello, this is Susie Ruffel.

• 39:01Speaker 02

  And Maisie Adam.

• 39:02Fearne Cotton?

  And together we host Big Kick Energy. Hey Mais, what is it?

• 39:05Speaker 02

  Only the best podcast ever.

• 39:06Fearne Cotton?

  Yes.

• 39:07Speaker 02

  A comedy entertainment podcast with a focus on all things women's football, all things hilarious, all things friendship. It's a laugh is what it is, Ruffel.

• 39:17Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, and a fair bit of gossiping too.

• 39:19Speaker 02

  Oh, and a lovely bit of gossip. Chow down on the gossip.

• 39:21Fearne Cotton?

  Num, num, num, num, num. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. You just need to search Big Kick Energy.

• 39:27Speaker 02

  Grab a knife and fork and tuck in, baby.

• 39:33Fearne Cotton?

  Going back to you, as much as I love talking about the Kardashians. Let's look for instance at Mary Carr, your character in A Thousand Blows. She is in an East London pickpocketing gang. You actually had to train to pickpocket, which I found a fascinating fact. What did you get from her personality, from maybe her conniving ways or her backstory that has taught you something about yourself?

• 39:56Speaker 02

  For me, Mary has given me just an unapologetic attitude to ambition. And I bloody love it. Because I think like as a woman, I'd kind of grown up feeling like you go after what you want, but you do it discreetly.

• 40:11Fearne Cotton?

  Yep, especially in England.

• 40:13Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 40:13Fearne Cotton?

  Or the UK as a whole.

• 40:15Speaker 02

  Yeah, like so, because you're celebrated for your achievements, but it's always kind of got to be, well, that's a surprise.

• 40:22Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, well, don't get too big for your boots.

• 40:24Speaker 02

  Yeah, like there's always these weird little caveats to being a woman and being successful. And Mary Carr just doesn't buy into it, and I love it. So she'll literally like, her brain is always worrying about where she's supposed to be, how she's going to get there. And it's like constantly a cat and mouse game, a chess game of, okay, she's just, she's so razor sharp, intelligent.

• 40:48Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 40:49Speaker 02

  But it's all linked to success. And I just think, why can't we all actually just sit down and go, what do I want? Okay, okay, that's what I want. All right, well, how am I going to do that then? Like, I just, I just, I really, really love the simplicity of, and it's okay for that to change as well. That's what I think also kind of slips into there is that, okay, you're allowed to chase something, but maybe just one thing.

• 41:13Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 41:13Speaker 02

  Like, maybe that's your thing. So that's what you do, and you don't deviate from the plan. But why?

• 41:18Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 41:19Speaker 02

  Like, we're constantly changing.

• 41:21Fearne Cotton?

  And she's a hustler as well, which I think, especially for a Victorian woman, was not the thing.

• 41:26Speaker 02

  No.

• 41:26Fearne Cotton?

  So she's someone that is breaking barriers that people didn't even realise were there, because it was so normalised and conditioned that women would just do as they were told.

• 41:34Speaker 02

  Yeah, that was her thing. Like, she wore trousers underneath her skirts, and I love this about her. Because half the time, I wore them every single, every single costume, I was always wearing them trousers. And half the time, it would never be seen on screen. But for me, the shift when they were on, because that would be the first piece of, like, item of clothing that I put on in the trailer. And I was just like, she's here. There's something about, like, she just didn't, like, she didn't discredit or discard being a woman. But I think she knew the boundaries that were there and just gave herself the tools to override them. And I feel like we could, we could still do with a bit of that.

• 42:13Fearne Cotton?

  Oh my god, without a doubt. We all need to have our trousers on underneath whatever we're wearing all the time. Because we still are fighting for just like general equality.

• 42:23Speaker 02

  Equality. Like, it still, it genuinely blows my mind, actually. And that's where I think, like, it's, that show is so phenomenally well done. And it's like, it is so striking and it is such a like time warp. But also, we're still actually fighting the same fights.

• 42:39Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 42:40Speaker 02

  And that's what, again, when I read it, I was like, I want to be a part of that. Like, I want to be a part of putting them women on screen and having young women, middle-aged women, older women see them and go, bloody hell, they're impressive. Like, I, I just think that's, like, too right. Like, good on them.

• 42:57Fearne Cotton?

  Right. And they're all based on real people.

• 43:00Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:00Fearne Cotton?

  Which is fascinating. I mean, it's a bit of like a history lesson for you, doing a show like this.

• 43:04Speaker 02

  Yeah. I, I had no idea that they existed and most people don't. Like, they, they just kind of went under the radar. And I'm still genuinely flabbergasted that they've not been explored before. Like, their story hasn't been put on screen or put on stage in any, in any way. We've just not really spoken about these really, really intelligent women. Yes, they were criminals, but what was their other option back in the day? So like, really, like, they're, they're just ambitious women. And why, why has it taken till 2025 to put them on our screens?

• 43:34Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, we all know why.

• 43:35Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 43:36Fearne Cotton?

  Um, you're at a place now in your career where you can pick and choose, if we're like really blunt about it. You're not like hustling out there, please pick me auditions. You've got lots of options out there. Imagining for an actor like yourself, storytelling is a priority. Like getting stories out there that you know not only you're interested in, but are gonna maybe shift the dial or touch upon a subject matter that is important culturally. What would you like to explore story wise that you haven't yet?

• 44:07Speaker 02

  I'm massively excited about the queer storytelling. Like I've, I've not had a script through that I've been like absolutely leaping on top of. Like I need to be a part of this, like this will never leave the clutches of my hands. Like it's just not come my way yet, so.

• 44:25Fearne Cotton?

  Especially for women, no? Like we've seen some good examples like Heartstopper and even like reality like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Like there's some great shows, but for women, I feel like that's the big gap still.

• 44:36Speaker 02

  Huge gap, like it's just not there. Like it's, it's kind of been there in the backgrounds, but even so, it's kind of like, okay, you're like the gay friend. Or it's, it's kind of, it's a bit tropey and it's a bit like, yeah, but who, who are these people? Like what is their story? Like what are the, what are the complexities here? And I, so that to me, I'm in whatever context, whether it's TV, film, a play, anything. I wanna tell the queer stories and I wanna tell them like really, really well. And so that forevermore will be exciting to me.

• 45:07Speaker 02

  And again, I kind of, I really don't know anything like more to it than that. So let's see what, what that turns into. But other than that, I kind of love to be surprised. And like we were saying, I think it's also relevant to what's going on in the world. Like some, something in the news could happen and all of a sudden that would be the most exciting thing or the most necessary thing that I'm like, oh, well, where, where is that? Where's that thing? And again, that's kind of what I love about art is that it's always speaking to a truth. Of some kind. So there's that layer and, and there's, yeah, the queerness. But those are my two kind of like.

• 45:45Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah, they're great ones. And is it important for you to push yourself, to do characters that you think, "Oh, I don't know if I can easily reach that character or find out who they are?"

• 45:56Speaker 02

  Yeah. Strangely, again, like for someone who overthinks and will question themselves, I think there's a safety in scripts that I'm like, "Okay, well, what's really gonna go wrong here?" Like, I think it's all about that relationship with the director and going, "Can we make something really exciting? Well, then I'm ready to jump off this cliff with you." And that's so thrilling. Like, I love it with a passion.

• 46:21Fearne Cotton?

  Are you a bit of a thrill seeker? Is that what we-

• 46:23Speaker 02

  Strangely, yeah. Like, I love a rollercoaster.

• 46:25Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 46:26Speaker 02

  Went to Thorpe Park for my birthday. Just me and my girlfriend.

• 46:30Fearne Cotton?

  I love it.

• 46:31Speaker 02

  She stopped me in the car and I was like, "Where are we going?" She was like, "You'll see."

• 46:34Fearne Cotton?

  She knows you well. She was like, "Get me on that pirate ship."

• 46:37Speaker 02

  I was honest to God, the only one I regretted was Stealth. Have you ever been on Stealth?

• 46:42Fearne Cotton?

  Is that the one that goes like that?

• 46:43Speaker 02

  Just straight up and down.

• 46:44Fearne Cotton?

  I drive past it on the M3 all the time and I think, "What lunatic is going on that?"

• 46:47Speaker 02

  I did it. On my birthday.

• 46:49Fearne Cotton?

  Brilliant.

• 46:50Speaker 02

  The night before, I'd had copious amounts of wine. It was not a good time for me, but I still enjoyed myself. I didn't want to say it to my girlfriend at the time. I was like, "Really? Why did we drink so much yesterday then?"

• 47:00Fearne Cotton?

  Not today.

• 47:01Speaker 02

  For God's sake. But I embraced it. It was lovely. We had little homemade sandwiches and everything.

• 47:06Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, it's so sweet.

• 47:07Speaker 02

  Yeah, so I am strangely a thrill seeker. Yeah. I think, again, like, there's a weird kind of, within the confines of something that feels like there's a structure and I can just, I can settle in, then I, then I just let loose.

• 47:21Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 47:21Speaker 02

  But something has to kind of be scary for me to chase it, I think.

• 47:25Fearne Cotton?

  Hmm. You can tell that in your roles. They're all so wildly different, from Princess Anne to Mary Car, to your character, Adolescence. It's like, they could not be. They're like worlds apart.

• 47:35Speaker 02

  Yeah. I think that's it. Like, like, I just love people and I, and, and I love kind of finding the beating heart in anyone. Like, I do think we are, there are, there's always a way of kind of like fighting or, or defending your character and, and I really buy into that and I find it really exciting.

• 47:51Fearne Cotton?

  Hmm. And where would you say your happy place is?

• 47:54Speaker 02

  Uh, I'd say my sister's house. I just love her. Like, honestly, she's just, she's the best. She's just the best. Um, so I'm going there for Christmas this year.

• 48:02Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, fun.

• 48:03Speaker 02

  I can't wait. I really can't wait. I go there most years.

• 48:06Fearne Cotton?

  And does she cook? Are you cooking?

• 48:08Speaker 02

  Her husband cooks. They got married this year, so new husband. So, yeah, we all lived together when I went and stayed with her. So, like, I love them both so much. Um, but, yeah, Alan, shout out Alan.

• 48:18Fearne Cotton?

  Alan.

• 48:18Speaker 02

  He's an amazing cook.

• 48:19Fearne Cotton?

  Is he doing, like, really good roast potatoes? Because that, for me, is the cornerstone of a good Christmas.

• 48:23Speaker 02

  It's everything. I could just have a plate of them.

• 48:25Fearne Cotton?

  Correct.

• 48:26Speaker 02

  Yeah, and the next day you kind of do, right?

• 48:28Fearne Cotton?

  Yeah.

• 48:29Speaker 02

  So, yeah, so I make him make twice the amount than we need. But he's really good.

• 48:34Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, Alan, we love you.

• 48:35Speaker 02

  Everyone needs an Alan.

• 48:38Speaker 02

  Where's, where's everyone's Alan? Because that's why I go to my sister's, because she bloody got us.

• 48:42Fearne Cotton?

  Exactly. Go and borrow her Alan.

• 48:44Speaker 02

  Yeah, he can be my Alan.

• 48:46Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, well, I hope you have a really restful Christmas for whatever is about to happen in your amazing life next. Just take that downtime and lean in.

• 48:57Speaker 02

  Lovely Christmas.

• 48:57Fearne Cotton?

  I will. I'm really looking forward to it this year. Just, like, pressing pause and doing nothing and drinking wine and watching Home Alone.

• 49:04Speaker 02

  Yes. Is that your first Christmas movie that you watch?

• 49:07Fearne Cotton?

  It's my favourite. I have to watch it. The others, I'll be like, oh, I didn't see The Holiday this year. I'm a bit, I'm a bit upset about it, but Home Alone won.

• 49:15Speaker 02

  Non-negotiable.

• 49:15Fearne Cotton?

  Non-negotiable. It's happening.

• 49:17Speaker 02

  I concur. Mine's Love Actually.

• 49:20Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, I love Love Actually. That's also a great one. Yeah, I don't want to miss that either. There's a lot of TV to be watched and potatoes to be eaten.

• 49:27Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 49:27Fearne Cotton?

  Um, Erin, you are a legend and we love you. Thank you so much for being on Happy Place.

• 49:32Speaker 02

  Thanks for having me.

• 49:34Fearne Cotton?

  Oh, sorry, but what an amazing human. Like, a global superstar who remains utterly grounded, delightful, un-stary. Just a, a brilliant human. God, Erin, we all adore you. You can watch Erin play the brilliant Mary Car in A Thousand Blows on Disney Plus from the 9th of January. And by the way, there was obviously an incredibly unsubtle hint in that chat that Chris Appleton will be on the show soon. You can hear that one in a couple of weeks and you are gonna love it. What a man. All right, back here next week. But in the meantime, a massive thanks again to Erin, to the producer, Anushka Tate at Happy Place Studios, and to you, brilliant lot.

• 50:46Speaker 05

  I've got big news. I switched to Verizon and got the new iPhone 18 Pro. I can keep my old phone and I also get the latest iPhone every year. Shh, anything else? Verizon let me choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on them.

• 50:59Speaker 04

  Everybody, listen up.

• 51:00Speaker 05

  Shh. Switch to Verizon and get the new iPhone 18 Pro now. No trade in needed and the latest iPhone every year with Simplicity Plan. Plus, choose Apple Watch Series 12 or iPad on us. Simplicity Plan with Simplicity Pro required. Plan and device payment purchase are separate agreements with separate terms. Service plan for watch or iPad required. Addition terms apply for all offers.

• 51:16Speaker 04

  Then I thought, what if I've scaled businesses? What if I scaled my philanthropy? What if I did as much in one year as I've done in my whole life?

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  See how your wealth could have even greater meaning at creativeplanning.com/impact.

• 51:28Speaker 03

  Hey, we're Nick and Jack, hosts of The Best One Yet. Behind every episode, there's research, emails, spreadsheets and our shared Google Doc, the headline hammer. With Google Workspace with Gemini, Google's AI is built right into the premium versions of tools we already use, like Gmail, Docs and Sheets. No new tools or extra logins, just personalized AI for the way we work. That means less time on the work around the work and more time finding the stories worth talking about. Get AI tools for work. Upgrade to Google Workspace with Gemini at goo.gle/workspacewithGemini. That's goo.gle/workspacewithGemini.

• 52:02Speaker 06

  It's time. It's the most wonderful time of the year. Halloween.

• 52:10Speaker 05

  And you guys know we don't do Halloween by halves.

• 52:12Speaker 06

  Full costume, full prosthetics, full commitment. I'm a rat.

• 52:15Speaker 05

  And I'm the chef. It's our Ratatouille special. Then we're grabbing our broomsticks for the witches.

• 52:23Speaker 06

  We've got a spooky hotline caller.

• 52:25Speaker 05

  An update from our woman who was in love with the ghost of Prince Albert.

• 52:28Speaker 06

  And your tarot card dial letters.

• 52:30Speaker 05

  Listen to our Halloween specials, search for The Girls Bathroom.