Fearne Cotton has revealed she was shouted at by a Vatican security guard during a recent trip to Rome after she broke a strict rule inside the Sistine Chapel. The presenter admitted her initial reaction was to tell the security officer to "f*** off", and claimed she is "not very good at rules", especially if she thinks they don't make sense.
Incident in the Sistine Chapel
Cotton was caught taking photos of the chapel ceiling, painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. Visitors are banned from snapping away to protect the restored artwork from cumulative flash damage and to maintain a quiet, respectful atmosphere. Cotton fumed: "I was so riled. Like, I want to take a picture of it, I’ve not got my flash on, why is it a problem?"
Missing the Announcement
Cotton claimed she missed the announcement telling her not to use a phone or a camera to create memories. She said: "When I was in Rome. I went on a short city break, and obviously, when you go to Rome, what do you do? You go to the Vatican, because it’s famed for the Vatican, and it’s a beautiful place to walk around." She explained her excitement, saying she was desperate to see the artwork on the ceiling. "I was desperate to see that in real life – and obviously take a photo of it. I got in there, I didn’t realise you’re not allowed to take photos. I’d missed that tannoy announcement, and I went to take a picture. I got massively reprimanded, shouted at by a very burly Italian security guard, which should have freaked me out and made me go, ‘Oh god, I’m so sorry,’ but instead, I wanted to go, ‘F***k off!’"
Reaction and Reflection
Despite the incident, Cotton felt infuriated and admitted she was "riled". She added: "I also understand and respect that there are religious reasons, potentially, as to why I shouldn’t be taking the picture – I’m assuming, because I’m not quite sure why else." Visitors to the chapel are asked to remain silent and refrain from taking any type of photography. Guards inside the chapel have the power to make visitors delete any images if they see someone breaking the rules.
Personal Struggles
Earlier this year, Cotton admitted she was struggling to "hold it together" as a single parent. The comments in April came just days after her ex-husband Jesse Wood announced he's expecting a baby with his new girlfriend. The TV presenter, 44, who split from Ronnie Wood's musician son Jesse in December 2024 after 10 years of marriage, opened up on the pressure she faces. The mum-of-two said there was pressure juggling work and raising their two children.
