Fern Britton has returned to ITV for a new series of Inside the Vets, reuniting with many of the production team she worked with on This Morning before her abrupt departure in 2009. The 69-year-old TV presenter had been with the ITV programme for 10 years before the surprising announcement of her exit. Speculation emerged that she had clashed with co-presenter Phillip Schofield, and it would be nearly 10 years before she made her ITV comeback.
Reunion with Familiar Faces
After stepping away from television and establishing a successful career as an author, Fern acknowledged it was pleasant to work alongside some recognisable faces again. Speaking to the Guardian, she said: "I knew that it would run out (television work). I am absolutely prepared for things to stop and change. Then, I think, well, that's television dead, and now here I am doing Inside the Vet's, and loving it. They've remembered (her former colleagues) that perhaps I'm OK to work with."
Falling-Out with Phillip Schofield
Fern said she "didn't want to get into" the details of her falling-out with Schofield, who departed ITV in controversial circumstances in 2023 after he admitted to a relationship with a younger ITV employee. She did say the situation "turned on a sixpence" before her abrupt departure and she realised she needed to leave straight away. She went on: "I can't really explain it, because we did have a good working relationship, until we didn't, so it was tricky. I wish him well. I hope it all settles down and he finds some happiness."
In response to Fern's interview, a representative for Schofield told The Independent: "They were very strange times, but he remembers his time working alongside Fern with nothing but fondness."
Personal Challenges
The past decade has proved particularly difficult for Fern on a personal level. Both her parents passed away in rapid succession — her mother, Ruth Hawkins, in April 2018 and her father, Tony, in December 2019. Shortly after, she separated from her husband, celebrity chef Phil Vickery, with whom she has one daughter, in 2020. She subsequently relocated to Cornwall, which has served as a backdrop for several of her novels.
Fern, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, previously resided in Buckinghamshire with her husband and their daughter Winnie. Following their separation, she made the move to Cornwall. In 2022, she told PA: "I don't think I was wounded. It just played itself out. It's been fine." Now single, she has expressed little desire to begin dating once more. "I've got lovely friends and I have a lovely social life, which is quite enough for me. I like to be in bed at nine o'clock — it's great." And she's not quite ready for grandchildren.
Fern Britton: Inside the Vets returns this morning (Sunday, July 19) from 11.25am to 12.30pm on ITV.
