BBC presenter Fearne Cotton has opened up about a panic attack she experienced while covering for Lorraine Kelly on ITV, revealing that her anxiety became so debilitating she could not drive on the motorway for four years.
Panic Attack on Live TV
Speaking to BBC Radio 2 host Vernon Kay, the 44-year-old recalled the terrifying moment. "I remember covering for Lorraine and literally having a panic attack as I was speaking," she said. "I look completely normal, or maybe I looked slightly like a deer in the headlights. But inside I am spiralling, literally like floating out of my skin, I don't feel like I'm grounded, the pits."
Four Years Without Motorway Driving
Cotton explained that her panic attacks became so frequent and intense that she avoided motorways entirely for years. "I couldn't drive on the motorway for many years, I can do that now. I was having multiple panic attacks a day, it could be 10 a day. Getting on a motorway, it was an absolute no go," she said. She recounted one incident where she had a panic attack on the motorway and had to call the AA to drive her home. "And then I tried again the next week and I pulled over on the hard shoulder straight away. I had to get off that motorway. So for four years I didn't drive on one."
Mental Health Struggles Behind the Scenes
Cotton, who rose to fame on children's BBC shows like The Saturday Show and Smile, and later presented Top of the Pops for 16 years, admitted that her public success masked private turmoil. She has been candid about her battles with depression, anxiety, OCD, and bulimia, and has written books and hosted the Happy Place podcast on the topic. She said she went through a "terrible time" in her late 20s and early 30s, which led to her departure from Radio 1. "The press stuff was awful, the pressure of being on air. Mental health was not really talked about, in the workplace. It wasn't mentioned at all," she said. "I dealt with it all in my own head. I didn't tell anyone, not my producer, not anyone, that I was on the brink of this not being OK. I took medication and went to work every day and I felt dreadful for most of that period."
Impact and Support
After going public with her motorway phobia, Cotton said many others reached out with similar experiences. Vernon Kay apologised for being unaware of her struggles, to which Cotton replied, "I didn't say anything, you just cracked on. I think that's where the paranoia comes in, so I had a really rough time early 30s. I left Radio 1 when I was 34, maybe 33, because everything imploded for me. I didn't understand why I was doing this. That was like back to basics. I didn't feel like I had a choice if I'm really honest."
