Fearne Cotton has disclosed that she experienced a panic attack while filling in for Lorraine Kelly on ITV, and that her anxiety became so severe she avoided motorway driving for four years. The 44-year-old presenter opened up about her struggles during an interview with Vernon Kay on his BBC Radio 2 programme.
Panic Attack on Live TV
Cotton, who has been candid about her mental health battles, described the moment she had a panic attack while hosting Lorraine's show. She said: "I remember covering for Lorraine and literally having a panic attack as I was speaking. 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-Year Driving Phobia
The former Radio 1 DJ revealed that her panic attacks escalated to the point where she could not drive on motorways for four years. She recounted: "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. I had one panic attack on the motorway and I had to get the AA to drive me 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."
After speaking publicly about this obstacle, Cotton said many others reached out to share similar experiences.
Mental Health Struggles Behind the Scenes
Cotton admitted she had "a terrible time" with her mental health during her late 20s and early 30s, which ultimately led to her departure from Radio 1. She explained: "I went through a terrible time with mental health in my late 20s, early 30s. 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. 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."
Vernon Kay apologised, saying he had "no idea" what she was going through. Cotton added: "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."
Career Success Amidst Personal Turmoil
Fearne Cotton landed her big break at the BBC in her early twenties, working on children's programmes such as The Saturday Show and Smile. She went on to present Top of the Pops for 16 years and hosted numerous shows on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 2. Despite her professional success, she battled depression, anxiety, OCD, and bulimia. She has since written books on mental health and hosts the popular Happy Place podcast.
