Fearne Cotton reveals why she will never return to live TV
Fearne Cotton refuses to work in live TV or radio anymore because her “nervous system can’t take it” anymore.
The 42-year-old TV star began her presenting career in 1996 at the age of 15 when she became a host for ‘The Disney Club’, but she has since moved away from live TV and radio jobs because she can no longer deal with the pressure that comes with them.
She told The Times: “I’ve learnt that I couldn’t do live radio or TV today for any money in the world.
“The thought of going on to someone else’s platform [with] that level of risk and judgment, and that element of the unknown?
“My nervous system can’t take it — it’s absolutely shot. Putting myself in that is like putting me in a pit of lions.”
When asked what she was afraid of, Fearne - who has Arthur, 22, Lola, 18, Rex, 11, and Honey, eight - pointed to cancel culture, and the prospect of losing her whole career overnight due to a mistake.
She explained: “It’s that you could do one thing and you’re done, you’re dead.
“Bye! Everyone’s waiting for you to c*** up so they can all point fingers and say that you’ve always been terrible.”
She continued: “It’s in our culture to try to level people out. We celebrate the new person on the scene, but then as soon as you’re established, people cannot wait for you to f*** up.
“I also think I’ve had positive feedback from what I’m doing now because I’ve actively chosen to step away from the shiny stuff [TV and radio] — and people like that. But I can’t put myself back on TV now — I’ve got too much to lose. I’ve a family to support.”
The ‘Celebrity Juice’ star added all of her “mental health lows” came from her showbiz jobs, and emphasised a career in the spotlight can irreparably damage those who join the industry young.
She said: “If you want to get a whole host of mental health problems, get in the public eye really young, because you get them all.
“There’s no way you can get through it in one piece … All my mental health lows are because of my job. Nothing else. It is not conducive to a balanced mind.”
