Fearne Cotton's motorway panic attack

31 July 2019

Fearne Cotton is too scared to drive on the motorway after suffering a panic attack two years ago.

Fearne Cotton

The 37-year-old TV and radio presenter - who has been open about her depression and mental-health issues - has revealed that she had a panic attack at the wheel in 2017 and had to call the AA to take her home.

Fearne told Closer magazine: "I haven't driven on a motorway since. I will go back, but I'm not ready yet.

"It's like I'm going to black out, or faint, or get a tingly face. Everything is quite spinny. I can't really put it down to any particular thing, and I'm just sort of coping with it."

Fearne - who has children, Rex, six, and three-year-old Honey with her husband Jesse Wood, 42 - also admitted that live TV and radio makes her panic.

She explained: "I could be interviewing someone live on TV, and my head goes, 'Oh this could be about time to faint'. I'll think, 'No, don't do that' and I'm like, 'It's coming'. It's not great.

"I also lie awake at night worrying about live radio the next morning. And my phone is always on silent because I think if it rings, something awful must have happened."

Fearne previously revealed how depression left her feeling "drained" and how being diagnosed with the condition was a huge "relief" to her.

She said: "I had a real lack of energy. I felt so drained and my lust for everything that I love wasn't there any more. I'm very optimistic by nature, I wake up in the morning and I'm very excited about my day, I'm so pumped and enthusiastic about the smaller things in life and that was dead.

"Everything was a drag and felt heavy. I felt anti-social, cut-off, alienated and they were massive warning signs. Everyone has that lightbulb moment that they need to do something differently, but for me it was feeling stuck ...

"It was definitely a relief when the doctor identified what was happening to me. It took it away from being my fault. I was prescribed anti-depressants. I decided it would get my head above the clouds for a moment. I'd never taken them before so it felt like it would be worth a go."