October 10th 2024.
During the pandemic, Fern Britton found herself in a dark and difficult place. She opened up about her struggles, admitting that she turned to smoking as a coping mechanism. This led to her not being able to breathe properly and feeling unwell. It was a tough time for the 67-year-old Celebrity Big Brother star, especially as she had also recently gone through the loss of her parents and the breakdown of her 20-year marriage to TV chef Phil Vickery.
Fern shared that her mother passed away in 2018 and her father in 2019, followed by her marriage ending in 2020, just before the first lockdown. She described it as a series of losses, one after the other. With all of these challenges, Fern found herself slipping into a state of laziness and depression. She found it hard to find the motivation to get out of bed, shower, or even brush her teeth. She thought, "What's the point? I'll just end up back in bed anyway." This led her to take up smoking, drinking, and overeating, which only made her feel worse.
In a moment of realization, Fern understood that she had gained a lot of weight and was not in a good place physically or mentally. She shared her story at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, admitting that she had a tough time and fell into smoking easily. She would often punctuate her day with a cigarette and a glass of wine. However, one day, she overdid it and ended up throwing up in a field on her drive home. This was a wake-up call for her, and she hasn't touched a cigarette since.
Fern's life has turned around since then. She has put in a lot of effort, reflection, and even therapy to get back to feeling like herself. She shared that she is now happy and content, and looking forward to the next phase of her life. She also made a rare comment about her split from Phil, saying that they have remained good friends and co-parents to their daughter. They met on the set of Ready Steady Cook in 2000 and were married for 20 years before announcing their separation in 2020.
Fern and Phil have not publicly shared the reason for their split, but Fern had once described him as her "life's great love" and a wonderful husband, partner, and friend. She ended her statement by asking for privacy and thanking everyone for their kindness and support.
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