Renowned radio presenter Fearne Cotton has announced that she will no longer be hosting live shows on the radio because of the frequent panic attacks that she suffers from.
The well-known radio presenter has been very open about her battle with mental illness and in a recent interview revealed that her nervous system “could not handle” the pressure of a live show at the moment.
“I would not sleep the night before, I’d have a panic attack before,” Fearne told the publication. “I’d probably be fine when I’m on the air, it’s just the bit before that I can’t get myself through with ease.”
The 40-year-old stated that she is very frustrated with her condition at the moment as she feels at peace when she presents a show on the radio.
“I feel a level of frustration because it’s a job I learned for 25 years and I know I can do really well,” she added.
Fearne Cotton was the first regular female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Chart Show, she is also associated with BBC Radio 2 and does a weekly show called Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton.
Cotton has shared with her fans on her podcast named happy place as well as on Instagram that she hasn’t been feeling too good lately and her anxiety has peaked at an all-time high. She has a fear of driving now, especially on the motorway.
Male presenter on a Radio 1 chart shows on BBC which was co-hosted by Reggie Yates back in 2007. She got a slot for her own show on Radio 1 from 2009 to 2015 but later on, she was compelled to leave the show as it was “literally ruining my mind.”
“If you’ve been putting something off that causes great anxiety do not worry,” she said. “Go easy on yourself and try when you’re ready. It was utterly draining concentrating on the hour’s journey as I have to sort of close off of the part of my brain that goes into a panic but I’m so glad I did it (sic).”
