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Vernon Kay tells BBC co-star 'I'm sorry, I had no idea' as she opens up on 'awful time'

Vernon was joined by a veteran broadcaster on his mid-morning radio show, where she opened up about her mental health and admitted she had been through a "terrible time"

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Vernon Kay has apologised to a BBC Radio 2 co-star (Image: BBC)

Vernon Kay has apologised to a BBC Radio 2 co-star as she shed light on a hidden health battle, admitting that he had "no idea". In yesterdays Tracks of My Years segment on his mid-morning radio show (July 7), Vernon was joined by veteran broadcaster Fearne Cotton, who opened up about her mental health.

Fearne, who currently presents Sounds of the 90s on Radio 2, has spoken openly about living with depression and OCD. But in recent years she has stepped back from live TV to host the Happy Place podcast.

The topic came up during her chat with Vernon, who asked whether she had found TV "gruelling". Fearne said she hadnt initially, but that her career led to paparazzi following her "everywhere".

She said: "I just felt paranoid that someone was photographing me, taking the bins out, whatever. Paparazzi would get on flights at Heathrow and fly to LA to like pap me at the other end.

[LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 18: Fearne Cotton attends the talk about her book "Bigger Than Us" at Cadogan Hall on January 18, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images)]

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Fearne has spoken previously about living with depression and OCD (Image: Getty Images)

"And I'll be like, 'I'm getting off a flight. I'm not even doing anything'. And then I went through just a terrible time of mental health in my late 20s, early 30s, where the press stuff was awful, the pressure of being on air amongst it all."

Fearne claimed that mental health wasn't really talked about at the time. It meant she would tackle it in her "own head" and not speak about it to anyone, not even her own producer.

She added: "So I very much, like many people have, and still sadly do, dealt with it all in my own head. You know, I didn't say to a single person, not my producer, anyone, 'I am on the brink of this like not being okay'.

"I just, I took medication, and I went to work every day. And I felt dreadful for most of that period."

Vernon replied: "Well, I apologise. I had no idea", to which Fearne explained that she "didn't tell anyone".

[An individual in a green shirt, seated and gazing intently at something in front of him, possibly engaged in a conversation or interview. The background features a large window with an outdoor view that includes a flag and a building.]

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Vernon asked whether she had found TV "gruelling".(Image: ITV)

Fearne has graced our screens since she was just 15, launching her career on GMTVs The Disney Club. Now 44, she has stepped away from the pressures of TV and has since been focusing on her wellness brand, Happy Place.

She also opened up about her mental health to Metro earlier this year. Fearne, who penned the book Likeable: How I Broke Free From The Need To Please, told the outlet that she'd had bulimia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

"I'm not saying that every single mental and physical issue I've had is down to people pleasing, but its definitely contributed to everything from very low self-esteem and poor mental health.

"I had bulimia, and I had OCD at one point, I'm not saying that that's entirely down to people pleasing, but I do think part of it was just trying to keep everybody happy, totally neglecting myself, as many of us do."

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