Fern Britton has opened up about the challenges she faced in the years after her 2020 divorce from Phil Vickery, and how shoulder surgery helped her to find a sense of purpose following personal losses
Television personality Fern Britton has revealed how undergoing shoulder surgery helped restore her sense of purpose following her divorce and the heartbreaking loss of her beloved pets.
The 68-year-old star, known for her work on ITV’s This Morning, Celebrity Big Brother and Ready Steady Cook, discussed the difficult period on the Postcards from Midlife podcast.
She described her 2020 separation from chef Phil Vickery, 65, after more than two decades of marriage, as “upsetting”. The couple had wed in 2000.
Adding to her distress, Fern also lost both her cats during the same year. Speaking candidly on the podcast, she explained how the surgical procedure unexpectedly provided her with renewed hope and “purpose”.
She revealed: “[The] Divorce was upsetting and my two pussy cats that I came down here with, they died in that year as well and it was like ‘woah’. Then the new shoulder, who would have thought, just kind of lifted me and gave me a purpose. All new shoulder.”
This isn’t the first time Fern has discussed experiencing multiple bereavements around the time of her marriage breakdown, as she also lost her mother in the same year. In a previous interview with Yours magazine, she made claims that Phil ceased communication with her following her mother’s passing, reports the Express.
She stated: “He hasn’t spoken to me for six years now. As soon as my mum died, he stopped talking to me.” Nevertheless, Fern acknowledged she attempts to avoid speaking negatively about Phil out of consideration for their daughter Winnie, whom she described as someone who “adores him”.
She continued: “I’m not going to bad-mouth him in front of her – at least, I try very hard not to. I was the child of divorced parents and my mum never bad-mouthed my father.”
Discussing her mental health, Fern has been candid about both her current positive state and her past difficulties. During the same podcast appearance, she opened up about how antidepressants and psychotherapy have been instrumental in supporting her through periods when she experienced suicidal ideation.
She explained: “I’m very lucky that antidepressants did work for me and I’ve been on and off over the years. And it just puts that little bit of sunshine in your head and gives you an opportunity to get a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening in your life, rather than have it all crammed right up here in your face.
“If you find the right one, and you have a good doctor, then it will work. Trust the process and see how that goes. But also, I have had a lot of talking therapy, a lot. I think I’m about 12 or 13 years into this, once a week, for all those years, and my therapist is a psychoanalyst and she is so good.
“I’m so sorry that it’s [therapy] not available immediately, on tap, for the NHS. And yes, my therapist, she’s a private one. But without her, there have been times when I didn’t think I would be around. I’ve always had a strange suicidality, even when I was little, I wasn’t frightened of death.”
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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