Fern Britton has opened up about the tumultuous years following her 2020 divorce from chef Phil Vickery and the painful losses that left her struggling — and revealed how an unexpected source of hope came in the form of shoulder surgery.
The 68-year-old television personality, known for her work on This Morning, Celebrity Big Brother, and Ready Steady Cook, spoke candidly on the Postcards from Midlife podcast about the challenges that shaped her life during that period.
“It was upsetting — the divorce, and then my two beloved cats died that same year… it was like ‘woah,’” Fern explained. “Then the new shoulder, who would have thought, just kind of lifted me and gave me a purpose. All new shoulder.”
Fern described how these personal blows compounded a period already shadowed by grief, as she also lost her mother around the same time. The breakdown in her marriage left her estranged from Phil, who reportedly has not spoken to her in six years, though Fern stresses she avoids speaking negatively about him for the sake of their daughter, Winnie.
Discussing her mental health, Fern was strikingly honest about the role of antidepressants and long-term psychotherapy in helping her navigate the darkest times. “I’m very lucky that antidepressants did work for me… 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,” she said. She also emphasized the importance of therapy, noting she has been seeing a psychoanalyst weekly for more than a decade.
“I’ve always had a strange suicidality, even when I was little. I wasn’t frightened of death,” Fern admitted, illustrating the raw vulnerability that fans rarely see behind her warm on-screen persona.
Despite the struggles, Fern has reclaimed a sense of purpose and positivity. The shoulder surgery, a small medical procedure in the grand scheme of life, became a symbolic turning point, offering her renewed energy and motivation to embrace the future.
Through heartbreak, loss, and personal battles, Fern Britton’s journey is a testament to resilience, showing that even in the wake of devastating setbacks, hope can emerge from the most unexpected places — sometimes, even from a new shoulder.
