Happy Place
Happy Place
Fearne Cotton
Gemma Cairney: “We need mischief in our lives” Sisterhood and challenging the status quo
55 minutes Posted Oct 19, 2026 at 4:00 am.
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Show notes

How do you find joy in the darkest of times? Broadcaster, writer and DJ Gemma Cairney has some ideas. She joins Fearne in the Happy Place studio to talk about sisterhood, shame and subverting the status quo.


Fearne and Gemma go way back. From their heady days on Radio 1, to trudging through the fields of Glastonbury, they reflect on the industry that tried to mould them as young women.


Gemma opens up about growth, the messiness of the human experience and the beauty we should see in the world around us - even if it is intense and terrifying.


Plus, she shares more about the women in her imagined sisterhood, from Erykah Badu to Marsha P. Johnson, and the bottle of wine she shared with her hero, Grace Jones.


Gemma’s book, The Immortal Sisterhood: 12 Guiding Stars to Grow, Heal and Navigate Life, is available now in paperback.


We'd love to hear from you - email Fearne at [email protected]


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