Fear Itself with Cressida Bonas (Cressida Bonas)

This trailer and the following episodes were recorded before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. 

Welcome to Fear Itself with Cressida Bonas, a podcast where I’ll be having conversations with people about their personal stories around fear. In my experience fear can be motivational, but it can also hold me back and I’m curious to understand this dynamic a bit better. How does fear show up, how do people try to hide it, how can we harness it and how can we learn from it? My guests all share interesting stories on how they live with their fears, overcome their fears and sometimes even welcome their fears.

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This episode was recorded before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. 

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On the first episode of Fear Itself I meet Karl Lokko, an ex-gang leader who is now helping to turn the tide of gang crime in London as an advisor, change agent and public speaker. I was curious to know what Karl’s fears were when he was involved with gang crime and how they differ to his fears now, as well as how his experiences as a person on the autistic spectrum impact his fear of being misunderstood. 

His life stories are fascinating and I loved hearing how he has transformed his life to help others. Please listen out at the end for his poem, it gave me goose bumps and it’s really not one to miss. 

You can find out more about Karl from his website, karllokko.com

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Expedition leader Inge Solheim joins me this week, to talk about his fear of failing people. Inge is best known for leading the Walking with The Wounded expeditions to the North and South Poles, and he also helped Mark Pollock become the first blind man to race to the South pole. As part of his job, Inge is often responsible for the safety and well-being of others so I found this fear particularly interesting and was curious to find out more. 

I was interested to find out how Inge prepares himself and others for physical and mental hardship and how he deals with other people’s fears when guiding them. We talk about responding vs reacting, conquering childhood fears, the importance of curiosity and of tuning into a more positive channel in our heads in times of difficulty.

Although this episode was recorded before the coronavirus outbreak, the topics we cover and the advice Inge gives still seems to ring true.

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Actor Freddie Fox joins me this week, to share his fear of not reaching his full potential. I've worked with Freddie before and think he's a wonderful actor, so I was interested to hear more about his fear and whether coming from a family of actors has played a part. We discuss how the 'feast or famine' nature of the industry creates and exacerbates dears around not working, and how Freddie has used masks to project confidence, with varying success. He’s very open about the pressures of the industry and what kind of man he aspires to be.

Although we recorded this episode before the coronavirus pandemic, some of Freddie’s advice for combating fear is very pertinent to our current situation, so I hope you find it helpful. 

You can watch Freddie's short film Hero online on iTunes and Amazon.

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Singer songwriter Ellie Goulding joins me this week, to talk about the fear of not being liked. With such a successful music career, I was curious to know more about this fear and how it impacts her life and work. We talk about when she first experienced this fear at school, and how she uses music to conquer her demons and express herself. I was curious to know if being in the spotlight from such a young age amplified this fear for her, and what tips of techniques she has for overcoming it. 

Ellie’s fourth album is due to be released in June. 

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BASE jumper Iiro Seppänen joins me this week to tell me about his fear of not living enough. Iiro has lived a pretty fascinating and unusual life, and I was interested in the irony of his fear, given that he used to put his life in danger with every single jump. I wanted to understand how Iiro processes fear and how he managed the fear when doing such an extreme sport. I was curious to know if I could relate to this feeling in any way – the idea of wanting to jump from these enormous heights is pretty alien to me. How does he find the courage to take such huge risks and how does he utilise his fear?

Also just a warning - there’s a quite graphic description of an accident in this episode which might not be suitable for everyone.

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Psychotherapist and author Benjamin Fry joins me this week, to talk about his fear of loss. Benjamin’s such an interesting guest, and shares a lot of his personal experiences as well as his professional knowledge about mental health.

He is really open about how losing his mother when he was just a baby impacted him, and how losing work, money and his marriage in his late 30s culminated in a mental health breakdown. After trying many treatments, Benjamin found a solution in a clinic which specialised in the nervous system, and looking at how the problems we have with it can affect our mental health.

He went on to set up a mental health clinic, a non-profit and a tech company all specialising in work around the nervous system. He has also written three books including The Invisible Lion, which we discuss in this episode.

I wanted to know more about the nervous system and what it means for our mental health, how it can help us heal unaddressed wounds and “clean out the gunpowder” as Benjamin puts it. I really learnt so much from this conversation and I hope you do too.

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Amateur cyclists Leo Russell and George Stagg join me this week to discuss their fears of failure (Leo) and not reaching his full potential (George). In 2019, Leo and George cycled across some of the toughest mountains in Europe to raise money for a charity called James' place, a centre that is very close to my heart that offers support and therapy to men who are experiencing suicidal crisis. They cycled 3,200 kilometres in 18 days, climbing 9 of the toughest mountains in Europe through snowy peaks and torrential rain, and have now made an award-winning documentary about the experience called Nine Mountains.

This was actually the first episode I recorded and I was really interested to know what mental and physical barriers they faced on a ride that explored the limits of their bodies and minds. They talk about how their fears of failure and not reaching their full potential pushed them on, how working in a team gave them strength and why it was important to them to raise money for James' place.

If you would like to watch Leo and George's award winning documentary please visit www.ninemountains.co.uk and if you would like to donate to James' Place please go to www.jamesplace.org.uk.

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One of the UK's most respected broadcasters Mishal Husain joins me this week, to talk about her fear of something going wrong on air. Mishal has fronted everything from BBC evening new bulletins to leadership election debates, and in 2013, she became the first ethnic minority presenter of radio 4's flagship Today programme. As well as her work in radio and TV, Mishal has written a book, The Skills, which is a practical guide to help women realise their professional ambitions.

Mishal always seems so confident on air, so I was curious to know if she ever experiences doubt and how she deals with her fear in high pressured situations. We discuss how preparation and breaking things down helps her, dealing with scrutiny, and what influence her parents had on her. Listen out at the end for her three tips on how to approach a job interview, pitch, or any high-pressure situation.

This episode of Fear Itself was mixed with IRIS audio technology. IRIS technology enables Active Listening, immersing you deeper into the audio you listen to.

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Welcome to Fear Itself with Cressida Bonas, a podcast where I’ll be having conversations with people about their personal stories around fear. In my experience fear can be motivational, but it can also hold me back and I’m curious to understand this dynamic a bit better. How does fear show up, how do people try to hide it, how can we harness it and how can we learn from it? My guests all share interesting stories on how they live with their fears, overcome their fears and sometimes even welcome their fears.

In series one, I learnt a lot about fear from the incredible people I spoke to. In this series, I've also recorded three special episodes about love. I wonder if opening ourselves up to love is the opposite of being fearful. Is love, romantic or otherwise, the foundation of our being? Or is it the connections we find with people in our communities. I personally believe fear doesn't exist without love, and perhaps love is how we can better understand our fear.

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We start series two of Fear Itself with guest Corporal Andy Reid MBE. In October 2009, Andy was blown up by a Taliban improvised explosive device while on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Injured so badly that it was thought he would not survive, he defied the odds to the extent that within a month he was able to meet up with members of his patrol again.

What he has achieved since then is little short of unbelievable. Andy is now a successful writer, has opened a café in his local town, has gotten married, had 2 children, and is in demand as a public speaker on coping with adversity. Andy also established the charity The Standing Tall foundation, which hopes to provide ground level interventions across a wide portfolio of causes, by direct support or supporting the work of other organisations and charities.

I had coffee with Andy in London, and what was meant to be an hour's meeting ended up being three. Andy is a true hero, and his story is one of enormous hope that has inspired so many. We talk about his fears around not being accepted, people having assumptions and being pigeonholed in society. I wanted to know where Andy gets his positivity, strength and humour from and what keeps him going. He says "The most important thing is don't look back on what has happened. Instead look forward to what you can do."

Andy is one of the most inspirational people I have ever met. This episode is not sponsored, but if you would like to support The Standing Tall Foundation by visiting www.standingtall.co.uk or donating to their latest campaign at www.gofundme.com/manage/wellbeing-in-the-woods-programme

** This episode was recorded remotely due to coronavirus**

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My guest this week is Dr Pippa Grange, one of the worlds most influential and sought-after psychologists. Pippa has worked with some of the biggest names in sport and business. She has a reputation for having a significant impact across numerous areas: from helping build resilience, developing good habits and enabling people to live with less fear. She is widely credited with transforming the mind-set of the England football team at the 2018 World cup. Tottenham and England footballer Dele Alli says “Shes amazing… everyone listens when she talks” and The Duke of Cambridge said “England was a better team with her onboard” She has distilled all her knowledge into a wisdom-filled, mould breaking new book Fear Less where Pippa shows us how to face our fears and live more free, fulfilled lives.

It was a huge privilege to speak to this amazing woman. Her book is called Fear Less which is filled with wisdom and insight - my copy is marked with highlighted and underlined sections and is a book I will always go back to. Pippa talks about moving into winning deep instead of winning shallow and that love will always be stronger than fear.

** This episode was recorded remotely over Zoom due to Covid 19**

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Welcome to a very special episode of Fear Itself. We are changing direction and talking about love, itself. It seems to me that love is the opposite of fear, and it has the same power over us and our lives. Love can change what we do, how we feel, and our entire outlook on life. It can motivate us to do amazing things, but it also can be paralysing in its intensity. In these special episodes, I'll be talking to my guests about what love means to them.

My guest this week is Zawe Ashton who is an actor, writer and director. You will have seen her most recently in Harold Pinter's Betrayal in the West End or on Broadway or opposite Jake Gyllenhall and Rene Russo in Velvet Buzzsaw on Netflix. Her unconventional memoir "Character Breakdown' was released in paperback in the Spring – I have recently read this book and I have to say that Zawe’s writing shoots straight to my heart, it’s beautifully honest and raises important questions about identity and truth.

Zawe talks about love as allyship and authenticity, showing up for ourselves, the messages we receive that can damage our sense of worth, being bullied at school, her beloved grandfather & the lessons he passed onto her and an encounter with a woman in LA who helped Zawe find the truth. Zawe is definitely one for the coolest and wisest people I know!

** This episode was recorded remotely over Zoom due to Covid **

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My guest this week is the stand-up comedian and actor Chris McCausland. He is the first blind professional comedian in the world, and is firmly established at the very top of the UK's comedy circuit. He made his stand-up debut on Live At The Apollo, and he has since appeared on Have I Got News For You? and Would I Lie To You? However he says the highlight of his career - and indeed, his life - was getting the conundrum right on 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Chris is blind due to retinitis pigmentosa. He talks about the fear of losing control and the challenges he faces around doing day to day things. I wanted to know how he prepares for something like Have I got News for You and why he wants to "kill Facebook." I love this conversation, Chris is very honest about the fears around being a father and how it changed his outlook on life. He hates flying, he hates swimming and he makes me laugh A LOT.

** This episode was recorded remotely via Zoom due to Covid-19 **

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My guest this week is Matt Haig, author of bestselling books Reasons To Stay Alive, How To Stop Time, and Notes On A Nervous Planet - which is one of my top most favourite books which sits firmly on my bedside table. His new book, The Midnight Library, is out now and is a number one Sunday Times Bestseller, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and was a BBC Two Between The Covers book club pick.

I've followed Matt and his work for some time and wanted to ask him to come on the podcast for ages, but felt nervous to reach out (the fear!) Eventually I did ask him and I was very happy when he said yes. We talk about men and mental health, the fear of losing the ones we love, addiction, uncertainty, acceptance AND one of my favourite things to talk about.... looking up at the stars and the sky.

At the beginning of this ep I talk about the charity James Place. This charity exists to save the lives of men in suicidal crisis. Suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. The first James’ Place opened two years ago in Liverpool, the first of its kind in the UK, and has supported more than 400 men experiencing suicidal crisis, delivered by trained therapists. A new James’ Place will open in London in early 2021.

The charity was set up by Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley, my in-laws, after their twenty-one-year-old son, James, died by suicide ten days after a minor operation. James had no history of mental illness or depression and had sought urgent help for anxiety and suicidal thoughts, but didn’t find it.  

A new James Place will open in London in early 2021. You can find out more at Jamesplace.org.uk 

** This episode was recorded remotely via Zoom **

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Love is kindness in action...

Donna is one of the Co-founders and facilitators of The Bridge Retreat and has been working with individuals, couples and groups for almost 30 years. 

She’s a qualified Hoffman Teacher with the Hoffman Institute UK. She then went on to become their Head of Teaching.

Donna is passionate about the subject of grief and the grieving process which she believes offers the missing link for many in their search for wholeness. This interest stemmed from her own very personal experience of ‘depression’ which she suffered from for many years and now knows to have in fact been unprocessed grief.

On The Bridge, Donna uses a variety of approaches including ancient ritual practices to support people to grieve and move on from their losses. These losses might include, divorce and separation, loss of innocence, betrayals of trust, identity issues, bereavement, missed motherhood and loss of meaning and purpose.

Donna says ‘Through allowing and supporting the natural order of the grieving process to flow, people find themselves remembering who they really are and living from this true place. When there is ‘unfinished business’ in our lives, it is very hard to move on and engage with life fully. Grieving allows us to cross the bridge from past hurts and sorrow into a place of lightness and truth.’

Her book called The Bridge will be out early 2022 and there are online courses you can find on The Bridge Retreat Website that offer support. I have done one of these courses very recently and Its one of the most amazing things I've ever done.

We talk about love being the key ingredient to joy, the inner critic, boundaries, healing in communities, love residing in fear, how we avoid heartache, unfinished business and much more..! I did an online course with Donna recently and it was one of the BEST things i've ever done... I learnt so much. A lifelong teacher. For more info about Donna and her work head to www.thebridgeretreat.com

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid19 **

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Yomi Adegoke is a multi-award winning journalist who is currently the woman's columnist at The Guardian and the i paper. She is also co-author of the bestselling book Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible and co-curator of the anthology Loud Black Girls. Yomi is someone who is always looking for the truth and her writing reflects this. We talk about how she found her love for writing, her struggle with depression at University and how writing got her through the darkness. Yomi talks about how success and anxiety are linked and where the fear of "peaking too soon" comes from.

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid-19 **

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My guest this week is Juno Dawson. Juno is a bestselling novelist, screenwriter, journalist, and a columnist for Attitude Magazine. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, The Pool, Dazed and the Guardian. She has also contributed to news items on BBC Women’s Hour, Front Row, ITV News, Channel 5 News, This Morning and Newsnight. She is presently adapting her 2019 novel, MEAT MARKET for television. Juno grew up in West Yorkshire, writing imaginary episodes of Doctor Who. She later turned her talent to journalism, interviewing luminaries such as Steps and Atomic Kitten, before writing a weekly serial in a Brighton newspaper. Juno writes full time and lives in Brighton. She is a part of the queer cabaret collective known as CLUB SILENCIO. In 2014 Juno became a School Role Model for the charity STONEWALL.

I loved this conversation with Juno, I'd like to have chatted with her all day. I'm so grateful she is talking about this fear because it's not spoken about enough.

We discuss how Juno became free to be who she is today, education, seeing a future for herself and how the "constant toothache" has gone. We talk about trolls, lockdown marriages, using your voice, living with a life limiting condition, anxiety and IBS, getting over embarrassment, the "imagined monster" and finding a version of your life you're happier with.

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid-19 **

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The identity of my guest this week will be kept secret in order to protect her and her family. For this purpose, I will be calling my guest Jenny throughout this episode. Jenny grew up in the North West. Her Dad left when she was small and her mum, who is of South East Asian descent, raised Jenny and her 2 sisters. At 13 Jenny was groomed and trafficked by her neighbour. This abuse carried on until she was 23 when she finally managed to escape and get help. The salvation Army found her a safe house where she received after care and support. Knowing that there’s much more needed to be done for victims of trafficking, she went and qualified as a social worker and is about to study at a UK University specialising in modern slavery. Jenny says she is grateful to be alive and is now grabbing all of life’s opportunities. She is passionate about elephants, Thailand, loves cooking and can speak several languages. She loves art and writes poetry in order to lift others up. 

This episode is not sponsored, but I'd like to talk about The Anti-Slavery Collective. There are more enslaved people today than at any other point in history and, at any one time, someone is being trafficked within a mile of where you live. We often associate slavery with chains and shackles, but modern slavery is a hidden crime that is hard to detect. The Anti-Slavery Collective is an independent collective fighting against the global epidemic of modern slavery by raising awareness, convening changemakers, and highlighting the amazing work of the movement. The Anti Slavery Collective's mission is to raise awareness for modern slavery as a global epidemic. They encourage law enforcement agencies, policy makers, journalists, academics, NGOs, companies, individuals, and survivors to collaborate and share ideas on how we can fight human trafficking. There are currently 40.3 million victims of modern slavery in the world, it's a global crime that requires a global response. William Wilberforce once said, “You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know."

If you suspect that you or someone you’ve come across could be a victim of modern slavery and in need of help call The Salvation Army’s 24/7 confidential referral helpline on 0800 808 3733.

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid 19 **

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Love is what moves the sun and the other stars...

My guest this week is Dr Iain McGilchrist. A Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and former Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at the Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital, London. He has published original articles and research papers in a wide range of publications on topics in literature, philosophy, medicine and psychiatry. He is the author of a number of books and is best-known for The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. This book is a product of 20 years of research and which I believe to be one of the most important books of our time. 

Could the problems in the modern world be influenced by an imbalance in the human brain? And how do the left and right hemispheres of our brain differ and make sense of the world?

We discuss the divided brain, and why it has such an important meaning for us today. I wanted to know whether we all have this damage to our right hemisphere, and what it means if the left side of the brain dominated the right. I questioned my response to beautiful music - is this experienced through the right hemisphere? - and we talked about the three things which make the right hemisphere stand out in its contribution to the human experience.

Because this is love itself, we also talked about the things which make a flourishing relationship, what we might call "the soul", and how we can accept both our dark side and the failures within ourselves in order to become succesfull, balance human beings.

Follow Dr Iain Mcgilchrist's work -

www.channelmcgilchrist.com

www.thedividedbrain.com

www.iainmcgilchrist.com

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid19 **

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My guest this week is Sylvia Mac, Child Burn Survivor & Founder of Love Disfigure. Sylvia endured third and fourth degree burns across her body as a result of an accident when she was just three years old. The experience and her gruelling treatment left her traumatised, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression in later life as well as suicidal thoughts.

Finding that there was not much help for burn survivors, Sylvia created LoveDisfigure, a campaign to raise awareness and support for those living with disfigurement and differences. Through the campaign, she revealed a video that showed her scars and her story about the accident, with others being encouraged to do the same. She has since been actively campaigning for people with visible & hidden differences to become accepted in society. She has received a Point of Light Award for her voluntary services from Theresa May.

Sylvia says her life is dedicated to making a difference. Her incredible story has touched hearts, inspired and helped many. When asked what she thinks makes a woman fabulous and fearless, she says “When women put themselves out there to lead the way for others.”

In this episode, Sylvia talks about how she survived her burns as a child and the trauma she's gone through. We talk about how she responded to this trauma growing up and what effect it had on her at school, relationships and on her self confidence.

The fear of water is very deep rooted for Sylvia and links back to her memories of school. To overcome it she swam one of the toughest open water challenges. Sylvia wanted to show people you can face your fears and overcome anything.

We talk about her fear of speaking to an audience, the positive voice on one shoulder and the negative voice on the other, and how this fear saw her turning away from job interviews because she felt lesser then, and throwing presentations in the bin. Sylvia has bravely overcome this fear too and now speaks to Governments. I ask her how she did this, and we talk about her journey to finding self acceptance and self love.

Find out more about Sylvia and her work at Lovedisfigure.com

** This episode was recorded remotely due to Covid 19 **

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About The Episode

The guest today on the podcast is award winning journalist and BBC broadcaster, Emma Barnett. In this episode, we find out how Emma toughed it through pain so severe it's caused her to blackout, Emma elaborates on the fears surrounding her experiences with IVF, and we find out about the time she bravely fought off her friend's attacker while on holiday!

About The Guest 

Emma Barnett is a British broadcaster and journalist. Emma Barnett worked as a journalist at The Telegraph for several years where her roles included being Digital Media Editor and then Women's Editor. She then started her role as a radio host at LBC, but moved to Radio 5 Live in 2014. Emma is also a presenter on Woman's Hour On Radio 4 and, in 2019, it was announced Emma Barnett would become one of the presenters for Newsnight.

About The Host 

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Women's health is not prioritised in the way that it should be; nor is it explained to us in the way that it should be; nor do we feel in command of the facts all the time." - Emma Barnett

"We think women and pain should go together like bread and butter but we shouldn't and don't need to. The shame stops us from talking." - Emma Barnett

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Follow Emma on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/emmabarnett/?hl=en

Check out Emma’s book, Period, here

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

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About The Episode

The guest on Fear Itself today is award-winning journalist and adventurer Jaimal Yogis. In this episode, Cressida asks Jaimal about his time spent living mindfully in a Zen Buddhist monastery, Jaimal reveals what it's really like to experience surfing the crushing Californian waves at Mavericks, and we get a glimpse into the most frightening moment of Jaimal’s life.

About The Guest 

Jaimal Yogis is an American author, producer, and screenwriter. Yogis began his career as a journalist, writing for publications like San Francisco Magazine, ESPN, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. His pieces won numerous awards and Yogis's first book, Saltwater Buddha, was internationally praised, translated into numerous languages, and turned into a feature documentary film. His second book, The Fear Project, interviews many of the world's top scientists, psychologists, and athletes about what fear is and how to live mindfully and courageously in spite of it. 

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Clinging to subjective ideas of who we are will make us self-obsessed to the point that where we're debilitated by fear and anxiety" - Jaimal Yogis

"You want to have a healthy fear response because you want to be able to react quickly. What you don't want is for fear to become a thing that pesters you. That's where meditation can help." - Jaimal Yogis

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Follow Jaimal Yogis on instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/jaimalyogis/?hl=en

Learn more about Jaimal’s latest children’s book, Mop Rides the Waves of Change, here. 

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

Our guest today on Fear Itself is one of the world's most iconic entrepreneurs, Richard Branson. Richard's career, mindset and outlook on life is typified by fearlessness. In this episode, we find out how a 'screw it, let's do it' attitude helped him fight fear to launch Virgin Atlantic, he shares a gutrenching account of one his many death defying exploits, and we discover what Richard truly fears. 

*Just as a note however, this episode was recorded earlier in the year before Richard's space flight.

Sir Richard Branson is an English business magnate, adventurer, investor, author, and commercial astronaut. In 1970, he set up a mail-order record business, Virgin Records—later known as Virgin Megastores—in 1972. Branson's Virgin brand would grow rapidly and he would expand his businesses to include Virgin Atlantic airline, Virgin Records music label, and Virgin Television. On 11 July 2021, Branson flew above the U.S. definition of space, reaching an altitude of 53 as part of a test flight for his company, Virgin Galactic. 

About The Host 

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"If you seek out the best in those you think are your enemies, you will find the best." - Richard Branson

"My life has taught me mostly about the power of people." - Richard Branson

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Click here to learn more about Richard Branson and his work: https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

Today’s guest is British DJ and activist, Chelsea Leyland. In the episode, Chelsea tells us about one the most frightening seizures she's ever experienced, Chelsea explains how medical cannabis has allowed her to take back control of her life, and we explore the beautiful side of suffering. 

About The Guest

Chelsea Leyland is a British DJ, medicinal cannabis advocate and epilepsy activist. Chelsea suffers from a type of epilepsy called ‘Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy’ (JME), which she has been battling since her early teens. In 2016, Chelsea made the brave and life-changing decision to wean herself off her strong pharmaceutical anti-seizure medications and treat her epilepsy solely with medical cannabis. Chelsea now uses her platform to raise awareness and destigmatise both epilepsy and medicinal cannabis. A subject she further explores in her moving and deeply personal upcoming documentary Separating The Strains. 

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Fear of being treated differently, fear of the stigma, fear of being judged, fear that at any moment you can have a fit. That's why I define epilepsy as fear." - Chelsea Leyland

"Suffering makes us better people. People who have had more challenging journeys tend to be on a deeper path." - Chelsea Leyland

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

To learn more about Chelsea and the work she does visit her website here: http://chelsealeyland.com/

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

The guest today on the podcast is presenter, entrepreneur and television personality, Jamie Lang. In this episode, we explore a mental health disorder that clouded Jamie's mind, we find out how he was able to dance so fearlessly into the finals of Strictly Come Dancing, and we discover how Jamie turned what could've been the worst moment of his life into his best.

About The Guest

Jamie Laing is a presenter, entrepreneur and television personality. He first became a household name as one of the stars of the hit E4 show Made In Chelsea, and has since appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, Murder in Successville, This Morning, and 8 out of 10 Cats, just to name a few. He hosts a popular Saturday show on HEAT Radio and co-hosts Podcast Private Parts with Francis Boulle. He also has a YouTube channel Happy Hour – a weekly Vlog with daring pranks, crazy challenges and insight into his unique perspective on life.

About The Host 

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The

Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Whatever I've done in life, I've always known where I was going to go. If you know where you're heading you can't get lost." - Jamie Lang

"The key to overcoming yours fears is exposing yourself to them." - Jamie Lang

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Follow Jamie Laing on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jamielaing/?hl=en

Check out Jamie’s book, ‘I Can Explain’, here

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

Today’s guest on Fear Itself is the brilliant Otegha Uwagba, bestselling author, speaker, consultant and podcaster. In this episode Otegha explains why one of her biggest fears is running out of money, Cressida quizzes Otegha on the issue of the so-called 'beauty tax', and we learn about the battles Otegha had to fight against misogyny in the workplace.

About The Guest

Otegha Uwagba is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling career guide Little Black Book: A Toolkit For Working Women (2017), and the acclaimed short essay Whites: On Race and Other Falsehoods (2020). In 2018, Otegha was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Media & Marketing. From 2016 - 2020 she ran Women Who, a London-based platform she set up with the aim of helping women think, work, and live better. You can listen to her podcast In Good Company here. Otegha’s upcoming memoir We Need To Talk About Money will be published in July 2021.

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Women choosing to do beauty work isn't just merely born of vanity, it's also born of the way society treats us if we chose not to do that." - Otegha Owagba

"In toxic workplaces, I did find myself adjusting my behaviour so as to protect the male ego - to seem soft, feminine, compliant, docile. Words that people who know me would never use to describe me." - Otegha Owagba

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Follow Otegha on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/oteghauwagba/?hl=en

Be sure to look out for Otegha’s upcoming memoir We Need To Talk About Money.

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

On this very special episode of Fear Itself, Cressida meets two experts who will demystify the tools and techniques needed to overcome your fears. The episode will be split in two halves and, in the first half, we will meet John Halker. John is a psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist, writer, author and speaker. In the show, John helps us unpack exactly what’s going on in our minds when we feel fear, and what we can do to gain control over it. In part two of the episode, Cressida will then speak to Tracy Forsyth. Tracy is a career coach who illuminates for Cressida the importance of building workplace confidence, defeating imposter syndrome, and crushing your inner critic. 

About The Guests

John is a psychotherapist, clinical hypnotherapist, writer, author and speaker. John has an interest in helping traumatised people, and a great deal of his work is about helping people to build resilience through developing a strong foundation for their emotional health. He helped create the 'Better Stop Suicide' app (https://thebetterappcompany.com/ ) and has a YouTube channel called 'Well Yeah' where he offers useful techniques to tackle everything from fear and anxiety to weight loss and PTSD. (https://www.youtube.com/c/WellYeah/featured)

Tracy is a former BBC Worldwide Leadership executive who founded Walter & Wootze - an organisation dedicated to helping talented people and companies break through self-doubt and limitations to unleash their potential. Tracy Forsyth is a professionally certified Executive & Leadership Coach (CPCC, PCC) and offers executive or career coaching in London and across the globe to high potential individuals, women and under-represented groups in leadership. Tracy recently launched Fast Track to Fearless https://fasttracktofearless.com/ - a virtual academy for career confidence and fearless leadership. 

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Anxiety is simply a set of symptoms caused by worrying. You were not born a worrier. You learned to worry." - John Halker

"My first approach to fear is to identify it, understand what is the cause of it and what value is it attached to. Then ask yourself how you can honour those values." - Tracy Forsyth

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

John’s Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WellYeah/featured

Better App link: https://thebetterappcompany.com/ 

Follow Tracy’s instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/tracyforsythcoach/?hl=en

Tracy’s Youtube channel: https://fasttracktofearless.com/

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

This week’s guest on the show is former professional rugby union player and author of Lucky, Ed Jackson. Ed's career was cut short due to a life-changing spinal injury, but despite being told he may never walk again, Ed has gone on to achieve extraordinary things. In this episode Ed tells us how his biggest growth has come on the other side of fear, he shares a beautifully emotional story about a friend who's inspired him through life and death, and he explains why he feels lucky every single day.

About The Guest

Ed Jackson is an English former professional rugby union player who played for Bath and London Wasps. He represented England and captained both U16 and U18 teams before his career was cut short through a life-changing spinal injury. After his recovery, Ed set up a charity focused events company, Millimetres to Mountains, which raises money for various causes. Ed also works as a reporter for Channel 4’s rugby coverage. Ed’s book, Lucky, is the story of how he overcame adversity following his accident and coped with massive change – and how you can too.

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"It's not what happens to us, we can't affect that, but it's how we react to it that counts. It's how we see our life that makes a difference." - Ed Jackson

"It doesn't matter if life is going to be much harder from physical limitations because life is lived through the mind." - Ed Jackson 

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Follow Ed on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/edjackson8/?hl=en

Learn more about Ed Jackson’s book, Lucky, here

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

In this episode Brita tells us about her new book Fears to Fierce, Brita pinpoints why we need to lean into our fears, and highlights why we need to pay attention to little things - like goosebumps!

About The Guest

Brita Fernandez Schmidt is an advocate and promoter of women’s empowerment, women’s rights and equality. She serves as the Executive Director of Women for Women International – UK and is the Senior Vice President for Global Partnerships. She frequently writes about the challenges women face all over the world in the context of poverty and conflict. She has lived and/or worked in over 16 countries spanning three continents and released her book, Fears to Fierce: A Woman's Guide to Owning Her Power, in January 2021. The book is a rallying call that will inspire readers to realise your purpose and potential and ignite their fierce.

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"I had this fire in me and I realised this fire was not acceptable. And this is where, particularly for young women and girls, you wake up and you realise you're not meant to be powerful and I'm not talking about power over others but the power within you." - Brita Fernandez-Schmidt

"The measure by which you face your fear, is the measure by which you allow your power to shine." - Brita Fernandez-Schmidt

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

To learn more about Brita and her new book ‘Fear to Fierce’ by visiting her website here: https://www.britafs.com/

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

Today’s wonderful guest on the Fear Itself podcast is art historian and philosopher John Armstrong. In this episode John tells us about the battles he's had with shyness, Cressida and John discuss how all humans are pretty idiotic - and why that's ok! - and John shares a surprisingly emotional story about a garden centre.

About The Guest

John Armstrong is an art historian and philosopher and has worked closely with educational company, and youtube channel, The School of Life (TSOL) since 2013. The School of Life is a global organisation devoted to teaching people how to lead a more fulfilled life. They offer insights in the key ingredients of emotional well-being: how to form good relationships, identify a satisfying career, minimise anxiety, acquire confidence and connect properly with friends. The channel has been a huge success - accruing over 6 million subscribers. John is also a distinguished author. With his books covering a range of themes including art, beauty, and civilisation. 

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"Few people are confident all the way down. And if we realise that, it can change our perspective both on envy and intimidation." - John Armstrong

"I sense a tension in civilization. Often shy people are the people who have got the nicest, most helpful, most interesting things to say but who have also taught themselves to be too cautious about being assertive." - John Armstrong

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

To learn more about the School of Life click here: https://www.theschooloflife.com/

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

Today’s incredible guest on Fear Itself is the best-selling children's author Scott Stuart. In this episode, Scott explains how tough it's been to tackle the toxic masculinity culture and to address his own insecurities, Cressida and Scott explore the importance of placing trust and control in your children, and Cressida asks Scott about the courage he draws from creativity.

About The Guest 

Scott Stuart is a best-selling children’s book author. His books have appeared on numerous best-seller lists, as well as receiving nominations for Children’s Book of the Year & Picture Book of the Year. His empowering messages have been seen over 100 million times on Social Media, and he is a leading voice on fully accepting & empowering our children, exactly as they are.

About The Host

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"That's all we really want. To be fully seen and fully accepted. Yet so few of us are." - Scott Stuart

"Empowerment can look, in the moment, a lot like failure. As parents, you try to prepare your children for the world. And part of that preparation is letting your child try and fail." - Scott Stuart

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Learn more about Scott and his amazing work here: https://scottstuart.co/

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About The Episode

Our exciting guest for this week’s episode of Fear Itself is extreme athlete and world record holder Josh Llewellyn-Jones. Born with cystic fibrosis, Josh has gotten used to being told what he's not capable of - what he can't do - and so he's dedicated his life to proving people wrong. In this episode, Josh reveals to Cressida the incredible story of how he earned the nickname 'Million Kilo Man', Josh explains what it means to 'defy the odds daily', and we hear some inspirational advice for parents of children with cyststic fibrosis.

About The Guest 

Born with cystic fibrosis, Josh was given a 10% chance of surviving his first night. Growing up, he was told he wouldn’t make 30 but, at 32, he was a World Record Holder, Ultra Athlete and International Motivational Speaker. At 29, Josh completed the ‘Worlds Fittest Man Challenge’ - one of only 5 in the world to do so. The following year in 2018, he became the first and only man to lift 1,000,000kg’s in under 24 hours to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis, beating the old record by over 500,000kg’s. 

About The Host 

Cressida Bonas is an actress, podcaster and writer. Cressida has had leading acting roles in a number of well known television and film productions - such as her role as Sheila Bamber in the critically acclaimed Netflix series White House Farm. Some of Cressida's other work include roles in the ITV series Dr Thorne, the film The Bye Bye Man, and in theatre productions Mrs Orwell and An Evening with Lucien Freud. Cressida writes a monthly column for the arts and culture section in The Spectator and her written work has been featured in The Telegraph, and The Mail on Sunday

Top Quotes

"That experience, of nearly dying, was a pivot in my life. A real eye opener. It made me realise life is precious." - Josh Llewellyn Jones

"If you can survive something you have an extreme fear of you can become mentally invisible to it." - Josh Llewellyn Jones

Resources

Follow Cressida Bonas on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/cressida_bonas_/?hl=en

Follow Josh on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/joshlj24/?hl=en

This podcast episode is produced by OneFinePlay

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to season 3 of Fear Itself, the podcast where Cressida Bonas shares conversations around the concept of fear with incredible people. 

In series one and two, Cressida learnt a lot about fear from her amazing guests but, just as our fears evolve through life, the podcast evolves as well. Season 3 will develop a creatively new, exciting approach. Conversations with guests will be structured to illustrate how fear has an impact on all aspects of one’s life: your childhood, your career, and your relationships.

In the first two acts of the show, we will hear how the guest's fears as a child and fears as an adult cross pollinate - informing and defining their success, mindset, and approach to life. Then in act 3, the conversation will move from focusing on fear itself to courage - conveying that once fear has been rationalised, analysed and understood, then positivity, empowerment and courage can take centre stage. 

Cressida in her own words: “In the show, I will be having conversations with people about their personal stories around fear. In my experience fear can be motivational, but it can also hold me back and I’m curious to understand this dynamic a bit better. How does fear show up, how do people try to hide it, how can we harness it and how can we learn from it? My guests all share interesting stories on how they live with their fears, overcome their fears and sometimes even welcome their fears.”

Season 3 will be the biggest yet with guests including Richard Branson, Emma Barnett, Jamie Lang, and John Armstrong just to name a few. So please join us, this is Fear Itself.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.