She has said the last few years ‘knocked her for six’ after her 22-year marriage to Phil Vickery collapsed, both her parents passed away and her rift with Phillip Schofield was repeatedly dredged up.
But it now seems that Fern Britton has steadied the ship, enjoying a wholesome, single life by the Cornish sea.
The presenter, 67, is kept company by her cats Dr Iain Mackerel and Barbara, as well as beloved daughters Grace and Winnie, as she pens heart-warming novels and shows off her incredible body transformation on Instagram.
It’s all a far cry from five years ago when, as she told Femail, Fern was ‘lost’ after parents Ruth and Tony died in 2018 and 2019 respectively and she and Phil announced their divorce in January 2020.
Then Covid hit, bringing months of ‘indolence’ worsened by an excruciating shoulder injury.
Shortly after, her feud with former This Morning co-host Phillip, who she had not spoken to for 15 years, hit the headlines once again after his fall from grace at ITV, bringing back a raft of unwanted memories.
Now, a more cheerful-looking Fern is now riding the crest of a wave after making some big changes.
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It seems that Fern Britton (pictured, in January) has steadied the ship after some tough times, now enjoying a wholesome, single life by the Cornish sea
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Shortly after Covid, her feud with former This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield (pictured, in 2005) was dredged up once again after his fall from grace at ITV
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She previously revealed the last few years had ‘knocked her for six’ after her 22-year marriage to Phil Vickery (pictured, in 2007) collapsed in January 2020
Writing novels
Fern has long enjoyed storytelling, releasing her first novel New Beginnings 2011, two years after leaving This Morning.
But since Covid she has been prolific in her writing, penning Daughters Of Cornwall in 2020 and The Good Servant two years later, with the hotly-anticipated A Cornish Legacy set for release in June.
The Sunday Times bestselling author recently took to Instagram to reveal the cover of her new book, which promises another historical adventure on the south-west coastline.
In a caption, Fern excitedly announced: ‘Hello everyone! I’m delighted to share the cover of my new novel, A Cornish Legacy, out in hardback, eBook and audio in June.
‘Enter Wilder Hoo House and discover its secrets!
‘Nestled against the rugged Atlantic coast of Cornwall comes a heart-warming story of new beginnings and finding home where you least expect it…
‘You can pre-order A Cornish Legacy with the link in my bio! Love, Fern. x #ACornishLegacy’
She was soon flooded by encouraging comments from fans of her 10 previous novels, with some gushing about the ‘beautiful’ cover and anticipating a ‘bestseller’.
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Since Covid she has been a prolific writer, penning Daughters Of Cornwall in 2020 and The Good Servant in 2022, with the hotly-anticipated A Cornish Legacy set for release in June
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The Sunday Times bestselling author recently took to Instagram to reveal the cover of her new book, which promises another historical adventure on the south-west coastline
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The TV star lost her mother Ruth in April 2018 and said: ‘Looking back I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it’
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Her dad Tony (pictured, with her in 1995), an actor in films such as The Day Of The Jackal, also passed at the end of the following year
Of her latest book, the star told Femail: ‘The headline is, “A woman who has lost everything is left a house that is falling down. Can they save each other?” I was telling a friend this the other day and she said, “That’s your life.” I went, “Oh yeah!”’
The latest effort comes after she penned The Older I Get…: How I Repowered My Life in November, detailing how she navigated the challenges that had come her way in recent years.
The book marked an opportunity to get a lot of her chest after a nightmare three-year spell which included the deaths of both her parents.
The TV star lost her mother Ruth in April 2018 before her dad Tony, an actor in films such as The Day Of The Jackal, also passed at the end of the following year.
She said last year: ‘Looking back I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it.’
Weight loss journey
Fern has also been moving on from hard times by working out in her home gym and showing off the incredible results on social media.
On Wednesday, she displayed her body transformation in an Instagram mirror selfie.
The presenter looked amazing in a pink long sleeved top and a pair of fitted black cycling shorts as she showcased her weight loss.
Fern was all smiles as she snapped the selfie after lifting a number of different weights, from dumbbells to a bar with weights placed on either end.
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Fern has also been moving on from hard times by working out in her home gym and showing off the incredible results on social media
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The presenter (pictured, left, on Wednesday) looked amazing in a pink long sleeved top and a pair of fitted cycling shorts, showing off a vast change over the course of two decades
As she has kick-started her new ‘fitness regime’, Fern looks to have changed one of her bedrooms into a home gym as a number of different weights sat on the floor in front of her.
In a video from January, Fern revealed she was started a new fitness regime which includes running, cycling, walking and lifting weights.
She said: ‘I’ve started running again and gone back to couch to 5K.
‘New year, new fitness regime. Later on in the year I’ll be walking a small leg of the south west coast parts which will take about a week to do.
‘I’ll be meeting my friend, who will be doing the whole 360 miles of coast, but I’m in training doing some walks throughout the week and wearing a rucksack with some weight in it and wearing my boots to wear them in.
‘I shall start running again, two or three times a week and I’m going to start cycling again and will do some weights to get my arms and shoulder a bit stronger again.’
Fern has had an amazing journey with her weight, undergoing a gastric band procedure back in 2006 which saw her go from a size 22 to 12 having shed five stone.
She has continued to slim down since with her dedication to working out in her home gym, taking on the Couch to 5k challenge which led to her becoming a regular runner and cutting out one hugely-unhealthy habit.
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Fern completed the Couch to 5k challenge ahead of her Celebrity Big Brother stint last year and told fans it was ‘a fantastic thing to do’
Fern looked incredible on This Morning in 2024 (pictured, left) showing off her weight loss, having worked hard in the gym over the last few years (pictured, right: Fern in 2022)
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Following Couch to 5k, the author stuck to running three times a week for around 45 minutes each time and also loves a bike ride
She is also a fan of bike rides, yoga and long walks.
Following Couch to 5k, the author stuck to running three times a week for around 45 minutes each time.
Once given the OK to lift weights again following a shoulder injury, the presenter said she was also keen to get back to the gym.
She has previously said of the challenge: ‘The slow and steady approach is a great confidence builder and soon I was running just a few minutes more each time and my legs were getting stronger.’
At the start of the year, Fern said: ‘I’ve started running again and gone back to couch to 5K. New year, new fitness regime. Later on in the year I’ll be walking a small leg of the south west coast parts which will take about a week to do.
‘I’ll be meeting my friend, who will be doing the whole 360 miles of coast, but I’m in training doing some walks throughout the week and wearing a rucksack with some weight in it and wearing my boots to wear them in.’
She set out her goals and added: ‘I shall start running again, two or three times a week and I’m going to start cycling again and will do some weights to get my arms and shoulder a bit stronger again.’
To improve her diet, she began eating more protein and vegetables, choosing healthier options over unhealthy snacks.
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Once given the OK to lift weights again following a shoulder injury, the presenter said she was also keen to get back to the gym
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To improve her diet, she began eating more protein and vegetables, choosing healthier options over unhealthy snacks (pictured: Fern in 2022)
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Fern (pictured, in 2005) has had an amazing journey with her weight, undergoing a gastric band procedure back in 2006 which saw her go from a size 22 to 12 having shed five stone
She acknowledged the benefit, saying previously: ‘I once again found the feeling of satiety.
‘The thing in your brain that tells you that you are full. I’d been first class at overriding that for quite a while.’
Fern added: ‘If we can manage to consume a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats, while minimising processed foods, sugars and excessive salt, we’ll be doing ourselves a real favour in the long term.’
Late last year the presenter opened up about lockdown when some traumatic events led to her overhauling her lifestyle.
Fern previously revealed she soon found herself struggling to find the point of getting out of bed and began smoking, drinking and eating badly.
The star then noticed the physical side effects starting to have an effect on her health as she realised she had gained weight and was having problems breathing.
She added: ‘Looking back I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it.’
Fern even revealed that one night it all came to a head as she decided to quit smoking after too many cigarettes led to her pulling over mid car ride to throw up in a field.
She now has regular therapy sessions and is exercising again.
Spending time with family
Fern was left devastated after she and Phil broke up following 22 years of marriage in 2020, with ensuing Covid lockdowns only accentuating her loneliness.
During an appearance on James Martin‘s Saturday Kitchen recently Fern, who shares daughter Winnie, 22, with her ex, said that ‘life is good’ as being a single woman meant there was now nobody there to judge her.
She revealed: ‘I can sit down in the morning and watch all the daytime television I like. No one’s going to judge me for it, I don’t have to get dressed up and made up.’
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Fern receives regular visits from her daughters Winnie and Grace, heading to Looe for some lunch earlier this month and posting an adorable snap of them all together
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A few weeks prior, the happy trio were together once more and all flashed beaming smiles as they posed for a picture
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The former This Morning star is mainly kept company by her two cats Barbara and Dr Iain Mackerel, posting loveable pics of the pair to her Instagram – whenever they can sit still, that is
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Barbara can often be spotted underneath the couch or by the fireplace, in what is clearly a very cosy environment at the Britton household
She went on: ‘I am my own boss now, which is great, in every sense, my life my work, everything, I’m my own boss and I’m enjoying that.’
The former This Morning star is now kept company by her two cats Barbara and Dr Iain Mackerel, posting loveable pics of the pair to her Instagram – whenever they can sit still, that is.
In a recent snap, Dr Iain could be seen taking a morning nap after a busy night, stretching out on the sofa much to the delight of Fern’s Instagram followers.
She captioned the post: ‘Dr Iain Mackerel has been on a late shift and just come home for a hearty breakfast and snooze. He says Hi ! X’
Barbara meanwhile can often be spotted underneath the couch or by the fireplace, in what is clearly a very cosy environment at the Britton household.
Last year Fern, who also shares twins Harry and Jack, 29, and Grace, 26, with first husband Clive Jones, admitted she ‘lost herself’ and struggled to cope after her divorce from Phil.
Speaking on Morning Live, Fern said: ‘The last seven years have been tricky. I lost my parents, I got divorced, the pandemic, and then I kind of lost myself.’
She continued: ‘I really wasn’t coping well with that stuff – I was eating too much, I wasn’t exercising.
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During an appearance on James Martin ‘s Saturday Kitchen recently Fern, who shares daughter Winnie, 22, with her ex, said that ‘life is good’ being a single woman
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The former This Morning presenter split from the TV chef, 63, in 2020 after 22 years of marriage (pictured: the pair in 2007)
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She revealed: ‘I can sit down in the morning and watch all the daytime television I like. No one’s going to judge me for it, I don’t have to get dressed up and made up’
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Opening up on her dating life, Fern added: ‘We’ve got the power. You look back and when you were younger, everything was fun’
‘Not doing very well. And then I thought, I’ve really got to get the power back in me, and then I had the thought of this word – repowering.’
Opening up on her dating life, Fern added: ‘We’ve got the power. You look back and when you were younger, everything was fun. It was proper stuff – now it’s all swiping, and I hate it, and I’m not going to do that.
‘It was such a fun time going to parties, and you were excited to meet strangers. I don’t want to meet strangers anymore, I don’t want to be invited to huge parties.’
Fern also receives regular visits from her daughters Winnie and Grace, heading to Looe for some lunch earlier this month and posting an adorable snap of them all together.
A few weeks prior, the happy trio were together once more and all flashed beaming smiles as they posed for a picture.
