Interview: Getting To Know Fern Britton

By Jim Maloney

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Fern Britton enters the Celebrity Big Brother House, 2024.

In this exclusive interview, popular TV presenter and novelist, Fern Britton, talks about her artistic touch, how she likes to relax and shares with us her favourite creature comforts!

Fern doesn’t stress over her looks and getting older

I don’t worry about how I look and the years passing by. I know there are times when I look awful, but then again, in half an hour you can put a bit of make-up on, wash your hair and you’ll look
all right again.

Favourite food?

I like a jam scone, but I am an anomaly because the Cornish way is jam first, then cream. I do cream first because I think of it as the butter.

Fern Britton brought back popular TV series Watercolour Challenge in 2022. Credit: Channel 5.

Painting is Fern’s greatest escape

I paint privately. I mostly use acrylic, which is easier than watercolour. But I’m not one to show things to people. I keep them in the garage.

Where I live in Cornwall we have some glorious views. Recently, I sat on a cliff and looked down at the sea and the headland, with the sun, seagulls and boat, and tried to capture that.

Also, I am lucky enough to have a proper artist friend who holds classes in her studio for a group of us gals here. She bakes shortbread biscuits and then her husband brings the wine and we have a
lovely time!

Painting helps me relax and the hours pass by so fast because your brain is entirely occupied with what you’re doing. Also, I play piano very badly and I can lose an hour or two just playing a piece and trying to remember it.

Finding time to unwind is important

I started doing yoga during the major lockdown. We have a very nice online community where I live so we can tune in live every morning on Zoom to a yoga teacher.

You just go on there at the start of the day and say good morning to everyone. You don’t even have to clean your teeth!

Credit: Photo by Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

Fern Britton has written 10 novels!

My most recent novel is, The Good Servant. The one before that, Daughters of Cornwall, made number one in the Sunday Times bestsellers and it was there for about three or four weeks, which was lovely.

I find writing quite hard work because it’s my job. I mean, I’ll be writing all day when finishing a book that needs to be done, and people interrupt you because they think you’re just sitting at home at the computer, checking out Twitter or something.

They just assume you’re having a lovely time. Somebody said to me the other day, “Oh, you’re just banging the books out now, aren’t you?” If only it was that easy!