logo
episode-header-image
Sep 25
1h 1m

Lulu: “I deeply disliked myself!” Recove...

Fearne Cotton
About this episode

Lulu shot to fame at 15, and she’s been playing that part, masking who she really is – Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie – for the six decades since.


In this chat with Fearne, Lulu explains how she felt that everything from her real name and accent, to her personality and childhood weren’t good enough, so she created a character for the public to love. However, this kind of emotional suppression can have painful consequences, and she’s since learned to stop running from her messy parts.


Lulu talks through the moment she realised she was an alcoholic, and how recovery has helped her truly like herself. They chat about how to trust your intuition, and reinvent yourself in every decade should you want to... but prepare for others to find your growth uncomfortable.


Plus, there are revelations about her relationship with David Bowie that Lulu’s never publicised before, and details about how she put her father in jail as a child.


Lulu’s new book, If Only You Knew, is out now.


If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:


Jon Bon Jovi


Zandra Rhodes


Jada Pinkett Smith


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

Up next
Nov 17
Spencer Matthews: "I lack empathy!" Managing addiction and victim mentality
<p>What limiting beliefs do you hold about yourself? Spencer Matthews has embraced his sense of adventure in order to explore his full potential.</p><br><p>In this chat with Fearne, Spencer gets into the shame he felt while he was drinking, why he’s now channelling his addictive ... Show More
52m 37s
Nov 13
Book Club Meets: “I’m a love and sex addict!” Elizabeth Gilbert copes with co-dependency and grief
You might know Elizabeth Gilbert as the author of Eat Pray Love; now, she’s written All The Way To The River, charting her electric, heart-breaking relationship with her partner Rayya, who died in 2018.In this Book Club chat, Fearne explains that she chose this to be part of the ... Show More
55m 14s
Nov 10
Malala Yousafzai: Should I get married? How to fall in love as a feminist
Malala Yousafzai was shot by Taliban gunmen when she was 15. She then became the youngest ever recipient of the Novel Peace Prize, but since then she’s been desperate to discover who she really is underneath the weight of the world’s expectations.In this chat with Fearne, Malala ... Show More
1h 1m
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2024
ALIX EARLE: I CLOSED MYSELF TO LOVE FOR A LONG TIME
<p>Skyrocketing to fame on TikTok in 2020, amassing millions of followers and securing the number eight spot on Rolling Stone’s 2024 list of the most influential creators, Alix Earle is a force to be reckoned with. She’s also been on my dream guest-list for a long time, so while ... Show More
56m 51s
Apr 2025
Midlife Isn’t a Crisis, It’s a Comeback: Maddie Corman on Being Accidentally Brave
Description: Maddie Corman is a seasoned American actress and playwright that you’ve seen in classic films including Some Kind of Wonderful, Maid in Manhattan, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and our favorite television shows like Law and Order, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The ... Show More
1h 17m
May 2024
Louise Thompson - ‘I asked myself: Am I alive?’
TW: this episode contains graphic descriptions of birth trauma and PTSD. You might know Louise Thompson as the former Made in Chelsea star. Or the fitness influencer who launched two businesses and graced the cover of Women’s Health magazine twice. But when she gave birth to her ... Show More
58m 17s
Dec 2023
The Self Help Guide: How to Heal Your Childhood Trauma with Gabby Bernstein
This week, Valeria welcomes Gabby Bernstein to Not Alone. Gabby Bernstein is an American motivational speaker, life coach, and author known for her work in the field of self-help and spirituality. She has written several best-selling books, including "The Universe Has Your Back," ... Show More
38m 22s
Jul 2025
4 Hidden Patterns That Keep High-Achieving Women Stuck—And How to Break Them | Cynthia Garcia (Fan Fav)
This is a Fan Fav episode. You know those times when you find yourself lost in a fog of “shoulds”—feeling stuck, comparing yourself to others, and letting old stories hold you back? Yeah, you’re not alone. On this powerful episode, I sit down with the unstoppable Cynthia Pascuala ... Show More
1h 2m
Oct 7
The Power of Style: How Clothes Can Change Your Energy with Celebrity Stylist Maeve Reilly
What if confidence isn’t something you're born with—but something you build?Can clothes really change how we see ourselves?What would it look like to truly show up as yourself, every day? In this episode of A Really Good Cry, Radhi sits down with celebrity stylist and creative fo ... Show More
49m 39s
Oct 1
Jay’s Must-Listens: Are You Still Holding Onto Childhood Trauma? (Follow 3 Steps & FINALLY Heal) Ft. Gabor Mate & Oprah Winfrey
Is there something from childhood you still carry? How do you think it still affects you today? In this special compilation episode of On Purpose, Jay revisits some of the most transformative conversations on trauma, healing, and resilience. Featuring insights from Dr. Gabor Maté ... Show More
39m 54s
Mar 2025
Ottessa Moshfegh: My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Harriett Gilbert is joined by one of the boldest writers of her generation, Ottessa Moshfegh, to delve into her second novel My Year of Rest and Relaxation. This twisted Sleeping Beauty story is told from the perspective of an unnamed protagonist, a twentysomething art school gra ... Show More
58 m
Apr 2025
Stop Waiting. Start Living. Why You Feel Stuck - And How to Break Free and Reinvent Your Life | Natalie MacNeil (Fan Fav)
Lisa Bilyeu sits down with Emmy Award–winning entrepreneur, author, and creator of She Takes on the World, Natalie MacNeil. From launching her first company at just 21 to becoming a guiding force for women ready to embrace their full selves in business, Natalie shares her candid ... Show More
48m 9s
Sep 4
Turning Anxiety Into Your Growth Edge with Whitney Johnson
Anxiety doesn’t have to be the thing that holds you back, it can actually be the spark that pushes you forward. In this episode, I sit down with Whitney Johnson, one of the world’s leading experts on personal disruption, to talk about what it really means to disrupt yourself and ... Show More
39m 18s