Fearne Cotton: It’s OK to switch off during anxious times

Fearne Cotton has said people should not feel guilty about switching off from news about coronavirus.

The broadcaster, 38, said it can be an especially testing time for people already “susceptible to feeling a bit anxious, like I certainly am”.

Speaking to Zoe Ball on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, she said: “I think you do need to be a bit conscious of how much you’re digesting.

“I watched Question Time last night before I went to bed, which was not necessarily the best idea because then you go to bed.

“We’re all kind of thinking about my stepson at the moment who was about to sit his A-Levels and now can’t, and the sort of confusion for so many young people around that.

“I think you just have to be really mindful of how you balance out what you’re digesting, so if you are watching the rolling news, and you are reading the newspaper or online every day, then you really need to balance it out with positive stuff.

“Whether it be really lovely books or positive podcasts… there’s nothing wrong with having some light relief in these times.”

Cotton said: “Don’t feel guilty that you’re having a moment out of the angst, that you’re having a moment out of thinking about it all very seriously.

“I think it’s really important that we really endeavour to get a little bit of balance when things are so wobbly at the moment.”

The conversation marked the launch of Sounds Of The 90s With Fearne Cotton, on Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.