Fearne Cotton quit BBC Radio 1 because the pressure of the job was "ruining" her mind.

Fearne Cotton

Fearne Cotton

The 38-yeaar-old star - who has children Rex, seven, and Honey, four, with husband Jesse Wood - admitted she has never felt like she fitted in in the showbiz industry and decided to walk away from her high-profile job in 2015 in order to protect her mental health.

In an interview in the new issue of Grazia magazine, she said: "I'm very lucky to have worked in the industry I have since I was 15, but a lot of the world I was doing, I didn't feel connected to.

"I didn't feel like I fitted in, I always felt like someone was about to slag me off. "It gets really tiring and hurtful and I had to walk away because it was literally ruining my mind.

"I left Radio 1 just before I had my second kid, and knew that I needed a new chapter."

The 'Happy Place' podcast host is currently at home with her family due to guidelines in place to slow the spread of coronavirus and she admitted she will miss life in lockdown when restrictions are lifted.

She said: "This experience isn't going to be the same for everyone, of course there are people struggling to keep their businesses afloat, and people who have lost family members.

"But for many of us, there will be bits of this lockdown that are special and that we will miss - I truly believe that.

"I know that I will miss this weird unique time with my family staying home and keeping it really simple. These days, there's a feeling that unless we are constantly striving and achieving, then we're not living our life to the full - which is bulls**t. Living fully is about being present, being grateful and enjoying the small things."

However, Fearne admitted life at home hasn't all been plain sailing.

She said: "My kids are in the next room and have been screaming at me and my husband all morning.

"They drive me up the wall, but I know that I'll miss having them here every day. I'll never get to do this with them again.

"And I'll miss my husband being here - although we've had the odd barney, like everyone."