Fern Britton has revealed that feeling “unhappy” in her marriage once led to a doctor branding her “psychotic” and in need of hospital admission.
In a piece for the Mail on Sunday, Fern wrote that she had been experiencing issues with her first husband at the time of the incident, with the former This Morning presenter explaining that she had been “unhappy”.
It would be this that led to the doctor’s appointment and the fateful referral to a psychiatrist, who would later ask Fern a range of typical questions, including some about her childhood.
They thought Fern had been suffering from postnatal depression, but the presenter said she was, in fact, feeling down because her relationship was “failing”. However, what followed next was a somewhat different diagnosis.
Fern said: “Finally, she sat back and said: ‘When you’re watching television, do you think they’re speaking to you?’ Er, no. ‘Do you hear voices?’ No. ‘And when you’re out and about, do you think people are staring at you and saying your name?’”
At the time, Fern was working on Ready Steady Cook, meaning she was often recognised. With this in mind, she mistakenly told the psychiatrist ‘yes’, and she was then presented with a worrying response.
Fern added: “Her response was meant kindly enough: ‘You are psychotic. You need to be in hospital and on strong medication.’ The next day, the psychiatric department of our local hospital rang me to make an appointment for my admission.”
The much-loved presenter was told she would have to “come in”, but Fern refused and had to explain what happened to her doctor. Fortunately, he then handled the bizarre situation.
According to the NHS, psychosis is a condition that sees people lose contact with reality, suffering from hallucinations and delusions. It means they can believe they see or hear things that others can’t and believe untrue things.
It can also involve disordered thinking and speaking, which the health service says can lead to quick and confused speech. The NHS also stressed that people should seek immediate help from their GP if they have any symptoms.
Fern married Phil Vickery in 2000 following the end of her first marriage to Clive Jones, but she would later split with Phil in 2020. Earlier this year, she told MailOnline that she doesn’t have any plans to get married again.