Fern Britton, a twice-married mother of four, said she does not believe there is such as thing as a “perfect family”. However, she says she has a “wonderful blended family” with her husband, Phil Vickery, who she married in 2000 following her divorce from Clive Jones. Discussing her home life, the 61-year-old presenter admitted it can be “very difficult” trying to appease two fathers. Of her blended family, she said: “It has its challenge – no one can make the perfect blend.
“It’s very difficult as the mum when you’re trying to keep two dads happy. From one side you get, ‘What do you mean they’ve gone off in the car?’ and the other one’s going, ‘What do you mean she had a party while I was away for the night?’.”
She added to Prima magazine: “It’s difficult. But then I remind myself that both dads are very good and the kids are
lucky to have two of them.”
Fern has been married to celebrity chef Phil, who regularly appears on This Morning, for 19 years.
During the interview Fern also spoke candidly about her struggles with grief following the death of her mum, Ruth, last April.
The author admitted to downing gin on the night of her mother’s funeral to cope with the loss of a parent.
Even now, she still cannot comprehend her death, with her saying: “I’m finding it very difficult to accept that my mum is no longer here.”
Fern, who once worked alongside Phillip Schofield on ITV’s This Morning, went on to say she often dreams about her mum telling her off about something and said she is still “very present in her mind.”
Speaking about the day Ruth’s ashes were scattered, she divulged: “As soon as it was over, I thought, ‘I just want to sit and drink gin and go to bed,’ and that’s what I did.
“I woke up with a terrible headache, of course. I’m not ashamed to say it because we all have different ways of coping.”
Also, the mother-of-four booked a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 and cried a lot during those two weeks away.
However, she credits weekly therapy sessions to helping her deal with her issues in an effective way.
“One thing that really helps me is therapy,” she explained. “I’ve had a weekly session for the past five years, which keeps me on track and gives me a lot of food for thought.”
“You learn so much about yourself when you sit in a room and feel safe enough to tell somebody absolutely everything. It’s made me a much stronger person,” she added.
When Ruth passed away Fern shared a touching tribute to her, describing her mother as “funny” and “ferocious”.
At the time, she wrote on her Twitter page: “My Mum. Ruth. Both mother and father to me. Funny, ferocious, and a woman once met, you couldn’t forget. 24.1.24 / 17.4.18.
“So brave and uncomplaining. An army sergeant WW2, beauty queen, teacher, and all woman.”
Read the full interview in the latest issue of Prima magazine, out now.