37 Facts About Fern Britton

Fern M Philomena Britton was born on 17 July 1957 and is an English television presenter and author.

Fern Britton presented The Big Allotment Challenge for the BBC between 2014 and 2015 and fronted a revival of Watercolour Challenge for Channel 5 in 2022.

Fern Britton is an author, having published a number of bestselling novels and books varying from short stories to non-fiction, several of which have featured in The Sunday Times bestseller list.

Fern Britton appeared as a contestant on the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, and was a housemate on the twenty-third series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2024.

Fern M Philomena Britton was born on 17 July 1957 in Ealing, West London, to actor Tony Britton and his first wife, Ruth.

Fern Britton has an older sister and a younger half-brother Jasper, an actor, from her father's second marriage.

Fern Britton attended Dr Challoner's High School in Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, and the Central School of Speech and Drama, where she trained in stage management.

Fern Britton was a stand-in co-presenter on News After Noon during this period.

Fern Britton then worked for TVS in Southampton, co-hosting the South edition of the news programme Coast to Coast with Fred Dinenage, as well as Coast to Coast People, The Television Show, Magic Moments and, as presenter with Stefan Buczacki, of That's Gardening.

Fern Britton stayed until TVS's franchise ended in December 1992.

In 1988, Fern Britton took part in Cinderella, a pantomime in which she played the role of Dandini at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.

Fern Britton was presenting Coast to Coast from the city at the time and her preparation for the part was filmed for the programme.

Fern Britton moved back to Carlton Television to present After Five in 1994.

Fern Britton appeared in the first two series of The Brian Conley Show.

From 1994, Fern Britton presented the television cookery gameshow Ready Steady Cook, which she continued until 2000.

Fern Britton had guest presented This Morning since 1993, but from September 1999 she became a full-time host presenting the Friday edition with John Leslie.

In 2002, Fern Britton was the subject of This Is Your Life when she was surprised by Michael Aspel at Wickham Hospital in Buckinghamshire.

In 2006, Fern Britton co-presented the reality television show Soapstar Superstar.

Fern Britton has appeared twice as a panellist on the BBC show, Have I Got News for You, and guest presented on 27 April 2007 and on 17 October 2008.

In 2007, Fern Britton presented her own ITV Saturday night series called That's What I Call Television.

In November 2008, Fern Britton announced she was to take a break from This Morning and return after the Christmas break in January 2009.

Fern Britton announced on 25 March 2009 that she was leaving This Morning, after 10 years, at the end of the current series.

Two days after quitting This Morning, Fern Britton pulled out of hosting the 2009 British Soap Awards alongside co-host Phillip Schofield.

Fern Britton made her comeback to ITV in 2017, presenting daytime series Culinary Genius.

Fern Britton presented A Right Royal Quiz for the channel.

In November 2009, Fern Britton appeared as a stand-in host on The Paul O'Grady Show for two weeks.

In May 2011, Fern Britton played herself in a short independently made film by Mark Davenport called Photoshopping alongside lead Joan Kempson.

In September 2012, Fern Britton was announced as one of the 14 celebrities taking part in the tenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.

In 2015, Fern Britton accused Chigvintsev of kicking and shoving her during the training sessions they held while they were dance partners on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012, though Chigvintsev would deny the claim.

Between 2014 and 2015, Fern Britton presented The Big Allotment Challenge for BBC Two.

In 2022, Fern Britton presented a revival series of Watercolour Challenge on Channel 5.

In March 2024, Fern Britton entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to participate as a housemate in its twenty-third series.

In March 1998, Britton released her first book, Fern's Family Favourites, published by Andre Deutsch and written with the cook and home economist Susie Magasiner.

Fern Britton has written eleven novels New Beginnings, Hidden Treasures, The Holiday Home, A Seaside Affair, A Good Catch, The Postcard, Coming Home, The Newcomer, Daughters of Cornwall, The Good Servant and A Cornish Legacy, several of which have been in The Sunday Times bestseller list.

Fern Britton broke off their affair after a year but Jones turned up on her doorstep two days later, after leaving his wife for her.

Between 2021 and 2023, Fern Britton was stalked by a man who sent her flowers and stayed in her holiday cottage.

Fern Britton was given a ten year restraining order and was banned from entering Cornwall, as well as having to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.