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Happy Place

Jono Lancaster

Happy Place

Fearne Cotton

Society & Culture, Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Relationships, Personal Journals

4.615.2K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2023

⏱️ 67 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Born with a facial difference that meant he felt he didn’t fit in, Jono Lancaster has spent a lifetime practicing self-acceptance. Having been abandoned at birth, his adoptive mum provided immense support and care, but the confidence he felt at home was often chipped away at by the rest of the world.

 

In this chat with Fearne, Jono talks about how severe lows have forced him to take control of his inner narrative, transforming those lows into strength. He also explains why representation of facial differences is so important on TV and in film, and the positive impact it would have on his own sense of self if it wasn’t just the villains who have scars, burns, and other differences.

 

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank conversation about suicidal ideation, so do take care while listening. 

 

Jono’s book, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, is published by Happy Place Books on July 20th, and is available to pre-order now.



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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Before we start, this episode includes conversations you might find difficult to hear,

0:06.4

so do check the show notes if you want more details before listening.

0:12.5

Hello and welcome to Happy Place with me, Fern Cotton. This is the place where we can learn

0:17.8

about the world and ourselves by hearing other people's stories. Today I'm chatting to Jon O'Lancaster.

0:25.0

One night I had not seen my face, not even working in a gym surrounded by mirrors, I've not seen

0:31.6

my face in so long, but I accidentally went up in a summer face and I looked at my face when I was

0:38.1

21 years old and I saw that I had blue eyes and I hadn't seen my blue eyes in so long

0:45.2

and I smiled and I was like oh my god I love the colour of my eyes and as I smiled

0:50.8

realised when I smile I have one dimple there the side and I was like oh my god that's so cool

0:56.7

that was a powerful, powerful moment. I first met and became aware of Jon O'Lancaster through the

1:03.6

medium of Instagram. It was probably around the time of the pandemic where we all of our phones

1:09.9

are hell of a lot and I started following Jon O's work on Instagram, hearing him speak so

1:17.2

fluently and eloquently about his own story and really promoting self-love which is something

1:24.0

that at times I really need to focus on and something I believe we all collectively need to

1:30.0

put a lot more effort into. To me Jon O'Lancaster is the expert of self-love and we've become great

1:38.0

friends over the last couple of years which has been a real bonus too. Jon O was born with a facial

1:45.8

difference that means he felt he didn't fit in and as you'll hear he's been on a huge journey

1:52.4

to reach a point of self-acceptance. Maybe you were at last year's Happy Place festival and

1:58.5

heard him giving his wonderful life-affirming talk. I mean people were whooping from that tent.

2:05.8

Well now he's written a book called Not All Heroes Wear Caps which is published by Happy Place

2:12.5

books I'm proud to say. It details his experience growing up finding it increasingly hard

2:19.9

to love his face despite huge support and care from his adoptive mum in such an image-conscious

...

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