Fearne Cotton quit TV for heartbreaking reason after saying 'I have ...

Fearne Cotton opened up about the heart-wrenching reason behind her decision to step back from TV and radio, while also shedding light on the harsh realities of the industry.

The CBBC and Top of the Pops icon announced yesterday (December 3) that she is set to undergo surgery for benign jaw tumours, prompting an outpouring of support from her fans.

However, apart from her podcast Happy Place, Fearne has significantly reduced her public appearances and she candidly explained why in a June interview with The Sunday Times.

She confessed that she "couldn't do live radio or TV today for any money in the world", as she now has "too much to lose'" since starting a family.

She said: "I've been sacked a million times, I've been sacked and not told I've been sacked. You just turn the telly on and someone else is doing your job. It's all a big game. You've got the Monopoly board out and you're moving around [trying to] dodge the danger."

She suggested that it's part of "our culture" to try to "level people out", implying that newcomers are celebrated, but once they're established, people "cannot wait for you to f*** up".

Fearne further stated that she believes she's received positive feedback for what she's "doing now" because she's consciously chosen to step back, adding: "But I can't put myself back on TV now - I've got too much to lose. I've a family to support."

She also stepped down from the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show after temporarily filling in for Zoe Ball.

In a conversation with Davina McCall on Begin Again with Davina, Fearne Cotton revealed that she "definitely wouldn't sleep" if she had to cover for Zoe Ball and would be "up catastrophising all night". After two weeks, she was on her "knees" and had to inform the Radio 2 boss that she couldn't continue.

The former Love Island presenter also shared with Davina that she continues to attend therapy each week and is "still triggered by the same things". However, she also mentioned a "lovely incremental" progress in overcoming her previous struggles.

Fearne added: "I've still got a long way to go, there is no way I would want to host a live TV show , host a live radio show, there is no way that I could sleep in a house with a bunch of people that I don't know really well, sleep is a massive issue still."