A nan a kan babban shirin talabijin na rana This Morning, Fern Britton koyaushe tana da kyakkyawan haɗin dumi, iyawa mara shirme, da alamar haɗari—kamar za ta iya tarwatsa komai a kowane lokaci. Sai ta yi haka.
Ranar da ta yi murabus a 2009, Britton ba ta shirya ba. Amma a cikin jita-jita na rashin jituwa da abokin aiki Phillip Schofield, ta ɗauki hanyar ƙone ƙasa kuma ta bar aikinta mai girma, mai biyan kuɗi ba tare da wani shiri ba. Shin ba ta damu da abin da zai biyo baya ba?
"A'a, akwai wani abu a cikina da ke yanke shawara da sauri lokacin da na sami damar fita. Ba na tsoron gaba. Ba na tsoron shiga cikin komai. Wasu mutane biyu suka ce, 'Me za ki yi?' Zan kasance lafiya."
Kuma ta kasance. Britton ta ci gaba da shirya nata shirin tattaunawa kuma ta yi jerin ayyuka masu daɗi da gaske—ciki har da The Big Allotment Challenge na BBC Two—kafin ta zama marubuciya mai nasara. Yau, tana gida a Cornwall, kuma tana bayyana kamar yadda kuke tsammani: mai saukin kai (tana shan shayi kuma tana cin guntun gurasar 'ya'yan itace na Marks & Spencer), mai farin ciki, tare da ƙarfin hali wanda ke bayyana idan tambayar da ba ta so ta taso.
Britton ta cika shekara 69 ranar Juma'a. Shekarunta na 60 sun fara da wahala—mahaifiyarta ta mutu, sannan mahaifinta, kuma lokacin da take shekara 63, aurenta na fiye da shekaru 20 da mai dafa abinci na TV Phil Vickery ya rushe. Sai ta shiga abin da take kira "zamanin rashin aiki," kamar yadda ta bayyana a littafinta na 2024. Ta daina motsa jiki, ta ci abinci da yawa, har ma ta fara shan taba—dukkan abin da ta sake juyar da su yanzu. Ta watsar da shi yanzu. "Kuna shiga cikin ruwa mai wahala," in ji ta. "Ina ƙara ƙarfi kuma ba na damuwa da abubuwa, kuma idan kuna da wani rauni ko fushi ko wani abu, babu amfanin ɗauke shi tare da ku. Na sami sauƙi sosai, a gaskiya, don kawai..." Ta dakata. "Wannan shine lokacin, kuma wannan shine yanzu."
Britton tana da alama tana cikin wuri mafi kyau. Tana son zama a ƙauyenta na Cornish, inda take aiki a littafinta na 12, tana da manyan abokai, kuma ta rungumi duk 'yancin rayuwar mara aure. Sha'awarta ta ƙarshe ita ce buga kararrawa a cocin gida: "Yana da ban mamaki," in ji ta. Mahaifiyarta koyaushe tana tunatar da ita cewa lokutan muni za su wuce. "Kuma ta yi daidai. Dole ne ku ci gaba da sanya ƙafa ɗaya bayan ɗaya, shi ke nan. Lokacin da kuka kai wannan shekaru, kuna iya waiwaya kan jerin kurakuran ku, abubuwan farin ciki, mai kyau, mara kyau, mai baƙin ciki, mai farin ciki, kuma ku yi tunani: 'Na koyi abubuwa da yawa a can.'" Maganin mako-mako ya taimaka: "Rayuwa tana jin sauƙi da sauƙi, kuma kuna iya zama mai kirki." Ta yi murmushi. "Gafarta wa mutane, da fatan za su gafarta muku don sharrin da kuka yi."
Lokacin da "wani abu na TV na ban mamaki ya taso," in ji ta, "yana da daɗi." Sabon shirinta shine kashi na biyu na Fern Britton: Inside the Vet's mai bayyana kansa a ITV. Yana da kyan gani—kare yana da gaggawa game da inabi, bulldog yana da rauni a gwiwa, kuma cat yana buƙatar aikin haƙori. Zan iya kallon shi duk rana, ina samun nutsuwa da kulawar kwantar da hankali na waɗannan likitocin dabbobi na Bristol.
Britton ta fara aikinta na TV a farkon 1980s. Ta ƙaura daga ƙauyenta na Buckinghamshire zuwa London don halartar Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, inda ta karanta sarrafa mataki. Ta yi aiki a gidan wasan kwaikwayo na ɗan lokaci, sannan ta aika wasiƙu sama da 70 zuwa kowane gidan TV da rediyo, tana neman zama mai karanta labarai. Butulcinta na iya zama abin dariya, amma ya yi aiki—ta sami aiki a Westward Television, wani yanki na yanki da ke Plymouth, a matsayin mai sanarwa mai ci gaba. (Ina tunawa da kamfanin TV a Rivals, daidaitawar TV na littafin Jilly Cooper da aka saita a 80s: Britton ta yi dariya kuma ta ce daidai yake haka.) Daga can, ta zama mai gabatarwa a labaran gida na BBC kuma an aika ta zuwa London na 'yan makonni. Ta ji ba ta da zurfi saboda ba ta horar da aikin jarida ba. Mai karanta labarai Moira Stuart ta taimaka mata. "Ta kasance mai girma," in ji Britton. "Wataƙila ba za ta so in faɗi haka ba, amma akwai wani nau'in wariyar launin fata, jinsi a cikin ɗakunan labarai a lokacin, kuma ina tsammanin ta ji shi. Wata rana ta ce mini, 'Waɗannan mutane, ba za su iya tsara wani abu ba,' kuma wannan hazaka ce. Ina son ta." Ba da daɗewa ba, an ba Britton aiki a matsayin mai gabatarwa na wucin gadi a sabon shirin safiya na BBC, Breakfast Time.
Ba zai yi sauƙi ba zama mace matashiya a TV a 80s. "To, idan muka waiwaya, eh, amma a lokacin... Mun kasance masu juriya sosai, kuma kawai, to, hakan ya faru, waɗannan wawaye." Ɗaya daga cikin masu gabatarwa na Breakfast Time shine Frank Bough, wani shahararren mai gabatarwa na TV a lokacin, wanda daga baya BBC ta kore shi bayan wani abin kunya da ya shafi kwayoyi da masu yin jima'i. "Frank kawai yana yanke hukunci akan mata ta yadda suke da kyau da 'abin sha'awa,'" in ji Britton. A wani abincin rana na ƙungiyar, ta zauna kusa da Bough. "Ya juya gare ni, yana jingina a kujerarsa, ya ce, 'Ina mamakin tsawon lokacin da zai ɗauka kafin in yi soyayya da ke. Domin ina da babban azzakari.' Kuma kawai kina..." Ta yi fuskar kyama. "Don haka dole ne ki sami juriya mai yawa, amma kawai na yi tunani, 'mutum mai ban mamaki, wawa'."
Daga baya, ta ce, "Mun girma tare da duk tsunkule gindi, a danne mu a bango da ƙoƙarin sumbata, ko rikici a cikin lif. Oh, don Allah. Na san ba daidai ba ne, kuma yanzu muna gani, ba shakka, wannan ba daidai ba ne, amma yana ba ku ƙarfin ciki da fahimtar kai. Na san ba ni da sauƙin shawo kai."
A cikin tarihinta na 2008, Britton ta rubuta game da cin zarafin jima'i da ta sha lokacin tana shekara 21, kafin ta shiga TV. Baya ga yadda harin ya kasance muni – ya faru sau da yawa a cikin dare ɗaya a gidanta, tare da wani mutum da ta sabu da shi – na yi mamakin yadda ta yi tunanin ba za ta taɓa kai rahoto ga 'yan sanda ba ("saboda ba ni da raunuka kuma bai buge ni ba"). "Ban ma san yana da suna ba sai bayan shekaru 10, kuma na yi tunani, jira na ɗan lokaci, wannan fyade ne. Ya yi min fyade. Sau da yawa, a wannan dare. Wannan shine irin butulcina, da gaske." 'Ya'yanta mata biyu, in ji ta, "masu ra'ayin mata ne, masu tsauri sosai, kuma sun koya mini abubuwa da yawa a gaskiya. 'Yata ta ce kwanakin baya, kowace mace ta san wanda aka yi wa fyade ko cin zarafi. Babu wani namiji da ya san mai fyade. Har yanzu suna kashe mu da yi mana fyade. To, me za mu yi?"
Halin 'yarta ya bambanta sosai da yadda Britton ta sarrafa jinsin da ta fuskanta a farkon aikinta. "Ka ga, kana amfani da kwakwalwar mace matashiya, shekaru 40 bayan haka," in ji ta, lokacin da na tambaya ko wannan jinsin ya sa ta yi fushi. "Ba mu da hakan. Na ƙaunaci aikin." Amma ta jure da yawa. Sau ɗaya, a lokacin Breakfast Time, lokacin da suka yanke zuwa labarai, ta ce wani babban manaja "ya zo ta cikin dajin kyamarori, kuma baƙi suna can, ya ce a gaban su duka, 'Kai mummuna ne, kai mummuna ne. Me kake yi?' Wannan wulakanci ne sosai." Bayan shirin, an kira ta zuwa ofishinsa, inda ya ƙara yi mata tsawa. "Ina kuka, kuma duk kayan shafa na ranar suna gudana. Ya ce, 'Saka kayan shafa kafin ki bar ɗakin.' Na ce, 'Na bar shi a kan teburina.' Don haka ya tafi, ya ɗauko, ya sa na sake saka shi."
A 1995, Britton. Hoton: Alan Davidson/Shutterstock
Yaya hakan bai murkushe kwarin gwiwarta ba? Britton ta yi murmushi. "Ba ni da wani kwarin gwiwa. Kawai ina kama da ina da shi." Lokacin da ta mika sabon littafinta, ta ce, "Ina gumi, ina tunanin, wannan shine littafin da a ƙarshe za su gano cewa ni mummuna ce." Lokacin da kyawawan sake dubawa daga masu karatu suka fara zuwa, ta ce, "Kawai na fashe da kuka. Kuna tunanin, eh, amma har yanzu suna yin kirki ne kawai."
Tana tunanin watakila ya fara ne tun yarinta. Mahaifinta ɗan wasan kwaikwayo ne Tony Britton, wanda ya riga ya bar mahaifiyarta da 'yar'uwarta babba kuma yana zaune da wata mace. An haifi Britton a lokacin ziyarar da ya kai wa mahaifiyarta, kuma ba ya kasancewa a kusa yayin da take girma. Ta taɓa shawo kan malamin Ingilishi ya kai ajin tafiya don ganin shi yana yin wasa a London, kuma ta sami damar tuntuɓar shi ta gidan wasan kwaikwayo. Ya gayyace su don saduwa da shi a bayan mataki, kuma Britton, tana tsoron kada ya gane ta, ta tabbatar da cewa ta tura kanta gaba.
Duba cikakken hoto: Britton tare da mahaifinta da mahaifiyarta, Ruth. Hoton: ANL/Shutterstock
Mahaifiyarta, in ji ta, "ta kasance mai ban mamaki, kyakkyawa, da ban dariya. 'Yar'uwata, kyakkyawa, siririya, za ta iya zama ɗan wasan kwaikwayo ko samfurin. Kuma akwai ni, ɗan yaro mai ɗan kiba, ban san me zai faru ba." Lokacin da ta gaya wa mahaifinta cewa za ta yi aiki a talabijin, ya ce mata, "Kina da kiba da yawa don zama Sue Lawley" (mai watsa shirye-shirye). Britton ta yi dariya. "Don haka kawai kina ɗaukar waɗannan abubuwa a kan haƙori kuma kina ci gaba."
Britton, ba shakka, ta gina aikin TV mai nasara sosai, musamman shekarunta 10 a This Morning, kuma ta shirya shirye-shirye da yawa, ciki har da Ready, Steady, Cook da nata jerin tattaunawa Fern Britton Meets… ko da yake ta ce ciwon impostor ya bi ta a duk lokacin. "Oh, Allah, eh." A waje da allo, rayuwa na iya zama mai wahala – IVF, sannan baƙin ciki bayan haihuwa bayan haihuwar tagwayenta, sannan kisan aure, sannan haihuwar ɗanta na uku. Saboda shahararta a matsayin mai gabatarwa na TV, an kuma yi mata bincike sosai, musamman kamanninta da nauyinta (wani marubuci ya kira ta "tsohuwar karuwa mai kiba"). Ya kasance mai tsanani musamman na shekaru biyu a tsakiyar 2000s. Yaya ta jimre? "Ba da kyau sosai ba. Na iya sanya fuskar ƙarfin hali, amma ba na yin kyau a ciki."
Matsayi mafi ƙasƙanci shine a 2008, lokacin da aka bayyana cewa ta yi aikin tiyatar band ɗin ciki, kuma an zage ta a cikin jaridu. Daga baya, ta gano cewa an yi wa wayarta kutse, kuma a 2024 an biya ta diyya daga News Group Newspapers, masu mallakar News of the World da ba ya nan. "Ban taɓa fahimtar dalilin da yasa 'yan jaridu suke wuraren da nake ba. Abin tsoro ga yara, muni." Shin tana ganin abin mamaki ne cewa yanzu akwai ƙarin haƙuri ga shahararrun mutane da ke amfani da alluran rage nauyi? "Ban damu ba, mutane na iya yin abin da suke so," in ji ta cikin sauƙi. "Abin da ya faru da ni laifi ne, a zahiri."
Murabus ɗin Britton daga This Morning a 2009 ya kasance kwatsam kuma ba shi da cikakkun bayanai. "Ba na son shiga cikin hakan," in ji ta. "Watakila ba zan taɓa yin hakan ba, amma eh, rana ce da ta canza a nan take, kuma ba zato ba tsammani na yi tunani, 'Dole ne in fita daga nan.'"
An daɗe ana jita-jitar rashin jituwa da abokin aikinta Phillip Schofield. A cikin tarihin rayuwarta, wanda ya fito shekarar da ta gabata, ba ta yi wani abu ba face yabon shi, tana cewa tana son yin aiki da shi. Amma wani abu ya yi kuskure. "Yana da wahala, yana da matukar wahala, yana da ban takaici sosai." Suna da kyakkyawar abota, in ji Britton. "Ba na mayar da hakan baya, amma sai, ka sani, ba da lokaci ba, kuma bai dace ba."
Aikin TV na Schofield mai nasara ya lalace bayan ya yarda da dangantaka da wani matashi ma'aikacin ITV. "Wannan ya kawo min motsin rai masu gauraya sosai. Ba zan iya bayyana shi da gaske ba, saboda muna da kyakkyawar dangantakar aiki, har sai..." Bai yi haka ba, don haka yana da wahala. Ina yi masa fatan alheri. Ina fatan komai ya daidaita kuma ya sami ɗan farin ciki.
Duba hoto cikakke
'Na shirya sosai don abubuwa su tsaya kuma su canza.' Hoton: Harry Borden/The Guardian
A cikin shekarunta na 40, aiki ya kasance mai tsayayye. "A cikin shekaruna na 50, ya yi wahala. Na san zai ƙare. Na shirya sosai don abubuwa su tsaya kuma su canza." Ta fara sabon aiki a rubuce. "Sai na yi tunani, to, wannan talabijin ya ƙare, kuma yanzu ga ni ina yin Inside the Vet's, kuma ina son shi." Ta ce yana da kyau cewa yawancin ƙungiyar samarwa mutane ne da ta yi aiki da su a This Morning, "kuma sun tuna cewa watakila ina da kyau don yin aiki da su."
'Ya'yanta sun girma, kuma babu ɗayansu da ya zama 'ya'yan nepo har yanzu—a maimakon haka, suna da ayyuka masu amfani. 'Yarta ƙarama magini ce, 'yarta ɗayan tana horo don zama ma'aikaciyar jinya, ɗanta ɗaya malami ne, kuma ɗayan "yana yin wani abu game da ilimin halin yara." Yaya ta yi nasarar guje wa renon, alal misali, masu tasiri huɗu? Britton ta yi dariya. "Ba su taɓa zama haka ba. 'Yata babba ta ce mini lokacin tana ƙarami, 'Ba na son yin rashin ladabi, amma aikinki yana da ban sha'awa, ko ba haka ba?'"
Don haka yanzu, a karon farko cikin shekaru, Britton ba ta da yara ko miji a gida, kuma tana da alama tana jin daɗin rayuwa. Yana jin kamar komawa wannan lokaci na musamman, in ji ta, "tsakanin barin makaranta da yin aiki ko zuwa jami'a ko wani abu. Ina tunanin yadda nake lokacin ina shekara 17, 18, 19, kuma komai yana da daɗi sosai." Game da abokai ne, wauta, da ɗan farin ciki (ciki har da buga kararrawa!). "Ina tunanin mutumin da har yanzu yake cikina, wanda nake shi lokacin ƙarami, kuma har yanzu yana nan. Kuma hakan yana faranta muku rai don ranar."
Fern Britton: Inside the Vet's yana kan ITV1 da karfe 11:30 na safe ranar Lahadi kuma yana samuwa a ITVX.
Bayanai da tallafi ga duk wanda abin ya shafa ta hanyar fyade ko cin zarafin jima'i ana samun su daga ƙungiyoyi masu zuwa. A Burtaniya, Rape Crisis tana ba da tallafi a 0808 500 2222 a Ingila da Wales, 0808 801 0302 a Scotland, ko 0800 0246 991 a Ireland ta Arewa. A Amurka, Rainn tana ba da tallafi a 800-656-4673. A Ostiraliya, ana samun tallafi a 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Ana iya samun sauran layukan taimako na duniya a ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html.
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
Ga jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawa bisa ga taken labarin da jigon da kuka bayar an rubuta su cikin yanayi na halitta tare da amsoshi bayyanannu
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
1 Wanene Frank Bough kuma me ya sa ya faɗa wa Fern Britton haka?
Frank Bough shahararren mai gabatarwa ne na TV na Burtaniya. Fern Britton, wadda a lokacin matashiya ce mai samarwa kuma daga baya mai gabatarwa, ta ba da labarin cewa ya yi wannan magana mara kyau ba tare da an nema ba a gare ta yayin wani taron aiki a shekarun 1980. Misali ne na rashin da'a na jima'i da cin zarafi da mata ke fuskanta a TV a wancan lokacin.
2 Shin wannan magana ce ta gaske ko kuma kawai taken ban mamaki ne?
Ee, magana ce ta gaske. Fern Britton ta haɗa wannan labari na musamman a cikin tarihin rayuwarta na 2021 mai suna The Good Life. Ta yi amfani da shi don kwatanta al'adun lalata da farauta da ta yi tafiya a ciki a matsayin mace a talabijin a wancan zamanin.
3 Menene ainihin labarin?
Labarin yana bincika yadda Fern Britton ta tsira kuma ta yi nasara a masana'antar TV da maza suka mamaye a shekarun 1980 da 90. Ya rufe batun nuna bambancin jinsi, tunanin tsofaffin maza, da yadda ta zama mai gabatarwa mai nasara a shirye-shirye kamar This Morning da Ready Steady Cook.
4 Shin Frank Bough ne kawai ya yi irin wannan hali?
A'a. Tarihin rayuwar Britton ya bayyana al'ada mai yaduwa inda maganganun da ba su dace ba, tabawa, da matsin lamba suka zama ruwan dare. Ta ambaci wasu manyan maza a masana'antar da suka yi rashin kyau, amma labarin Frank Bough shine mafi shahara.
5 Me ya sa Fern Britton ke magana game da wannan yanzu?
Ta ce motsi na MeToo ya ba ta da sauran mata ƙarfin gwiwa don yin magana game da abubuwan da suka fuskanta waɗanda suka yi shiru a baya. Ta kuma ji cewa lokaci ya wuce kuma tana son rubuta gaskiyar yadda rayuwa take ga mata a TV.
6 Shin Frank Bough ya taɓa neman afuwa ko amsa?
Frank Bough ya mutu a 2020 kafin a buga littafin Britton. Saboda haka, babu wata amsa ta jama'a daga gare shi. Britton ta ce ba ta taɓa samun afuwa daga gare shi a lokacin ba.
