Fearne Cotton has revealed she was “essentially sacked” from The Xtra Factor but left with an unexpected luxury parting gift from Sharon Osbourne.
The presenter, now 43, hosted the X Factor spin-off for just one series in 2007 before being replaced by her friend Holly Willoughby.
In a video posted to Instagram on Thursday, Cotton took fans on a tour of her wardrobe, telling them: “I was essentially sacked” from the show but not before receiving a hot pink Prada clutch from Osbourne.
She revealed the designer bag, still in its box, before continuing to rummage through her collection, which included Fendi heels that once belonged to The Gossip’s Beth Ditto.
The TV star shared: “I'm doing an awkward amount of name dropping here but you want to hear the stories don't you?
“This bag was given to me as a gift by Sharon Osbourne after I finished Xtra Factor a million years ago. And I essentially got sacked from... anyway I got a bag out of it.”
Cotton, who has since stepped away from broadcasting to focus on her wellness brand Happy Place, rose to fame on CITV and CBBC before moving on to Radio 1, Celebrity Juice, Love Island and her brief stint on The Xtra Factor.
Speaking to The Times last year, she reflected on the nature of the industry, saying: “I’ve been sacked a million times… 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.”
Her closet clear-out comes months after Cotton shared a positive health update with fans following surgery to remove two benign tumours from her jaw last year.
A benign tumour is a mass of cells that are non-cancerous, tend to stay in one place and can be safely removed during surgery.
The past few months have been challenging for the Happy Place podcaster, as she also surprised fans when she announced her divorce on Instagram, just days after sharing a health scare.
She revealed on Instagram that a recent ultrasound scan showed “not a scrap of tumour left on my parotid gland”.
“Grateful,” she wrote, in a post highlighting her latest activities. “To those of you who sent me messages that have a similar operation coming up I'm sending love for your recovery.”
Cotton previously shared a selfie on Instagram in December following her initial surgery.
“The human body is incredible, In less than three weeks you can barely notice where I had the tumour removed.
“I feel almost normal. My ear is still quite numb and my face a little tender but other than that I’m feeling good.”
Cotton announced her split from Wood in December after 10 years of marriage.
Posting a statement on Instagram Stories, the 43-year-old penned at the time: “It is with a heavy heart that I let you all know that Jesse and I are ending our marriage.
“Our priority has been and always will be our children. We please ask that you respect the privacy of our family at this time.”
