Fern Britton Meets...

Fern Britton Meets... is a British television talk show presented by Fern Britton which was first aired on BBC One during the four Sundays of Advent from 29 November 2009 to 17 December 2017. Each episode featured Britton interviewing a high-profile person about their life, career and religious beliefs. The programme attracted particular attention following an interview with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in which he discussed his thoughts about the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Summary

Each episode features Britton interviewing a different personality, with the discussion focussed on how the individual's beliefs have shaped their lives. The programme was the first to be presented by Britton since leaving the ITV daytime show This Morning earlier in the year.
The series was announced in November 2009, and Britton said:

All the interviewees come from very different backgrounds but what binds them together is the fact that, although their faith has been challenged, they've emerged with strong spiritual beliefs.

Episodes

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Guest	Episode	Date	Interviewees
Ann Widdecombe	1	27 November 2011	Nicholas Kochan Rev Roger Widdecombe Helen Williams Gyles Brandreth Lord David Alton of Liverpool Anton Du Beke
Katherine Jenkins	2	4 December 2011	Susan Jenkins Niki Sanderson Polly Noble Eamonn Holmes Beatrice Unsworth Colin Jackson Tom Chambers Neil Fisher Mark Cann
Russell Watson	3	11 December 2011	Tim Watson Steve Gleave Rob Gleave Pete Reeves Gordon Burns Paul Hince James Leggate
Brian Blessed	4	18 December 2011	Stephen Fry Susan Engel John Paul Davidson Virginia McKenna Ros Blessed Mark Lawson Sir Trevor Nunn

Series 4

Guest	Episode	Date	Interviewees
Alfie Boe	1	25 November 2012	Neil Ferris John Owen Edward Annie Benson Ruth Carter Matt Lucas
John Barrowman	2	2 December 2012	Eve Myles Jodie Prenger Carole E Barrowman Myleene Klass Bernard Cribbins Phil Collinson Scott Gill
Frank Bruno	3	9 December 2012	Dave Davies Sue Baker Lynette Bruno Colin Hart Mike Jackson Cass Pennant
Daniel O'Donnell	4	16 December 2012	Gloria Hunniford Eddie Rowland Margo O'Donnell PJ Sweeny Majella O'Donnell Pat Gallagher
Dionne Warwick	5	23 December 2012	David Elliott Bette Midler Mary Wilson Burt Bacharach Steve Tyrell Jools Holland Gail Mitchell Randy Lewis Barry Manilow

Series 5

Guest	Episode	Date	Interviewees
Susan Boyle	1	1 December 2013	Paul O'Grady Frank Quinn Lorraine Campbell Fred O'Neil Elaine C Smith Yvie Burnett
John Simpson	2	8 December 2013	John Humphrys Nicholas Snowman Brian Brooks Julia Richards John Sergeant Dee Kruger Rev Dr Peter Elvy Tom Giles
Ken Dodd	3	15 December 2013	Bishop James Jones Lord Michael Grade Professor Ian Tracey Elizabeth Threadgold Stephen Shakeshaft Laurie Mansfield Roy Hudd Peter Grant
Christine Ohuruogu	4	22 December 2013	Obi Ohuruogu Perri Shakes-Drayton Rev Stennett Kirby Gabrielle Bramwell Lloyd Cowan Brendan Foster CBE Michael Beloff QC Katharine Merry

Series 6

Guest	Episode	Date	Interviewees
Donny Osmond	1	30 November 2014	Marie Osmond Tony Prince Maureen O'Halloran David Hughes Nina Myskow Roger Holt Tina McKenzie
Nicholas Parsons	2	7 December 2014	Admiral Sir John Treacher Paul Merton Suzy Buchanan Justin Parsons Barry Cryer Carole Ashby Gyles Brandreth Jenny Eclaire Pam Ayres Annie Parsons
Tanni Grey Thompson	3	14 December 2014	Sian Harrison Rt Hon Lord Neil Kinnock Roy Anthony Nicola Jarvis Martin Corck David Moorcroft Carys Grey-Thompson Baroness Hollins
Richard Coles	4	21 December 2014	Will Coles Lorna Gradden Helen Fielding June Miles-Kingston Annajoy David Ian Hislop Revd Kate Bottley Sarah Jane Morris Rev Giles Fraser Sara Maitland Chris Evans

Series 7

Series 8

Series 9

Tony Blair interview

The series attracted particular attention for an interview Britton recorded with Tony Blair which was aired on Sunday 13 December 2009, in which the former Prime Minister said that it would have been right to remove Iraqi president Saddam Hussein even without evidence he had weapons of mass destruction. Asked whether he would still have joined the 2003 invasion of Iraq had he known that there were no weapons, he said: "I would still have thought it right to remove him. I mean obviously you would have had to use and deploy different arguments, about the nature of the threat." "I can't really think we'd be better with him and his two sons still in charge, but it's incredibly difficult.." "That's why I sympathise with the people who were against for perfectly good reasons and are against it now, but for me, you know, in the end I had to take the decision."
Responding to the statement, former United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix said that he believed Blair's statement had a "strong impression of a lack of sincerity", while former Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell said that Blair would not have obtained the support for an invasion if he had been so open about his view on regime change at the time. Conservative MP Richard Ottaway, a member of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee dismissed the comments as a "cynical ploy to soften up public opinion" before his appearance at the Iraq Inquiry.
Giving evidence to the inquiry on 29 January 2010 Blair addressed the interview, saying that it had been recorded in July 2009, some months before the inquiry convened, and he admitted that it had been a mistake to say he would have got rid of Saddam Hussein regardless of whether or not he had WMD. He told the inquiry he "did not use the words regime change in that interview", and that what he had meant was that he "couldn't describe the nature of the threat in the same way if you knew then what you know now". Blair's performance was later condemned by families of military personnel killed in Iraq as disrespectful.