Miquita Oliver apologises to Fearne Cotton over ‘awful’ past remarks

Miquita Oliver has apologised to Fearne Cotton after she was sacked from BBC Radio 1 for making an “awful” comment about her.

Oliver, 42, was let go from her radio job in 2005 following an interview with NME where she was asked how she would improve Top Of The Pops and replied that the programme should get rid of Cotton.

Speaking on her Miss Me? podcast, Oliver became emotional as she recounted the story to her co-host, Jordan Stephens.

She said: “I would like to tell the story of me and Fearne Cotton.

“So basically, when I was 20, I did something really awful that I was really ashamed of for a long time.

“I did an interview in NME and I wasn’t very nice about her at all.

“I was awful about her, and I was fired from Radio 1 because of it, so I lived in a lot of consequence.

“We didn’t like each other… I don’t even think she didn’t like me but because I’d been so awful about her, I think she stayed away from me.”

A few years later, Cotton began dating Oliver’s T4 co-host Steve Jones and the pair would see each other “all the time”.

Oliver said: “We were civil but it was a little bit uncomfortable, but it was OK.

“Then we just sort of didn’t see each other.”

Oliver told how Cotton reached out to her after she watched the Miss Me? podcast.

She said: “Last year, she sent me a message on Instagram when I was having a f****** awful time.

“She said, ‘hey Miquita, I just watched a clip of you talking about how the press used to refer to you and it resonated deeply’.

“I just wanted to say thank you for opening up about it. Sending love’.”

Tearing up, Miquita added: “I didn’t mean to be awful to her.

“I was unkind and it wasn’t me.

“That message was really healing for me.

“I sent her so much love back and I knew she’d just been through a divorce and was on this new journey.

“I said, ‘I wish you so much f****** luck on your new chapter.’

“It was all love.

“So actually, me and Fearne Cotton are fine.”

A clip of the podcast was shared on Instagram and Cotton commented: “Beyond grateful for how we’ve reconnected.

“Makes me very happy.”

Oliver’s mother, chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver, commented: “I am so proud of you and your honesty.”

Oliver rose to fame while presenting Channel 4’s Popworld with Simon Amstell from 2001 to 2006.

She later presented T4 from 2006 to 2010.

Cotton presented Top Of The Pops from 2004 until it ended in 2006.

She now presents her own podcast, Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place.

Cotton announced she had separated from her husband, Jesse Wood, in December 2024.