lives with her daughter in a stunning beachside home in Cornwall where she's been writing her best-selling novels, but one piece of the picture is missing - or is it? The former host is adamant that, even if life gets "lonely" at times, she doesn't need a man to complete her.

The 67-year-old shared: "I'm not looking for love. I'm still a bit too wary of losing my liberty. There's nobody to run something past but, on the other hand, I think back to running things past people and it never really worked out, so why don't I just make my own decision? Then I'm the only person who can go, 'I f***ed up there!'" Fern continued that it would be "foolish" to suggest she's always in a good place emotionally, confessing to Woman and Home that writing while at home solo can be "lonely" - but overall, she's feeling "pretty good".

Fern's latest novel, A Cornish Legacy, focuses on a woman who has striking similarities to herself - Cordelia Jago has said goodbye to a husband and a successful career in London to take on a huge Cornish home and try to heal her heart beside the sea.

The 1,000 year old fictional farmhouse is "falling down to the brink of ruin" and is full of "unhappy memories" for her - but she's determined to repair the home - and herself at the same time.

Having just penned her 11th novel, it's clear that the lifestyle of solitude is working for her, and her daughter Winnie is on hand at home when she gets lonely moments.

Although Fern has had hearing aids fitted, she joked that taking them out is "lovely" as hearing voices more clearly has the unfortunate side-effect of amplifying "all the clatter in the room" at the same time.

Meanwhile, after Fern returned to to complete a series of shorts about the British Isles, fans speculated about whether she could make a fulltime return after more than 15 years away.

However, they're in for a disappointment, as she confirmed: "They were fun but, no, I won't be going back to do This Morning.

"Never go back, that's my motto - for anything. Never look back, never go back!"

She adds that she is no longer interested in watching the ITV show and that her "forefront now" is being a full-time author.