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Lorraine Kelly has revealed that going through the menopause caused to her to feel as though she was “losing control” and triggered “unbearable” anxiety .
In an interview with the Press Association , the This Morning
The 59-year-old, who has reigned as the queen of daytime TV for 35 years, admitted that despite her success she has suffered personally over the years, going through both a miscarriage and the menopause.
“Things may look glossy in my world, and I know some people see me as this golden girl because I’m on telly and smile a lot, but it makes me laugh because I’ve had struggles just like everyone else,” Kelly said.
“The menopause crept up on me, to be honest. It probably started when I was around 54 and it got gradually worse and worse, until one day it was unbearable.
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“I just wasn’t coping or enjoying life and was constantly knackered, but I simply couldn’t understand why.”
The television presenter went on to explain that during this period she struggled to get out of bed but would often have to “paint on a smile” for work.
She added that the turning point came when her husband, Steve Smith, pointed out that she wasn’t acting like her normal self.
The next day, Kelly said she spoke to The Lorraine Show ‘s resident doctor Dr Hilary, who explained that her anxiety was likely the result of a hormonal imbalance triggered by the menopause.
“It was such a relief to know what was wrong and I’ve been on HRT for four years, which has really helped,” she said.
“I’m so glad the menopause has been dragged into the light so women don’t have to suffer in silence.”
Kelly also discussed how she felt after suffering a miscarriage in 2001, describing it as “very hard”.
“We’d very much wanted another baby, Rosie was five, but it wasn’t to be,” Kelly explained.
“I wanted to go back to work to get routine back, but I definitely went back far too soon. I was told that miscarriage is very common, which was supposed to make me feel better, but actually it horrified me that so many people go through it.”
Kelly added that while she would have liked more children, she feels “very lucky” to have her daughter, Rosie, who she described as a “generous, lovely girl and definitely the greatest achievement of my life”.
Last year, actor Gwyneth Paltrow said she wanted to change the way women think and talk about the menopause , saying: “I think menopause gets a really bad rap and needs a bit of a rebranding.
“I don’t think we have in our society a great example of an aspirational menopausal woman.”
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