Davina McCall has opened up about the effects the menopause had on her – saying she was left fearing she was suffering from dementia and would lose her job.
The 53-year-old TV presenter has been praised in recent years for shining a spotlight on the natural condition which struck her when she 44.
Earlier this year, the star featured in a documentary called Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause where she investigated the natural moment where women stop having their periods.
And now the star has discussed how she feared she would lose her own job as a TV host when she found herself becoming forgetful as a result of entering menopause herself.
Speaking to Fabulous magazine, Davina said: “I thought it was something that happened in your 50s – you got a couple of hot flushes and were through it.
“I had no idea about how much our bodies need hormones. I was having night sweats, hot flushes, and I wasn't sleeping.
“And the brain fog… I remember sitting on the drive and looking at some grass, thinking: ‘What’s the word for that?’ I thought it was some kind of dementia.”
She went on: “It was only a couple of years later, when it was affecting my work, that I went to my gynaecologist, who said I needed hormone replacement.
“I thought I was going to lose my job. Then I went on HRT, and literally two weeks later I was like: ‘Oh, I’m back. This is life again’.”
Davina spoke openly about her experiences on her Channel 4 documentary back in May.
During the documentary, Davina spoke of how "embarrassed" she was led to feel after learning she was perimenopausal at the age of just 44.
The treatment of women who approach their GPs about experiencing common symptoms of menopause was also unearthed as a staggering two-thirds of them were offered antidepressants rather than Hormone Replacement Therapy, despite the NHS stating that HRT should be offered first.
She shared a moment where she endured a hot flush while working in Europe.
She said in the show: “It was January 2021. I was on a photoshoot in Prague and one night struggled to get to sleep. The day after, I felt like I'd aged 10 years overnight.
"I got such a bad hot flush in a makeup chair one day I actually asked the makeup lady if the chair was heated and they looked at me like I was really weird.
"And then I got in touch with some real shame around it and I felt embarrassed. I felt quite washed up I think and unable to talk to anyone about it.
"First I was frustrated, then I was tearful and then I was angry."
The star was praised by viewers who took to social media at the time for investigating the subject – and sharing her findings in her documentary.
One person tweeted at the time: "Go Davina! We need to raise awareness. It’s debilitating, it’s tough!"
Another wrote: "Literally jumping. up and screaming ‘YES’ at everything I’ve seen so far. 11 minutes in #Smashthetaboo #davinamenopause."
And another wrote: "All I can say is Thank You @ThisisDavina I see people all day long and will spread the word of this amazing programme, so many are lost because of this, including me!"
