Lorraine’s TV ‘hot flush’ hell
LORRAINE Kelly turned to hormone replacement therapy to avoid getting hot sweats while interviewing male guests on her morning TV show.
The presenter, 57, said she was hurled on to a hormonal roller-coaster during her menopause that left her feeling confused and depressed.
A turning point came when her TV medic pal Dr Hilary Jones warned her she needed to start a course of HRT patches to avoid “hot flushes” while interviewing film stars.
Mum-of-one Lorraine said: “About three years ago I had a chat with Dr Hilary, and that was hugely helpful. He’s a friend, I could chat through it with him.
“I remember him saying, ‘Right, we have to do something. You can’t be on telly interviewing Hugh Jackman and coming out in a hot sweat!’”
The Scottish host, who has been married to TV cameraman Steve Smith for
25 years and has a daughter Rose, 23, is disgusted there is not enough discussion in public about the effects of menopause on women and their families.
And she said her friend, the former Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman,
56, went through a “terrible time” during her menopause.
Lorraine added: “It’s ridiculous. It’s the last taboo. We still don’t talk about it, even with our own girlfriends. I wasn’t nearly as bad as Carol.
“But I think it did bring home to me how women need to talk about it, and not just sit at home wondering what’s wrong with them, getting depressed.”