In a raw and emotional podcast appearance, television personality Kate Lawler openly wept as she detailed her ongoing battle with perimenopause, confessing she feels 'powerless' and constantly has to 'mask' her true feelings from the world.
The Emotional Toll of Perimenopause
The 45-year-old former Big Brother winner spoke candidly with Dr Naomi Potter on the Is It Hot in Here? podcast this Tuesday. During the conversation, Lawler's composure broke as she described the profound impact perimenopause has had on her mental wellbeing and sense of self.
'I get emotional talking about it,' Kate admitted. 'I always feel like it's exhausting because having the job that I have, I constantly have to mask that I'm okay. At the moment, I just feel like I'm not.'
She expressed deep concern about the effect on her personal life, particularly her relationship with her husband, Martin Bojtos. 'I feel like I'm a nightmare to live with – I feel sorry for my husband,' she revealed, her voice filled with emotion.
A Struggle with Identity and Anxiety
Lawler described feeling 'lost' and plagued by self-doubt, questioning whether her friends still liked her. The turning point came when she looked back at her own social media content from just a few years earlier.
'I looked at Instagram videos and saw how happy I was and I feel like I've changed so much,' she explained. 'I just thought, you know what? I wish I could just be the person I was.'
The presenter also disclosed she now suffers from significant health anxiety, particularly around drinking alcohol since becoming a mother to her four-year-old daughter, Noa.
The HRT Dilemma and Finding Support
Despite Dr Potter's reassurance that she doesn't have to feel this way, Lawler confessed to being reluctant to try Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), the conventional treatment for perimenopausal symptoms.
'I wish I just wasn't so funny about the HRT,' she said. 'I wish I just listened to the menopause doctor.' Instead, she uses an oestrogen-based moisturiser, acknowledging her fear of HRT has been influenced by information seen on social media, which she described as a 'mind field'.
She also expressed hesitation about antidepressants, feeling resigned that 'this is how I feel now until I'm through menopause'.
Following the podcast's release on Instagram, Lawler received an outpouring of support from fans and celebrities alike, including messages from Zoe Ball and Anna Williamson affirming she is not alone in her experience.
Lawler's heartfelt confession has sparked important conversations about perimenopause, highlighting the emotional turmoil many women face during this transitional phase of life.
