Actress Sarah Lancashire has spoken candidly about experiencing 'the most terrible menopause', revealing that it affects her memory and causes brain fog. The 58-year-old star of BBC crime drama Happy Valley said she struggled with hot flushes during last week's National TV Awards (NTAs).
Lancashire, who won the award for best drama performance and received the special recognition award at the ceremony, told the Mail on Sunday that she needed two fans 'pretty much on my face the whole time' to cool down. She described a recent shopping trip where she forgot what she had gone out to buy, saying: 'I was in Sainsbury's the other day, and I found myself just stood there in the aisle and could not remember what I was there for.'
The actress said she tried to conceal her cooling methods at the O2 Arena during the NTAs, bringing a close friend to alert her when cameras were about to pan across. She has been using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to help with symptoms, but noted the gel is 'not great for me so I might give the patches a go next'.
Lancashire has previously spoken about her struggle with depression, which she said inhibited her early career. Diagnosed with clinical depression at 18, she described her 20s as a 'write-off' and said she was 'terrified of being judged and misunderstood' while working on Coronation Street in the 1990s, eventually leading to a breakdown.
The menopause typically occurs around age 51, with peri-menopause starting on average at 46. Many women report symptoms similar to Lancashire's, which can begin years before periods stop and continue afterwards.
