This month Boots and No7 hosted a live show called Menopause Monologues where six celebrities talked candidly about their experience of the menopause.
Gabby Logan, Anna Richardson, Andrea McLean, Sally Phillips, Shaparak Khorsandi and Karen Arthur each performed a monologue live on stage to over 200 guests. They revealed their personal experience, the signs or symptoms that affected them most and their thoughts on what can be done to improve the experience of menopause for all women.
No7 Beauty Company (alongside Boots and Boots Opticians) was recently recognised as the first health and beauty organisation to be accredited as a Menopause Friendly Employer, and No7 has also just launched the Menopause Skincare range; four products which have been expertly designed to tackle some of the most common menopausal skincare concerns.
During the Menopause Monologue show Gabby Logan, broadcaster and presenter, said: “I am proud to be part of the ever increasing and long overdue discussion about menopause. One of the most important things I’ve learned through my own journey is that every woman’s experience is unique to them. For those fortunate enough to only have a few of the 40+ symptoms, it can be disruptive at best. But for the women suffering from a great many of those symptoms it can be completely debilitating.”
Anna Richardson, presenter and writer, said: “I have a voice and I’m not afraid to use it. I’m speaking out for the women too ashamed and afraid to get help. Meditating has helped. Talking has helped. They are the things that are in my tool belt and I never take that off. Take the time to find out what works for you.”
Karen Arthur, creative, podcast host, speaker and model, said: “Black women going through the menopause aren’t represented in the media. We often go through it up to two years earlier than white women and even have more severe symptoms. We need to be more open about our experiences so that we can take care of each other, take care of ourselves. I’m proud to be working with Boots to get everyone talking about the menopause and menopause diversity.”
Andrea McLean, journalist and presenter said, “I have gone on to create This Girl Is On Fire, a community for women to help them build up their self-belief and self-love. I help women every single day. And I love it. I know now to be kind to myself. I know to take care of myself. I know that plastering a smile on will never work long term. I know that to sustain it, it has to come from somewhere within. And this is why I care about this project. Let’s make it easier for women to talk to people. Let’s make it accessible. Let’s make it normal.”
Amongst many exhilarating stories from the evening, Andrea revealed that she fired her agent after he told her not to write a book about the menopause, as ‘nobody would hire her again’ and it would be ‘career suicide’. Andrea went on to write the very successful Confessions of a Menopausal Woman.
You can watch highlights from the evening here: