Jo Whiley says lack of public discussion about perimenopause has left her ‘really lost’
Jo Whiley has said she “really lost herself” when she went through perimenopause, partly because there were no public conversations about the issue.
The 59-year-old BBC Radio 2 DJ praised former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall for sparking debate on the issue with her campaign, which has resulted in a TV series, documentary, podcast and books.
Whiley said: “When I was going through it, I think the conversation wasn’t being had as vocally, as it wasn’t on social media with Davina and her campaign. I really lost myself.
“I was crying all the time. I mean, I cry a lot anyway, but I was crying all the time,” she told Women’s Health UK. “I just felt really weak, and going to the gym and pushing myself harder has really played a huge, huge part in helping me be the person I am today. It’s really saved me.”
She previously said she was struggling with perimenopause in 2018, when her Radio 2 show with Simon Mayo was criticised.
“It all came at a time when I was most concerned about brain fog,” Whiley said. “I felt like I couldn’t do the Drivetime show with so much pressure and things to remember.
“Up until then I thought, ‘I’m completely fine. I don’t need HRT (hormone replacement therapy)’. But it had gotten to the point where I was really struggling. I decided to give it a try.”
She added: “I felt like I was a burden on radio and it was a very uncomfortable feeling, not being in control of what I was doing, and suddenly struggling with words.”
While she said there was no public debate about menopause, she was stunned when she experienced symptoms – such as a burning mouth – and had no idea they were related to the problem.
“I’ve been feeling bad, so it’s good to talk about it. It makes you feel less alone,” she said.
Two years ago, Whiley was still experiencing the symptoms occasionally.
“I can go somewhere and feel great, but then all of a sudden I want to lock myself in a dark cave and do nothing at all because I can’t take on the world,” she says. told the Daily Mail in 2021.
“I feel great, but then it comes: low self-esteem, low self-confidence. I don’t feel like myself at all. It’s quite discouraging. It happens every few months. I don’t want to see anyone. My eyes really hurt. My mouth and tongue burn. I really get the wobbles.”
In the interview with Women’s Health, Whiley went on to say that the “men’s magazine era” was a “ridiculous time to be a woman.”
“There was so much objectification and condemnation of women and their bodies,” she said. “It was a ridiculous time to be a woman, but I kept my head down and weathered the storm.
“I think (the current generation of girls) still have a lot to deal with. There are so many crises and so much pressure and so much to worry about in the world.
“But there is an army of (young) women who are fearless, absolutely fearless, and they take no prisoners, and they will be who they want to be,” she said. “It’s much healthier.”
The full interview with Jo Whiley can be read on the Women’s Health website or in the magazine from September 17.