Overview

• Penny Lancaster told Chris Evans that her former Loose Women co-stars 'saved my life' during the COVID lockdown by recognising her symptoms as menopausal.
• A GP had initially diagnosed depression and prescribed antidepressants, which she said did not relieve her symptoms.
• After colleagues urged her to revisit her doctor, she was told she was going through menopause.
• She has previously described the severity of her symptoms, recalling an episode where she threw plates during a distressing outburst.
• Reports cite NHS guidance that menopause can cause low mood, anxiety and brain fog, and note her debut memoir, Someone Like Me, was published on 25 September.