Model and presenter Penny Lancaster has revealed that she is going through the menopause – although at first, she wondered if she'd contracted coronavirus! In an interview with The Daily Mail, the down-to-earth star opened up about her experience. The 49-year-old said: "I mean millions of women go through it, it’s nothing special but, God, it’s tough."
WATCH: Heartbreak for Kate Garraway as she describes Derek Draper's health
Penny went on: "I woke up sweating. Horrific. I actually thought, 'Is this Covid?' I had all the menopause symptoms — burning up, feeling wiped out, mood swings that are off the scale. I’ve wanted to scream. You don’t know if it’s just these times we are in. But eventually I had some tests. Yes, I’m in the menopause." The star is spending lockdown with her family, including husband Rod Stewart, who she married in 2007 after meeting him eight years earlier. The couple shares two sons: 14-year-old Alastair and nine-year-old Aiden.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPenny married husband Rod Stewart in 2007
Penny revealed that Rod had been understanding of her symptoms, although he couldn't personally relate. "Rod’s been brilliant actually," the former Strictly contestant said, before continuing: "But it’s hard for a man to understand, isn’t it? As well as the sweats, I have to keep explaining why I can become so cross all of a sudden." Rod had his own health challenges to deal with when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he told fans about last year. Penny recalled: "It was awful, such a terrible time. It was the shock of it.
READ: 16 celebrities you'd be surprised to know have health struggles
"Rod isn’t like one of those men who will never go to the doctor. He has more check-ups than anyone I know. And yet, when they picked it up, it wasn’t just contained in the prostate. It had come through — but, thankfully, not to the point where it spread throughout his body."
MORE: Penny Lancaster praises NHS after friend with coronavirus treated in ambulance
Her husband took the diagnosis in his stride, however, even going ahead with a wedding vow renewal in the middle of his radiation treatment. Penny explained: "He just charged through. He said, 'Oh well, could be worse.' That’s very him. He knows he’s had a good life and is very grateful for everything he has. His attitude was, 'What will be, will be'."
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
