Thanks to the likes of Davina McCall and Penny Lancaster, menopause is no longer seen as a taboo subject, but that wasn't the case with Strictly Come Dancing star Shirley Ballas went through menopause 15 years ago.
Exclusive: Nadia Sawalha says 'terribly dark' menopause almost ended her marriage
Shirley, 62, was 47 when she started to notice changes in her body. "From night sweats to day sweats, to dry skin, nails and hair, I felt moody and completely off," she told HELLO! in an exclusive chat.
WATCH: Shirley Ballas is partnering with QVC UK's Menopause Your Way campaign
"I didn't know it was menopause. I just thought maybe it could be the flu – to be honest, I didn't know what age to expect the menopause, nobody talked about it. I felt totally ill-prepared," Shirley said.
MORE: Strictly Come Dancing 2022: all the celebrities confirmed to take part
READ: Strictly Come Dancing announces return of popular feature for special episode
"This is the first time for me that I've shared my experience, even though I've been asked about it," the Strictly icon revealed. "It's been a taboo subject for me because I find it embarrassing, and I also thought it was a sign of weakness."
Shirley experienced both physical and mental symptoms of menopause, explaining she had terribly dry skin, "like dandruff from your hair but on your body."
© Photo: RexShirley Ballas lost her famous upbeat attitude during menopause
She explained: "My nails used to split so I put false nails on, my hair was coming out in clumps, night sweats, irritability, lack of libido – you name it! The whole body from top to bottom just didn't function anymore, the way I was used to it functioning."
SEE: Strictly's Shirley Ballas' dramatic 20lb weight loss journey: see photo, plus how she did it
"I felt anxious, I didn't want to be in company. I had heart palpitations. So I tended not to go out unless I absolutely had to," Shirley detailed. "I didn't want to go to work," she added.
© Photo: RexTalking about menopause helped Shirley through her ordeal
The star said that menopause impacted her work life in countless ways.
"I was cancelling lessons, I didn't want to travel or be in enclosed spaces, I developed a bit of claustrophobia. I just wanted to be in my own space, eat potato chips and be miserable by myself! I felt miserable and didn't want to be there."
Shirley's breakthrough came when she opened up to her son about what she was going through.
SEE: Loose Women star Coleen Nolan reveals 'debilitating' health woe that threatened career
"He just couldn't understand how I could go from this bright, upbeat mother who was running around all the time to not being able to get out of bed, in my pyjamas all day, because I was miserable," Shirley confessed.
"I was so embarrassed to talk to him about it, but he was the first person to really sit down and listen to me. He took me to a hormone doctor and they started me on bio-identical hormones. I just told them, 'I want to get out of this dark place, whatever it takes.'"
© Photo: InstagramShirley Ballas has teamed up with QVC to help others through menopause
Shirley is using her experience of menopause to work with QVC as part of its Menopause Your Way video, aiming to reach people who need support. "They have a wealth of informative articles and videos from menopause experts on the QVC website," Shirley added.
"The minute your body starts to change from what is normal for you - whether it's 35 or much later – because some people do go through the menopause much earlier than others - go talk to someone and find out exactly what's going on in your body," urges Shirley.
Shirley Ballas is partnering with QVC UK's Menopause Your Way campaign, to offer reassurance, insight and inspiration to empower women experiencing menopause. The video content featuring Shirley Ballas can be seen on www.qvcuk.com/menopauseyourway, and can also be viewed on QVC UK’s Facebook and Instagram channels.
Sign up to HELLO’s Menopause Memo to receive five days of expert-led menopause intel direct to your inbox.
