Gabby Logan reveals what she was ’embarrassed’ by throughout perimenopause
Gabby Logan has revealed how the perimenopause left her ‘short-tempered’ and ‘snappy’ with her family – as she praised her husband for being ‘tolerant’ with her.
Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, the sports presenter, 51, opened up about her perimenopausal symptoms and how Scottish rugby player Kenny, who she wed in 2001, struggled to recognise the ‘shouty’ woman his ‘mellow’ wife had turned into.
Aged 47, Gabby was diagnosed as perimenopausal after a blood test found her hormone levels had dropped dramatically. Perimenopause is the time from the start of menopausal symptoms until after a woman has experienced her last period.
‘I didn’t feel like me,’ admitted the BBC presenter, who said her energy levels suffered. ‘But now I look back “Oh, that’s why I was like that”… it started to kind of dawn on me that a lot of this was to do with what was going on with perimenopause.’
The mother-of-two, who shares 19-year-old twins Reuben and Lois with her husband, also explained how, when she looks back now, her ‘short-temper’ is what she’s ‘more embarrassed about’.
Gabby Logan with her retired rugby union player husband Kenny Logan – they met 25 years ago on a night out with friends in West London and Kenny proposed a year later
‘It just felt like I was getting really ratty about stuff, really quickly, that previously wouldn’t have bothered me,’ admitted Gabby.
‘And obviously there’s a perfect storm, because you’ve got teenagers who can be quite annoying, and then you’ve got mum whose attention and whose temper is, you know, on a thread.
‘I look back now and think, “Oh, I really shouldn’t have shouted about that. I shouldn’t have got upset about that. But it’s easy to kind of, I think, at the time, to think that that’s just the state you’re in.’
The presenter revealed how she feels ‘so much calmer now and so much more able to deal with all those things’, adding: ‘I think if I had that knowledge that “this, oh, this is perimenopause”, I might have cut myself a bit of slack.’
Gabby went on to praise her family, insisting her husband Kenny is likely ‘very grateful that I’m probably more mellow now than I was before’.
She continued: ‘I look back and my kids and my husband were actually probably really tolerant… my husband was probably thinking, “why is she getting so up about this?” This probably wasn’t the kind of the person that he’d married.’
Following her diagnosis, the BBC host began a regime of HRT and has since dedicated her efforts to helping raise awareness about the menopause.
In 2020, she launched The Mid.Point podcast, where she chats to celebrity guests and experts about the challenges and dilemmas faced when you reach middle age.
But Gabby admitted she had ‘never heard of the word perimenopause’ before her own diagnosis.
She said: ‘I had never heard of the word perimenopause… my mum’s generation definitely wouldn’t have used that word.
‘And I think it’s just shows you how far we’ve come in understanding the menopause itself.’
But the presenter suggested that awareness hasn’t gone far enough; in 2021, a survey by the non-profit group Menopause Support found 41 per cent of UK medical schools do not have mandatory menopause training on the curriculum.
In 2023, research indicated that more than 90 per cent of women were never taught about the menopause at school, while nearly two-thirds only started looking for information when they began to experience symptoms.
This is something Gabby can relate to, as she explained: ‘I remember being really educated about puberty at school, because it was part of our growth and development.
‘But obviously with menopause, it’s been a kind of, see what happens, you know, suck it and see, let’s just leave it and you know, you’ll be fine.
‘A lot of women are fine, but a lot of women aren’t fine. And so why should we let that happen? That doesn’t seem very fair.’
In an effort to raise awareness, even in her own home, Gabby chatted to her husband and children about the menopause and the symptoms.
She explained: ‘We’re a very open family. So it was easy to have the conversations with them and to try and make them realise… Look, you know, just because somebody is this age, first of all, doesn’t mean they’re finished.
Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, the sports presenter, 51, opened up about her perimenopausal symptoms and how Scottish rugby player Kenny, who she wed in 2001, struggled to recognise the ‘shouty’ woman his ‘mellow’ wife had turned into
Aged 47, Gabby, ambassador for Menopace, was diagnosed as perimenopausal after a blood test found her hormone levels had dropped dramatically. Perimenopause is the time from the start of menopausal symptoms until after a woman has experienced her last period
Gabby, who enjoys open water swimming (pictured) as one of her physical challenges, has joined a wave of adventurous women over 40 who are embracing bold activities as part of their ‘mid-life’ bucket lists
‘They’re not on the scrap heap but also, these changes take a few years, might take a bit longer, but then they come through that. So it’s not like they’re always going to be feeling that way.
‘So hopefully they quite quickly, I think, understood that I was still me, this was just a kind of a version of me that was going through a few changes.’
Ahead of Menopause Awareness Month, Gabby has joined up with the UK’s No. 1 menopause supplement brand, Menopace, to champion the message of living life to the fullest during mid-life.
Amid the growing trend amongst mid-life women to seek out new challenges during the menopause, she discussed her ‘mid-life bucket list’ – which includes learning another language or playing a musical instrument, as well as visiting India.
She explained how she wanted to keep using ‘that part of your brain that is perhaps a little bit likely to get rusty if you don’t keep using it’.
Speaking about why she feels it’s so important to have goals in mid-life, the presenter added: ‘If you’re looking for healthy longevity, then purpose, and having that connectivity is really important, and those things come through also learning, so, making sure that you don’t live an isolated life.’
The presenter also explained how she liked to add physical challenges to her ‘mid-life bucket list’ such as half-marathons.
She said: ‘It’s about feeling good in 10, 15, years time as well, you know? I don’t want to be 60 and be looking to slow down work, and then feeling, “oh, I’m full of aches and pains and I can’t do this”
‘Because there’s loads of things I still want to do in terms of challenges, like hikes and things like that, that I might not have time to do in the next few years, but I don’t want to get to 60 and 70 when I’ve got the time to do them and not be able to do them.
‘So it’s a lot about now, but it’s also about the future and about making sure that I’m as fit and able as I can be. We are all living longer, and I want to live longer, well. I don’t want to just live longer for the sake of living longer.’
From getting a tattoo to trying pole dancing, a new nationwide survey of 1,000 British women has revealed that middle-aged women are increasingly turning to thrill-seeking experiences to make the most of life. Pictured, Gabby enjoying open water swimming
Gabby, who also enjoys open water swimming as one of her physical challenges, has joined a wave of adventurous women over 40 who are embracing bold activities as part of their ‘mid-life’ bucket lists.
From getting a tattoo to trying pole dancing, a new nationwide survey of 1,000 British women has revealed that middle-aged women are increasingly turning to thrill-seeking experiences to make the most of life.
However, despite the more exciting activities highlighted by the research, taking care of one’s health at this stage of life remains the top priority. Topping the mid-life bucket list, 44 per cent admitted that managing a five-a-day fruit and veg diet is their most important goal.
The research conducted by Menopace, ahead of World Menopause Awareness Month in October, outlines a definitive list of activities women aspire to achieve in their mid-life.
Gabby, ambassador for Menopace, has always been a keen cold-water swimmer and took the opportunity to dive in, highlighting a growing trend for mid-life women to seek out fresh challenges that benefit both mental and physical health.
A dream holiday to a tropical paradise like the Maldives or Seychelles ranks second, with 36 per cent of respondents envisioning it as a must-do.
Other popular activities include learning a new language, spicing up their sex life, and having a holiday romance.
Over half (55 per cent) of women said the main reason for tackling these ambitious activities is the desire to make the most of their life, while 45 per cent highlighted the sheer fun of taking on new challenges.
Furthermore, 38 per cent want to look back on their lives without regrets, while 37 per cent appreciate the mental health benefits that come with such experiences.
Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) are eager to prove that age is just a number, and 18 per cent feel it’s finally their turn to focus on themselves after years of working or raising children.
Gabby said: ‘It’s so important for women to feel empowered to explore new passions, whether it’s taking a cold water swim, travelling to a dream destination, or simply putting their health and well-being first.
‘Life doesn’t stop with menopause – in fact, many women feel like it’s just the beginning.’
The survey also reveals the positive impact of menopause on women’s outlook on life, with over a third (38 per cent) saying they gained a new lease on life after going through menopause, and 40 per cent admitted that their health and well-being only became a top priority once they entered this stage.
For 25 per cent, this meant making key changes to their daily routine to support their well-being.
Gabby Logan, Ambassador for Menopace, the UK’s no1 supplement for before, during and after the menopause. Gabby takes Menopace Max, RRP £24.95, available at menopace.com.
