Davina McCall discusses 'brain fog' in menopause and how she overcame it

Davina McCall is continuing her mission to debunk menopause myths, speaking up once again about the important issue in a new interview. 

The Masked Singer presenter hit headlines last autumn after sharing her menopause experience with the public in the hope of raising awareness about the subject in society—and it looks like she's not about to drop it any time soon. 

From hot flushes to night sweats, there's no topic that's off-limits for the passionate mum-of-three when it comes to the hormonal transition. She has now revealed more details on how menopause affected her brain—and what she did to get herself back to normal. 

Speaking to The Sun, Davina explained how sudden 'brain fog' left her worried that she was losing her memory. "I remember sitting on the drive and looking at some grass, thinking: 'What's the word for that?' I thought it was some kind of dementia," she revealed. 

The sudden lapses of concentration were, in fact, a symptom of perimenopause—the transition phase before periods stop altogether. It usually begins in the late 40s or early 50s but can commence in the 30s or even earlier for some women. For Davina, the first markers of perimenopause arrived at 44. It wasn't until it started to impact her work two years later that the former Big Brother host sought medical advice. 

"I went to my gynaecologist, who said I needed hormone replacement," she said. "I thought I was going to lose my job." 

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the HRT (hormone replacement therapy) to work its magic. 

"Literally two weeks later I was like: 'Oh, I’m back. This is life again,'" she said. 

Now aged 53, Davina believes that by publicly discussing her menopause she can help to destigmatize the issue and empower others to take control of their health during the challenging time. She especially wants to counter the notion that menopause is purely characterized by a few temperature shifts and the end of menstruation after the age of 50—a widespread misconception that fails to accurately portray most women's experience of the major life change. 

“I thought it was something that happened in your 50s—you got a couple of hot flushes and were through it," she said. “I had no idea about how much our bodies need hormones. I was having night sweats, hot flushes, and I wasn't sleeping." 

In light of this lack of understanding, Davina McCall wants perimenopause to be taught in schools so that students can develop a better appreciation for the issue. She has also produced a Channel 4 documentary called Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause, in which she unveiled the shocking truth of how women's health continues to be neglected in medicine to this day.