Penny Lancaster breaks down in tears over menopause anxiety during emotional Loose Women chat

Penny spoke candidly on the show (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)

Penny Lancaster broke down in tears as she opened up about her rise in anxiety as she’s going through the menopause.

The 50-year-old star discussed the issue with her fellow Loose Women panellists on Monday’s episode of the daytime show as the ITV programme unveiled its Menopause Manifesto to improve knowledge and conversation around the topic.

Recalling a visit to an ‘incredible doctor’, she said: ‘I had a few tears with her, I was trying to explain what I’ve been going through over the last few months. She said you’ve got to get to a point where you say to yourself, “I see you, where you actually…” ‘

Penny then started to cry, as co-stars Ruth Langsford, Judi Love and Jane Moore all comforted her before Ruth asked if she was alright.

She nodded and struggled to hold back more tears as she added: ‘You’d feel guilty for being upset, and then you go for coffee with a friend and they say, “How are you, everything good?” And then you burst into tears and you don’t know why you’re crying.’

Ruth handed Penny a tissue, and she opened up about how the menopause has impacted her anxiety.

She said: ‘Anxiety’s gone through the roof. Where I’ve always been very patient, I feel like I’m losing grip.

‘When I spoke to my GP – all we’re talking about [with the manifesto] is getting GPs trained properly, because the first thing they said was, “Well let’s put you on an antidepressant.”

‘I was like… I just need something to help me balance, to take the edge off the upset, the anger, the frustration, the anxiety, all those things… It helped a little bit but that was once again a little band aid.’

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Penny – who is married to Sir Rod Stewart – explained that she was helped by previous chats about the menopause Loose Women as she took the show’s advice to speak to someone, and she’s ‘finding a balance now’.

She explained: ‘Fortunately, through Loose Women, I got some advice to see a specialist and for the last six week’s I’ve been on the [HRT] treatment, I’ve come off the antidepressants and I’m finding a balance now.

‘I’ve stopped the hot sweats. I’m still suffering from anxiety… It’s trying to sort itself out but I’m getting there. Being able to talk to my husband is a number one priority.’

Loose Women airs weekdays on ITV.

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