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Anita Rani, 48, has detailed experiencing 'crippling anxiety' due to the 'overwhelming' symptoms of menopause.
The radio and TV star shared a candid video on Instagram on Monday, in which she emotionally spoke about how she is dealing with hormonal changes, leading to a message of support from fellow star Zoe Ball.
She said: 'I have been experiencing something that I have never in my life experienced before and it has taken the wind out of my sails actually.. Obviously it's hormones, but here's the thing - do I take hormones or do I feel the feels?'
In the comments section, Zoe, 55, replied: 'oh darling girl. it is so overwhelming when it comes. i hear you. it was by far my biggest symptom with menopause and undid me quite a bit. sending you so much love x'.
Anita, whose parents are both from India, highlighted the fact Asian women are rarely open about health woes and the impact of menopause.
While out for a walk, Anita filmed herself saying: 'Hello gang. I wanted to share something deeply personal with you which I don't often do, so this is weird in itself...
Anita Rani, 48, has detailed experiencing 'crippling anxiety' due to the 'overwhelming' symptoms of menopause
The radio and TV star shared a candid video on Instagram on Monday, in which she emotionally spoke about how she is dealing with hormonal changes, leading to a message of support from fellow star Zoe Ball
Zoe shared a message of support for her pal
'I have been experiencing something that I have never in my life experienced before and it has taken the wind out of my sails actually. I am suffering crippling anxiety. I am overwhelmed, I am unsure, and for somebody who has dealt wih life like this...
'With the power of a first born Indian dauhter who bosses life also just copes! I'm f**king great at it, this is like "What the hell is going on?"...
'Every mechanism I have in place to just deal with stuff that's just come easily for way over 40 years to me is crumbling beneath my feet.. Obviously it's hormones, but here's the thing - do I take hormones or do I feel the feels?...
'Am I supposed to feel this? Am I supposed to go "Oh okay, somethig is naturally going on". Well, we're not tolerating the bulls**t anymore. We're not taking that from that person. Maybe I don't need to spin all the plates at once...
'Is that I'm meant to do? Maybe I'm meant to feel my feelings. Also I get teary. I've ever got teary. I've been brought up to just boss and do and feel for other people but not for myself. And so right now we're in a situation gang...
'Because I just don't think Asian women talk aboout it. I don't think women talk about it but brown women, we don't talk about s*it do we? So that's why I'm telling you. Can anyone else relate? Send me your tips'.
She added an accompanying caption reading: 'Not my usual kind of post - but something I really wanted to share in case anyone else is feeling similar...
She said: ''Every mechanism I have in place to just deal with stuff that's just come easily for way over 40 years to me is crumbling beneath my feet.. Obviously it's hormones, but here's the thing - do I take hormones or do I feel the feels?'
Her emotional video reached a number of fans
WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE?
Menopause is when a woman stops having periods, and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.
It usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.
It is a normal part of ageing and caused by levels of the sex hormone oestrogen dropping.
Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms.
Others suffer from hot flushes, sleeping difficulties, mood swings and brain fog, which can last for months or years and might change over time.
HRT replaces the hormones and is the main treatment used to treat symptoms — which can be severe and disrupt day-to-day life.
Menopause happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month.
'Recorded while out and about doing the thing that has always made sense for my mental health - going for a run. All tips welcome, gang!'
Anita has previously been thrust into the spotlight with her relationships, including her romance with sound-wellness creator and musician Alex Lavery which she made public debut in September 2025.
Anita and Alex's new relationship comes two years after she ended her 14-year marriage to technology executive Bhupinder Rehal in September 2023.
A year on, in September 2024, she said that 'life is good' and that she felt like she was entering 'chapter two' of her life.
She told Love Sunday Magazine: 'Life is good, I'm in a good place. I'm focusing on myself and my own wants. It's nice to be able to think about the second phase of my life. I've been calling it Chapter Two.'
Anita met her former husband at a rave in east London and married in a Sikh ceremony back in 2009, before splitting last September, believed to be as a result of their hectic schedules.
A source told The Mirror at the time: 'It's really sad but they've decided to separate. Their hectic schedules over the past couple of years have sadly meant they've drifted apart over time'.
Anita has previously been thrust into the spotlight with her relationships, including her romance with sound-wellness creator and musician Alex Lavery which she made public debut in September 2025 (pictured)
Anita admitted she'd found 'freedom' after getting divorced in a candid piece for The Sunday Times, and explained how she has been navigating single life in her forties.
Anita, who was born and raised in Bradford, West Yorkshire by an Indian-born Hindu father and an Indian-born Sikh mother, also revealed how her upbringing had impacted her approach to life.
She confessed that her family believed divorce to be a 'cardinal sin', and while she admitted it 'isn't easy to talk about', she wanted to detail how she feels about her life now so 'that I am answerable to no one'.
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