‘Menopause makes me panic on the motorway!’

Suzie Wells on daughters Sam and Billie helping her cope with symptoms and looking forward to being a gran again

- KIRSTY HATCHER

As a regular fixture on daughter Billie Shepherd’s reality show The Family Diaries, Suzie Wells has become a star in her own right. And she’s never afraid to share insights into her own life – whether it’s going on dates or being a grandma to Billie and her other daughter Sam’s five young children.

More recently, Suzie has been opening up about her journey with the menopause – and new spoke to her during World Menopause Awareness Month to hear how her life has been impacted by the symptoms.

“I thought I was getting early onset dementia,” the 53-year-old tells us. “You think, ‘Oh my God, am I going crazy?’ But it’s the brain fog.

“The hardest part has been not feeling like myself and the anxiety. I used to drive all over the country and around Europe, but now I get in the car and I can’t even go over a bridge. I’ve had panic attacks on the motorway. I’ll be on the road and when there’s a lorry either side of me I feel like I’m not in control and I get that feeling of panic.

“I’ve been trying to avoid motorways, but that’s a pain when Sam lives in Surrey. I end up having to go 60mph in the slow lane to get there and I find myself holding on for dear life.”

Suzie isn’t the only celebrity who has opened about how much they’ve been affected by the menopause. Davina McCall, Lorraine Kelly and Nadia Sawalha have all spoken about their experiences, something Suzie says has helped her.