Zoe Ball, 54, opens up on her ‘horrific’ menopause after experiencing panic attacks and difficulty breathing

by

Zoe Ball has spoken openly about her difficult experience with menopause, describing her symptoms as extremely painful.

The 54-year-old radio host talked about the medications she’s taking to manage pain related to her anxiety, panic attacks, and breathing problems.

On their Dig In podcast, Zoe shared that she uses a bioidentical hormone gel on her arms, takes a daily progesterone supplement, and gets blood tests every three months.

Okay, so I’ve been researching this *a lot*, and bioidentical gel is basically HRT, but it’s different! It uses hormones – like estradiol, which is estrogen – that are *exactly* the same chemically as what your body already makes. It’s not synthetic or anything, it’s like replacing what you’ve lost with the real deal! I’m so excited about it, it just makes so much sense!

She explained that she takes them daily because of heavy and irregular periods, describing them as unexpectedly heavy bleeding.

When I hosted the Breakfast Show, I struggled with really bad anxiety. It manifested as panic attacks – I’d have trouble breathing, cry a lot, and often felt very down and scared.

I realized this was a big part of the problem. I tried antidepressants for my anxiety and they helped temporarily, but I’m happy I’m no longer taking them now.

As a lifestyle expert, I often hear from women navigating perimenopause and menopause, and one of the biggest challenges is figuring out what’s *actually* happening. It’s so confusing because everyday life throws so much at us – stress, sleep changes, diet – and it’s hard to tell if those familiar symptoms are just part of life, or if they’re being amplified by hormonal shifts. That’s why I encourage everyone to be proactive and explore different strategies to see what helps them feel better. It’s about finding what works for *you*.

I’m feeling much more emotionally stable now. I still experience sadness occasionally, but that’s just a normal part of life. I especially feel like my hormones are balanced, which is a big improvement.

This follows Zoe’s tearful revelation that she experienced a difficult emotional breakdown after her mother passed away last year.

Zoe had to take a break from her BBC Radio 2 breakfast show after Julia sadly passed away in April 2024 following a fight with pancreatic cancer.

Zoe announced late last year that she was leaving her morning show, and Scott Mills will be taking her place.

Last month, Zoe shared how deeply affected she was by her mother’s death, explaining that she had to take a leave of absence from work after experiencing a breakdown.

On her podcast, Zoe described a moment where she was completely overwhelmed. She explained that she was unable to function, ending up on the kitchen floor and unable to move.

I went through a really tough time emotionally, something I haven’t discussed much. It was incredibly difficult.

I was so lucky to have a doctor who really went above and beyond. He actually came to my home one day with coffee and bagels, and gently let me know it was time to seek some support. He was just a wonderful person, and I’ll always be grateful for how he approached things – it made all the difference.

The mother of two said she found celebrating Julia’s first birthday after her death especially painful as she continues to mourn.

It’s been just over a year since my mum passed away, and finding her birthday this year was incredibly difficult. It hit me especially hard, even a full year later.

That was incredibly difficult. I cried for days, and even now, talking about my mother still brings up a lot of emotion.

I truly believe the best way to cope is to rely on the people you care about, and to allow yourself to cry when you need to. It’s okay to feel sadness and let those emotions out.

Read More

2025-10-08 03:49