Kate Lawler Opens Up About Menopause Struggles (fear of HRT, symptoms & marriage)

Is It Hot In Here? Midlife Podcast

November 17, 2025 ∙ 61 mins
Episode 1

About

Feel like you've lost yourself in menopause? Don't worry, getting back on track doesn't need to be a gruelling task.


In this deeply honest conversation, broadcaster, Big Brother winner, and fellow podcaster Kate Lawler joins Dr Naomi Potter to talk about the emotional and physical toll of menopause. Kate opens up candidly about her fear of taking HRT, the whirlwind of menopause symptoms she's trying to keep at bay, how she wishes she could "give my husband the wife he married back" and so much more.


If you have also felt like a hormonal mess with no idea what to fix first, this episode will be an absolute game-changer for you.


💬 Topics include:

• Kate’s personal journey through perimenopause

• The fear and stigma surrounding HRT

• How hormone changes can impact relationships

• Losing (and rediscovering) your sense of identity

• Dr Naomi Potter’s advice for women feeling “not themselves”


Follow Is It Hot In Here? podcast on Instagram at @podcast_naomipotter


Follow Kate Lawler below:

Kate's Instagram: @thekatelawler

Kate's TikTok: @thekatelawler

Kate's YouTube channel: ⁨@katelawlerofficial⁊


Kate's podcast Boj and Kate Have A Lot On Their Plate: https://linktr.ee/bojandkate?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnthf83MQB3QCQlYTqfqJKS2tjJiCSp5weC6KQE7FXsZw0lK5hfZK-punRLoE_aem_w6T5Dd2sv0lkhTOmCneO3Q&brid=twDZS9EANZGY80xeeatMAg

Follow her podcast on Instagram: @bogandkate


Follow Dr. Naomi Potter below:

Naomi’s Instagram: @dr_naomipotter

Naomi’s TikTok: @dr_naomipotter


More info and menopause support at: https://www.menopausecare.co.uk/


00:00 – Meet Kate Lawler

00:43 – Winning Big Brother

02:33 – Postnatal depression and motherhood

03:28 – Why Kate hid perimenopause (stigma, work, ageism)

04:45 – “I don’t feel like me”: perimenopause symptoms

06:59 – Mood swings, heavy periods, anxiety & brain fog

09:03 – The blood test that changed everything

10:35 – Early menopause warning at the fertility clinic

12:15 – Fear of HRT

13:31 – HRT and breast tenderness

16:24 – Health anxiety in perimenopause

18:10 – Real HRT risks

19:11 – Personalising HRT: oestrogen, progesterone & testosterone

22:13 – Can extra progesterone help with sleep and anxiety?

23:55 – Testosterone on the NHS

27:04 – Bone health in early menopause

28:57 – Balancing risks: breast cancer headlines vs heart & brain health

31:11 – Kate Lawler breaks down about perimenopause

35:44 – HRT patches vs gel

39:29 – Vaginal oestrogen

44:47 – Setting rest boundaries in midlife

51:02 – Why midlife women feel overwhelmed

56:05 – “Textbook perimenopause” vs depression

57:45 – Listener Questions

1:01:00 – Closing thoughts and next steps for Kate Lawler


#hrt #menopause #katelawler

Information

Podcast

Is It Hot In Here? Midlife Podcast

Episode

1

Date

November 17, 2025

Length

61 mins
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