Carol Vorderman reveals she decided to appear in I'm A Celebrity because she has gone through the menopause

By Tammy Hughes For The Daily Mail

Published: 15:29 EST, 7 November 2016 | Updated: 16:23 EST, 7 November 2016

Carol Vorderman has been named as one of the contestants in this year's I'm a Celebrity

She’s a member of Mensa and has a degree from Cambridge University.

So Carol Vorderman’s decision to appear on a reality TV show where eating kangaroo’s testicles is commonplace has raised a few eyebrows.

But now she has revealed the reason behind wanting to appear in I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here - she’s gone through the menopause.

The former Countdown star, 55, referred to herself as a ‘menopausal Mama’ and said that going through the change had given her a new lease of life.

Speaking ahead of going into the jungle this week she said: ‘I know people will ask “why does Carol need to do this?” but I have never ever paid attention to what others think. I make my own decisions. I like the show and want to do it.

‘I have been watching the show for years and have laughed so much. It is so funny.

‘Now I am a menopausal Mama, I am having the time of my life. I am doing a lot more adventurous stuff and it’s the sense of adventure that I love about this show. It’s a very free time in my life.’

The average age for women to go through the menopause in the UK is 51 but it usually happens between the ages of 45 and 555.

It is defined as the point where a women’s periods stop and they are no longer able to conceive naturally.

But many women suffer a number of unpleasant side effects including hot flushes, mood swings, night sweats, weight gain and decreased sex drive.

The contestants (left to right): Joel Dommett, Scarlett Moffatt, Wayne Bridge, Adam Thomas, Lisa Snowden, Larry Lamb, Carol Vorderman, Sam Quek, Jordan Banjo and Ola Jordan

In some extreme cases menopause has been linked to suicide and even depression.

One I’m a Celebrity source said: ‘Carol’s very brave for bringing this up. It’s not something everyone is happy speaking about, but it’s brilliant that she’s decided to open up about the issue.’

She has revealed she is taking part because she has gone through the menopause and it has given her a new lease of life

Miss Vorderman is the only single female going into the camp after breaking up with her partner Graham Duff, who was 14 years her junior, last year.

The only other single campmate is 31 year old comedian Joel Dommett who said of Miss Vorderman ‘I like maths. I like to show my working out. I think she would appreciate that.’

Earlier this year Miss Vorderman told The Mirror: ‘I’m happily single, freely independent and doing my own thing.’

The star is mother to 24-year-old daughter Katie and son Cameron, 19, who she shares with her second husband Patrick King, who she divorced in 2000 after a decade of marriage.

Miss Vorderman is expected to arrive in Brisbane today or tomorrow and will then be briefed and taken to the camp in the Australian rainforest.

She is likely to take part in a number of ‘BushTucker Trials’ which can involve eating an array of disgusting creatures (dead or alive), being buried with snakes, rats or creepy crawlies or taking part in any number of grueling physical challenges.

Miss Vorderman won the dubious honour of being crowned Rear of the Year for the second time aged 53.

 

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