'I was off the scale' - Ruth Langsford told son Jack about the menopause after she 'lost her rag'

Ruth Langsford spoke out on Loose Women last year about a conversation she’d had with her son Jack about the menopause after she "lost [her] rag".

Everyone’s experience of the menopause is unique and all-too-often too little is said about it, meaning it can often feel like there is a misplaced sense of shame surrounding it. Breaking down these barriers and having candid conversations about everything from symptoms to what HRT is are incredibly important and ITV’s Loose Women often delves into these subjects. During the show on 28th October 2024, the panelists discussed contraception, periods and the menopause and educating people about them. Reflecting upon her own experience of menopause, Ruth Langsford described a talk she had once with her now 22-year-old son Jack, after she "lost [her] rag" in an "off the scale" way.

"I always say as a mother of a son it is our responsibility to talk to young men about contraception, about women's health, about periods and about the menopause," she declared, as per The Mirror.

"I had to have a chat with Jack about the menopause because I lost my rag one day with him, it was off the scale," she said.

Ruth’s frankness about this mother-and-son conversation was incredibly refreshing and she hasn’t shied away from discussing how mood swings have affected her in similar ways before. Speaking to Woman magazine back in 2019, the Loose Women panellist explained that, at times, she has felt like an "angry old woman" when small things get to her.

"I definitely feel like an angry old woman," she shared. "I fight over very simple things, and not always people, it can be inanimate objects in the house, or I bang myself or drop something and it's like a red rage - the language that comes out."

Her experience will resonate with so many women and Ruth’s honesty, both with her son and with the world, regarding her symptoms is very inspirational. It can help hugely if the people around you can understand more about your experience.

The TV host is set to celebrate her 65th birthday in March and ahead of this milestone she exclusively told woman&home’s March edition about how she approaches ageing. Whilst so many of us strive to love our bodies, Ruth shared how total body confidence isn’t always entirely smooth sailing as we get older and feel the pressure to feel "empowered".

She explained, "I know I’m supposed to be empowered, look in the mirror and love my 65-year-old body. Well, I don’t always and, actually, I don’t think many women do. When I’m with my friends, we all complain about trivial stuff but it’s how we feel and that’s OK. Then, we pick ourselves up and get on with our lives because we have so much to be grateful for."

For someone in the public eye like Ruth, other people’s opinions are often freely given too, but she told woman&home how she admirably viewed a recent negative comment on social media with a sense of perspective.

"A man put on a social media post, ‘Ruth’s really looking her age these days.’ I had a little jolt and thought, ‘What, because I’ve got a few lines?’ I’m nearly 65. What am I supposed to look like?"