Woman interview

‘Historically, people say you get “past you can do is to make them comfortable, your sell-by date” but I’m happy to tell and that’s hard to watch. But I’m doing you that it’s quite the opposite! Life is OK. We got to say everything that we t’s been a year of mixed emotions much more interesting now than it ever wanted to say, we were together all of the for Pride of Britain host Carol has been before. I love my life. I have the time. You also have to be the lead for your

Vorderman. In May, the star, 56, most interesting, amazing friends and children, because obviously they’ve lost a confessed that the menopause consequently have a life that I could never grandparent. In my children’s case, they had plunged her into a dark have dreamt of. I was working like a bat were really close to my mum because she

depression.I June saw more heartache, out of hell in my 20s, 30s and 40s, so this lived with us. But the three of us are very as the presenter lost her beloved mum, is a whole new period now.’ happy because we know we did our best.’ Jean, to cancer. However, when Woman caught up with Carol, just as she ‘One winner I particular love from this ‘Me, Katie and Cameron are so close. returned from a recent trip to America, I have a ‘ year’s Pride of Britain is called Dilys Katie is studying at Cambridge and it was clear she’s now in a much better Price. Dilys is 84 and goes skydiving Cameron is at university, but he still lives place – albeit a little jet-lagged! Happily life I could freefall, not strapped to anything. I’ve at home. We have a different relationship chatting away, the former Loose Women seen footage and it’s just her on the back now they’re older. I don’t have to rush star – who lives in Bristol and is mum of the plane. She dives out headfirst and home from the studio to make tea – to Katie, 26, and Cameron, 20 – soon ‘never have spirals down. Over the past 30 years she’s Cameron is 20, so he can do that himself opened up about family, fame, and done 1,100 jumps, which is almost one and cook for me at the same time! Both of why she’s not fazed by growing older! a week! One of the reasons I love her so them are coming to Pride of Britain for the dreamt of much is because Dilys did her first jump first time this year too, and I’m going to do aged 54, and I didn’t get my first flying the red carpet with them. Katie’s been pilot’s license until I was 53. It’s that once before, but nobody’s really seen message that it’s never too late to start.’ Cameron – he’s 6ft 5in now!’ woman ‘I saw Lorraine Kelly recently and she ‘I call the different parts of my life exclusive! said that me being so frank about the “chapters” – and you have to make the menopause on her show got a massive most of every one. Some are shorter response. That’s why she also opened and others longer, but just because one up about her experience. I’d never been chapter comes to an end, it doesn’t negate depressed in my life until this menopausal what you did in it. That’s why I always tell depression came across me. It was the children I had a very happy marriage. a double whammy really, because People say, “But you got divorced?” But it I’m one of the most positive doesn’t change the fact that we had 12 people you could imagine. That’s years of utter joy. I’m not going to say the how I’ve always been, so when it marriage was a bad marriage – it wasn’t, it floored me, I couldn’t comprehend was an excellent marriage – it just wasn’t it. But once I’d recognised what at the end. Rather than looking back and ‘I’m not it was, I went to a hormonal thinking something has to last forever, I specialist. So I was more than happy appreciate it for what it was at the time.’ to talk about it and I was happily astonished by the response – there ‘My advice for this year’s I’m a was nothing negative.’ Celebrity contestants? Don’t argue, and just enjoy it! I’m going back out there this ‘At the time of losing my mum, it year as a guest on the Extra Camp and it past my Carol and her was horrible to see someone so ill will be lovely as it’s Scarlett Moffatt and children were very and know that you can’t make Joel Dommett from my year presenting it. close to her mum them better. When it’s terminal, all Because we’d been off booze for about four weeks last year, one of the best nights of the show was when we had the jungle pub. It was the best thing! We’re all still in touch now. I loved it.’ sell-by ‘I did Strictly a million years ago. It’s changed now, though. It’s not a sideline any more – it’s a full-time commitment. Would I go on Dancing on Ice? No! I’m out of all of that. I’m too old to do those things because they don’t have a handicap date!’ system, so if you’re a certain age you get a certain number of points. You’re up Carol Vorderman on why growing older against a 21-year-old Olympic athlete or is the best thing that’s happened to her something, so that’s going nowhere fast.’ ✱ The Pride of Britain Awards with TSB She’ll return to the Carol says she will air on 7 November on ITV Words: R ianne I son. photos: RE X F EATURES jungle to appear wouldn’t go on on Extra Camp Strictly again 12 womanmagazine.co.uk womanmagazine.co.uk 13