Carol Vorderman says she's 'absolutely disgusted' in explosive rant at MPs trends now

Carol Vorderman says she's 'absolutely disgusted' in explosive rant at MPs trends now
Carol Vorderman says she's 'absolutely disgusted' in explosive rant at MPs trends now

Carol Vorderman says she's 'absolutely disgusted' in explosive rant at MPs trends now

Carol Vorderman today tore into two Government ministers during a furious rant in front of MPs, claiming she was 'absolutely disgusted' by the pair of them.

Within minutes of taking stand to discuss menopause in the workplace, the TV star criticised Kemi Badenoch for comparing 'women going through terrible, terrible menopausal symptoms with those with ginger hair'.

Ms Badenoch, No10's equalities minister, last month dismissed suggestions that the menopause should be given a special legally protected status.

She stated the menopause was on a list of characteristics campaigners had claimed should be written into the Equality Act, just like 'having ginger hair' or 'being short' and that a menopause leave pilot for women was being proposed from 'a leftwing perspective'. 

Ms Vorderman, patron of campaign group Menopause Mandate, said the comments made to the Women and Equalities Committee were 'patronising' and 'insulting to all women'.

Carol Vorderman, Patron of the Menopause Mandate, answering questions in front of the Women and Equalities Select Committee at the House of Commons, on the subject of Menopause and the workplace

Carol Vorderman, Patron of the Menopause Mandate, answering questions in front of the Women and Equalities Select Committee at the House of Commons, on the subject of Menopause and the workplace

(left to right) Mariella Frostrup, chair of Menopause Mandate; Karen Arthur, founder of  Menopause Whilst Black; Carol Vorderman, patron of Menopause Mandate and Kate Muir, menopause expert, author and documentary maker, answering questions in front of the Women and Equalities Select Committee at the House of Commons

(left to right) Mariella Frostrup, chair of Menopause Mandate; Karen Arthur, founder of  Menopause Whilst Black; Carol Vorderman, patron of Menopause Mandate and Kate Muir, menopause expert, author and documentary maker, answering questions in front of the Women and Equalities Select Committee at the House of Commons

During her appearance in front of the same committee, Ms Vorderman, 62, also laid into No10's health minister Maria Caulfield.

Responding to a question by Tory committee chairwoman Caroline Nokes, on how she would characterize the government's response to help menopausal women, the ex-Countdown star said: 'Menopause can be detrimentally lifechanging for a number of women. Nearly 16million women are at work at the moment.

'And yet, Maria Caulfield cannot be bothered to turn up'

Ms Vorderman, who is patron of campaign group Menopause Mandate and has been vocal about her battle with depression when it happened, added: 'She's refused your request to turn up today.

WHAT IS THE MENOPAUSE?

Menopause is when a woman stops having periods, and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally.

It usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55.

It is a normal part of ageing and caused by levels of the sex hormone oestrogen dropping.

Some women go through this time with few, if any, symptoms. 

Others suffer from hot flushes, sleeping difficulties, mood swings and brain fog, which can last for months or years and might change over time.

HRT replaces the hormones and is the main treatment used to treat symptoms — which can be severe and disrupt day-to-day life.

Menopause happens when your ovaries stop producing as much of the hormone oestrogen and no longer release an egg each month.

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'Worse than that, when confronted with this... she said she had written a letter to you with alternative dates a week ago. 

'She was very specific about that and replied to me yesterday when I said that she'd refused to come in and she said "absolutely not true". She then deleted all that from Twitter later.' 

Speaking of Ms Badenoch's comments, Ms Vorderman said: 'I could not as a woman - a post-menopausal woman - who is from a working class background, get over the patronising statements that she made.

'I thought they were insulting to all women.

'She basically said to Carolyn this was a left wing issue when we were talking about menopause pilot in the workplace and characteristically compared women going through terrible terrible menopausal symptoms with those with ginger hair, to short people.'

Ms Vorderman, who also discussed the menopause during an appearance on ITV's This Morning today, added: 'What am I listening to here. It's the twenty first century, this was like going back 100 years when women just had the vote. I just couldn't believe it.

'When women make up almost half of the workforce and yet these are the two women in government who are meant to be representing the female population.

'I was disgusted to be perfectly honest by both of them. Absolutely disgusted.'

During her appearance, Ms Vorderman also highlighted the difficulties in accessing hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

A lack of supply saw desperate women ration their prescription, swap drugs in car parks, turn to the black market and even look abroad.

Fellow menopause campaigners Mariella Frostrup, chair of Menopause Mandate; Karen Arthur, founder of Menopause Whilst Black and Kate

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