Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Health and Fitness

    Davina McCall will fight for "as long as it takes" to help women during the HRT crisis, she vows

    "I think it’s the most important thing I’ll ever do."

    Ally Head's avatar
    By Ally Head
    Published 29 April 2022 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    "I think it’s the most important thing I’ll ever do."

    It's no news that HRT shortages are rocking the UK, and in news today, Davina McCall has vowed to "fight as long as she can" for women to get the correct care during the crisis.

    The presenter has long spoken candidly about her own hormone replacement therapy and treatment, airing Sex, Myths and the Menopause last year which detailed her own menopause journey.

    So now, as women across the country struggle to get their normal HRT prescriptions due to shortages, she's taking a stand and advocating for the millions of women affected to get the correct care. (Read what happens if you suddenly stop taking HRT, here).

    Sharing that using her platform to promote change "is the most important thing [she'll] ever do," she said: "I think this is going to be my life’s work now. It’s frustrating, but it feels like we’ve gone a long way in the last year in terms of public knowledge and willingness to do something about it."

    You may like
    • From L to R: Gabby Logan, Michelle Griffiths-Robinson, Gym Ta, Lavina Mehta and Liz Earle I Asked 15 Women Over 50 for the Health Habits They Wish They'd Started Sooner
    • A woman in the shadows; holding a bunch of flowers “I Found My Own Breast Lump at 39. Here’s What I Wish I'd Known Sooner”
    • Emilia Clarke Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”

    "I’ll be doing this as long as it takes: I feel like it’s really important." 

    It's been reported that some women are turning to desperate measures to ensure they get their medication, such as buying on the black market.

    In a nutshell, HRT works by replacing the hormones that are at a lower level during perimenopause, according to the NHS website. There is a taboo surrounding the treatment after one misinterpreted 2002 study found that it could potentially increase your risk of breast cancer - despite this since being debunked.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    GP's also may be asked to limit prescription cycles by the Department of Health, with the aim of easing the current supply issues as much as possible.

    Davina isn't the only celebrity to speak about her menopause journey - Penny Lancaster has, too, and both took part in the Menopause Revolution protests outside Downing Street last October.

    A follow-up documentary to Sex, Myths and the Menopause - aptly called Sex, Mind and the Menopause - is due to be released later this year.

    The documentary will discuss the HRT taboo, common menopause myths, and how showing menopause symptoms at work is often leading to women being sacked or unfairly dismissed.

    Davina has previously said that menopause made her feel "invisible" and "frightened" prior to taking HRT medication.

    For her, taking the hormones was like "being reborn", and she is passionate to break the taboo surrounding it.

    Ally Head
    Ally Head
    Social Links Navigation
    Senior Health and Sustainability Editor

    Ally is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, a well-regarded wellness expert, ten-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner.

    Utilising her impressive skillset and exceptional quality of writing, she pens investigative, review and first-person pieces that consistently demonstrate flair and originality.

    Ally manages a team of freelancers, oversees all commissioning and strategy for her pillars, and spearheads the brand's annual Women in Sport covers, interviewing and shooting the likes of Mary Earps, Millie Bright, and Ilona Maher. Shortlisted for three BSMEs and winning one in 2022, Ally lives and breathes her verticals: her eye for a story and connections within the wellness sphere are unrivalled. Follow Ally on Instagram for more.

    Read more
    From L to R: Gabby Logan, Michelle Griffiths-Robinson, Gym Ta, Lavina Mehta and Liz Earle
    Wellbeing I Asked 15 Women Over 50 for the Health Habits They Wish They'd Started Sooner
    A woman in the shadows; holding a bunch of flowers
    Female health “I Found My Own Breast Lump at 39. Here’s What I Wish I'd Known Sooner”
     
     
    Emilia Clarke
    Culture Emilia Clarke: “That's my goal for the next decade of my life: to take it lightly. But it requires strength.”
    A close up of some flowers: roses, daises, dahlias
    Female health I've Tried 7 Different Types of Birth Control. Here's What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner
     
     
    Latest in Health and Fitness
    Health Writer Ellie-Mae Hammond trying a simple breathwork technique for relaxation
    Wellbeing This Breathing Trick Calms Your Nervous System in Just 60 Seconds—Trust Me, I’ve Tried It
    A woman lying on a sofa tired
    Female health Feeling Exhausted? The Low-Iron Signs Women Often Miss—and the Tests to Ask For
     
     
    A mug of coffee; a pile of pumpkins; autumnal leaves.
    Wellbeing The Autumn Energy Slump Gets Me Every Time—So I Asked Experts How to Feel Less Run Down Without Overhauling My Entire Life
    Health Writer Ellie-Mae Hammond trying the NS
    Female health I Tried the ‘NSDR’ Relaxation Technique for 6 Weeks—Can Finding Time to Do Nothing Really Boost Our Energy?
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Best Treatments for Eye Wrinkles, Dark Circles and Hooded Eyes
    Skincare From Dark Circles to Drooping Lids—An Expert Guide to What Really Works for Every Eye Concern
    collage of October fashion collaborations
    Fashion From Rixo to Burberry and M&S Lingerie, These are the Fashion Collaborations We’re Excited About Right Now
     
     
    Reverend Pippa White, author of Not a Priestess: Tales from Beyond the Pulpit, shares her experiences of sexism as a female vicar in the Church of England.
    Money and Work I Thought That When I Became a Vicar, the Sexist Remarks Would Stop—I Couldn’t Have Been More Wrong
    Olivia Munn trench coat black trousers
    Fashion Olivia Munn’s Swing Trench Is the Rainy-Weather Layer That Adds Ladylike Polish to Every Outfit
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.