Now we know for certain that season 15 of the RHOC returns to our screens later this year, we decided to look back to when one of the most colourful housewives, Deborah Davies (who quit the show last year to become a full-time tele physic), opened up about her battle with menopause weight gain.
By doing so in such a public and admirable way, she joined the the likes of Davina McCall (pictured below) and Michelle Ackerley; famous women who have done wonders for breaking down the taboo (how it's still a taboo to some, we just don't know, but at least we have these incredible women speaking up for women everywhere).
In addition to revealing the news that season 15 of The Real Housewives of Cheshire would be gracing our screens later this year, ITV have also confirmed that it will be launching a two-part special exploring the menopause, airing on ITVBe and ITV Hub in August and starring Lauren Simon, Seema Malhotra, Rachel Lugo, Nicole Sealey, Lystra Adams and Sheena Lynch. All of these housewives will be candidly sharing their coping strategies and confronting the many taboos women face in dealing with ‘the change.’
Deborah Davies speaks out about menopause weight gain
Back in August 2021 – long before the show decided to tackle the menopause head on – RHOC star Deborah Davies took to Instagram to show off her stone and a half weight loss, admitting that the menopause had made it harder for to keep in shape.
Psychic and clairvoyant Deborah – who joined the cast for series 13 – shared two side by side photos where she can be seen to have slimmed down considerably and wrote, "I blame the menopause for the sudden weight gain 🙈.
"Thankfully though it’s now shifting because I feel more energised after losing this stone and a half! The menopause is the hardest thing to deal with, it stripped me of energy, made me constantly feel wiped out, hot flushes every 5 minutes 🙈 Felt hungry all the time, my metabolism was screwed.
"I’m not taking HRT [Hormone Replacement Therapy] I’ve had to learn a whole new way of eating."
She went on to reveal the diet supplements she was taking and tagged a number of natural weight loss specialists.
Deborah’s RHOC co-star Hanna Kinsella commented, "🔥Mega! Well done Debbie🔥🔥" and Rachel Lugo wrote, "👏👏👏👏❤️❤️ well done Debs".
Fans also offered their congratulations with one writing, "Amazing ❤️, I'm finding it hard with the menopause, I've never been as big as I am now. Hate it 😢".
"Beautiful either one 👏👏👏," said another. "Awesome for not taking the HRT... you go girl own it xx".
Last month Debbie revealed she’d overhauled her “old-fashioned” and “hearty” lockdown diet and ditched red meat in favour of pescatarian meals, which alongside her active lifestyle, have helped her lose weight.
She told OK! magazine, "In March 2020 we had an AGA delivered so all the way through lockdown I was making the most amazing meals and eating them all. Then suddenly the show came along and I had been living in leggings for a year and eating loads of gorgeous food!
"My husband Pete is 6"4. He is a big guy and can eat a lot of food and I was matching him. I thought, 'no, I need to get myself back on track’.
"I have just been more active as well so I haven’t really had to work really hard at losing the weight it just kind of came off but I am going to keep it up because I want to get my old self back."