The One Show presenter Alex Jones, 49, has admitted she suffers from perimenopause rage after questioning if having a baby delayed her symptoms.
Speaking this week on the Dig It podcast with Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball, the Welsh TV host said she was initially in denial about the condition. Jones shares three children with her husband Charlie Thomson: Teddy, nine, Kit, seven, and Annie, four.
Discussing perimenopause on the show, Jones called it a minefield and questioned whether there were enough weeks in the year to discuss it. "Am I perimenopausal yet, I think I am slightly in denial," she said. "I suppose I had my youngest child at 44 and so I don't know whether my body is confused because I have tricked it into thinking that it's younger than it is because I haven't really had any symptoms."
She revealed a recent incident made her realise the phase had begun. "But then when I threw a four-pinter of milk across the kitchen the other day, I thought 'oh my God here we are,'" she recalled. "The rage has started. It is so vague and thankfully, and I think this is brilliant, we are talking about it more and more now."
Jones added: "So am I in denial? Slightly. Should I be on HRT? Probably." Perimenopause is the natural transitional phase before menopause when estrogen levels rise and fall, causing irregular periods and physical or emotional symptoms. The phase typically begins in a person's mid-40s and lasts several years until 12 consecutive months pass without a period.
Perimenopause and alcohol triggers
Last month, presenter Lisa Snowdon also discussed her own experience of menopause, telling Prima magazine that drinking wine would trigger rages. "I used to get so angry after a few glasses," Snowdon explained. "All of a sudden, I'd turn into the devil and I had no idea why. I felt groggy and heavy and I didn't sleep. Now, I have much less alcohol. I'm not going to deny myself, but it's about balance."
Snowdon added that anxiety severely affected her professional life during the peak of her symptoms. "At the height of my menopause, anxiety really impacted my work," she said. "My confidence was at rock bottom, and I was having panic attacks thinking, 'I can't do my job.' My mind was playing tricks on me."
Marriage and family timing
Earlier this summer, Jones revealed her husband Charlie considered moving back to New Zealand during the early days of their relationship. Gracing the cover of Women & Home's August issue, the BBC host expressed gratitude that he decided to stay in the UK so they could explore their connection.
The couple met at a party and married on New Year's Eve in 2015. They celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in Auckland over New Year, spending a week on the beach with their children. "I feel proud that Charlie and I made our marriage work," Jones said. "When we were first dating, there was a question mark over whether he'd go back to New Zealand, but he decided to stay. I'm grateful he did that for me and that we're able to raise our children here."
Ahead of turning 50 next year, Jones said she felt she had children at the right time after welcoming her first child at age 41. Describing herself as a big fatalist, she noted that while she sometimes wonders why it did not happen sooner, she believes things happen when you are ready.
She explained that she and insurance broker Charlie had travelled, bought their first house, and were in a good place before having kids. She said she appreciates all the mundane aspects of family life, from WhatsApp groups to misplaced water bottle lids. "I think, 'Imagine if it was quiet in the house?'" she said. "The noise and the pace and the rhythm of it is what makes you feel vital and alive. I appreciate it so much."
Supporting partner mental health
Jones has also previously opened up about her husband's mental health struggles and shared advice on supporting a partner with depression. Speaking on Jamie Laing's Great Company podcast, she admitted needing to bite her tongue to avoid making unhelpful suggestions like going for a walk or a drink when her partner could not get out of bed.
She explained that she had to learn to let go of judgement, calling her initial lack of understanding her own failing. The mother-of-three noted that she now understands depression is an illness rather than the person's identity. She added that she and Charlie made a deal never to run from each other and to face both fun and difficult times head on.
The presenter previously divulged on The MidPoint podcast in 2023 that Charlie went downhill fast mentally after becoming seriously ill with Lyme Disease and viral meningitis. She recalled feeling at a loss during that period, reflecting on how people talk a good game about helping others but often do not know what action to take when faced with mental health crises.
