Lisa Snowdon argues with Ann Widdecombe over menopause

Lisa Snowdon found herself in a heated argument with Ann Widdecombe over menopause on Wednesday.

The two ladies made guest appearances on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, where discussion quickly turned to the importance of opening up more conversations about menopause, which Lisa also talks about in her book Just Getting Started.

The 51-year-old presenter, who herself went through an early menopause, argued that talking about menopause was “swept under the carpet for a very long time” and that women had to “suffer in silence”, which was “not acceptable”.

However, 75-year-old Ann hit back, saying she grew up in a generation where women had to fight for equality and just “deal” with the transition, suggesting that points like Lisa’s undermine what they’ve been through.

The pair subsequently clashed over their views, with Lisa labeling the former MP’s views as ‘old-fashioned’, while Ann said her personal health issues were not Lisa’s or anyone else’s business.

Discussion: The two ladies made guest appearances on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show, where discussion quickly turned to the importance of opening up more conversations about menopause, which Lisa also talks about in her book Just Getting Started

After being asked by host Jeremy, 58, her thoughts on menopause, Lisa, who has always been open about her own journey, said it was good for women to be given the right support and diagnosis.

She went on to reveal statistics of women wanting to quit their jobs, leave their husbands, and even commit suicide, adding, “To me, that’s no longer acceptable in this society because it affects everyone, not just women.”

She said she was only 42 when she first started having symptoms and had felt “very lost, very alone and very unwell.”

The TV star added that she has also spent a lot of money to find the right answers and that with her book she wants to speed up the diagnosis of women and save them from spending so much money.

She added that she wants the conversation to be “even louder” and for the men to recognize what is happening to the women in their lives.

Jeremy then pointed out that Ann stood “firmly” next to Lisa, and had assumed she was dissatisfied with Lisa’s comments about the menopausal diagnosis, when in fact she was an “apart of life.”

Ann replied, “I’m brushing for a completely different reason.” I belonged to that generation of women who fought for true equality in the 1970s.

“And one of the things we were always told was, ‘If we have equal rights at work, what about women? They’re hopeless when they go through menopause. They’re hopeless every month!’

Period: The presenter, 51, who herself went through early menopause, argued that talking about menopause was “swept under the carpet for a very, very long time” and that women should “suffer in silence”

Her say: However, Ann, 75, hit back, saying she grew up in a generation where women had to fight for equality and they just had to ‘deal’ with the transition

Awkward: The couple then clashed on their opinions, with Lisa labeling the former MP’s views as ‘old-fashioned’, while Ann shared that her personal health issues weren’t Lisa’s or anyone else’s business

“I used to get this tripe thrown at me all the time. And we fought it really hard and we said “no, nonsense! Women can just handle those things”. And now we seem to be asking for the final concession and consideration for something quite normal.’

While Lisa agreed that the transitional phase in a woman’s life is indeed “normal,” she dug into the fact that Ann said she “had to cope,” pointing out that women shouldn’t struggle with it.

The model then stated that views like Ann were an “old-fashioned attitude,” suggesting that Ann was “really lucky” that she wasn’t suffering from the severe symptoms many women have.

Fighting for support: Lisa, who has always been open about her own journey, said it was good for women to get the right support and diagnosis

Opinion: ‘I used to always get that rumen thrown at me. And we fought it really hard and we said ‘no, nonsense! Women can just handle those things'”

Host: Jeremy tried to ease the tension by asking Ann if, like Lisa, she could help another woman by talking openly about it

‘We didn’t complain, why are we doing it now?!’: To which Ann replied, ‘If I had struggled I would have gone to my GP. I had to continue sitting in the House of Commons’

The ex-Tory minister then said she doesn’t discuss these things, before pointing at Lisa and saying, “It’s none of your business!” And it’s certainly not how many million viewers you have? It’s none of their business!’

Jeremy tried to ease the tension by asking Ann if, like Lisa, she could help another woman by talking openly about it.

To which Ann replied, “If I had struggled, I would have gone to my doctor.” I had to go on with my stay in the House of Commons, during that time, the late sittings and all the rest, and I never heard a woman complain.

‘Since we didn’t complain, why are we doing it now?!’