With everybody marking World Menopause Day, EastEnders have released some special clips online.
The first of two clips, each captioned: ‘A moment to pause. A conversation worth having’ features Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) meeting at the tube station, where Linda experiences a hot flush.
Honey, a character who began her menopause journey this year, luckily has a hand-held fan to help.
‘Brain fog, hot flushes and drawers full of handheld fans… sometimes it helps to compare notes with a friend. And what better time to start the conversation than World Menopause Day?’ the caption on the clip begins.
‘In ‘The Pause: Linda & Honey’, Linda opens up about menopause, and Honey shares her own experiences.
‘Their honest conversation makes space for the things that too often go unspoken or get brushed aside. Menopause is different for everyone, but talking openly, listening to each other and having a giggle along the way can help you feel less alone.’
As Linda tries to compare her hot flush to a desert, she forgets the word entirely, only able to describe it as ‘big and hot’, before Honey suggests Hugh Jackman and Idris Elba, which we totally get.
‘Honestly, I think the heat is burning holes in my brain,’ Linda says, before struggling to find the word to compare her brain to.
Both she and Honey realise at once: ‘sieve’.
Linda is grateful that it’s not just her suffering, as Honey retells a tale of laying into her husband, Billy (Perry Fenwick), for moving her phone, while she was actually holding said phone.
She went on to explain the benefits of the HRT treatment she’s receiving and suggested it might be worth Linda looking into, before they discuss the fact that, historically, the menopause simply wasn’t discussed, which is all too true of so many things.
While Linda lamented mocking her own mum’s hot flashes, Honey reasoned that, with her own mum having died in childbirth, perhaps she and Linda were lucky to reach the age that menopause starts, before telling Linda that, should she need another fan, she’s got tons.
The second clip sees Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) and Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) cross paths.
‘Life in Walford rarely slows down but taking time to talk matters,’ the caption begins.
‘To mark World Menopause Day ‘The Pause: Chelsea & Yolande’ sees Chelsea open up about the beginning of her perimenopause journey, while Yolande reflects on her own experiences.
‘Two women at different stages of life, finding common ground, reassurance and humour in an honest chat.
‘Whether you’re going through it yourself or want to understand someone else’s experience, it’s good to talk… and just as important to listen.’
The clip shows the two crossing paths in the café, and as Chelsea starts to open up, everything around them freezes.
As the Yolande offers advice on how to deal with period cramps, Chelsea corrects her, and after a brief pregnancy misunderstanding, Chelsea explains that she thinks she’s in perimenopause and has been tracking her symptoms due to her cycle being ‘all over the place’.
Chelsea explains the deep anxiety that’s affecting her due to her fluctuating hormones and that while puberty was somewhat exciting, she’s dreading a future of ‘elasticated waistbands’.
Yolande is quick to tell her that she, having experienced it, is actually in the prime of life, but sympathises with how brutal menopause can be, before highlighting the positive changes that come with it.
While Chelsea worries that she’ll never have a sex life again, Yolande tells her that sex is like a ‘fine wine, it gets better with age’ and while Chelsea’s still unconvinced, Yolande is there to remind her that she’s more than just the ability to conceive and bolsters her confidence in herself.