Ruth Jones, an actress and author, has experienced a number of emotional upheavals in recent years, including one that left her sobbing on the phone.
Gavin and Stacey creator Ruth Jones struggled to cope with her menopausal weeping fits and mood swings in the latter years of her failing marriage. The writer and actress, 58, announced this week that she had split from her estranged husband David Peet after 26 years together.
She revealed that they were legally divorced about 18 months ago. Petet has found a new partner and is now residing in Canada. Ruth has also experienced emotional ordeals in recent years, but this is not the only one.
The Welsh star – best known as Nessa Jenkins in the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey which she co-wrote with James Corden – has admitted she would ‘weep down the phone’ to friends while she was going through the menopause in her early 50s.
She experienced this because of her fluctuating mood. She stated, “I think going through menopause is a really strange experience, and I think, in part, I thought, Oh, it won’t happen to me.”
I don’t know what all the fuss is about, my mother used to tell me. I don’t believe I ever experienced menopause. And I tell you, “Mum, you must have done.”
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but when I started the menopause, I was completely shocked by how it affected my moods. I’d be talking to one of my best friends and I’d be crying on the phone. I’m a distinct individual.
And it was truly incredible, so I started the HRT, which almost overnight, disappeared. Ruth spoke at a literary conference in Bath, Somerset, to discuss her experiences with “the change” and to promote her new book By Your Side at the end of May.
Ironically, Linda Standish, the main character in the novel, is a divorced plus-size woman in her 50s. Ruth acknowledged that it was being considered for the creation of a TV drama and that she would be interested in playing the lead role.
She said, “Many people and early readers have said to me, Who would you get to play these characters like Linda? ” I won’t lie, I promise. I’m a plus-size woman in my 50s.
The author, who is scheduled to make an appearance in a new BBC drama about Jane Austen next year, acknowledged that she has no intention of writing a comedy about menopause. I wouldn’t be able to explain anything about menopause, she continued.
One of my Love Untold characters is about to experience menopause. That period in her life is approaching. Although it’s interesting to see characters going through menopause, I’m not sure how to write in a funny way about it.
“Davina McCall has done stuff and talked about it. It’s more about communication. I mean you don’t want to go out and talk about anything personal all the time and shove it down everyone’s throats but on the other hand it is good so people don’t feel alone and think ‘Oh my god this is only happening to me’.”
Ruth also said that although she and James had penned the final ever episode of Gavin and Stacey, which went out last Christmas and drew an audience of 19 million viewers, the show was still going on – in her head.
She continued, “I believe Nessa is still working down the slots with Gavin and Stacey.” She is still there, in my opinion. And Pam still has fencing lessons, in my opinion.
