Jenny Powell: Having a hysterectomy at 56 changed everything after decades of pain

Beloved British television icon Jenny Powell opens up about being catapulted into national fame as a bubbly 16-year-old schoolgirl. The former Wheel of Fortune and Top of the Pops star reveals the toll of severe burnout, living with painful health issues including a 1kg uterus before undergoing a life-changing hysterectomy, and how she found love again in a café in Euston station.

This episode is sponsored by L’Oréal Paris True Match Hyaluron Tinted Balm.

Chapters

01:00 – Fast, Fabulous & Formative: Winning TV Fame at 16

03:30 – Falling in Love with Manchester & Becoming an Honorary Mancunian

07:00 – From Podiums to Prime Time: The 1980s TV Industry Grind

11:00 – Breaking Barriers: Heritage, Diversity, and Groundbreaking Firsts

13:00 – Navigating Early Fame Before the Social Media Era

16:00 – Challenging the Patriarchy & Demanding Respect on Game Shows

19:00 – Carrying Young Ant & Dec & Evolving Past Wheel of Fortune

21:00 – Family Roots: Escaping Apartheid in South Africa

25:00 – Turning Trauma into Humour: A Legacy of Resilience

28:00 – Entering Act Two: Overcoming the "Disease to Please"

33:30 – Returning to Work Too Soon: Grief, Surgery, and Burnout

36:30 – Physical Signals: Recognising "No-Go Days"

39:30 – Health Struggles, Disordered Eating, and Hot Yoga Recovery

45:30 – Living with Adenomyosis, Fibroids, and Hysterectomy Recovery

48:30 – Breaking the Taboo: Building a Women's Health Community

51:30 – Meeting Her Model Fiancé in Pret A Manger

54:00 – A New York Proposal & Dating 90s Pop Icons (Take That & Bros)

59:00 – Advice to Her Younger Self & Raising Independent Daughters

1:02:00 – Preserving Family History & Final Words of Wisdom

Second Act is the podcast and community for women in midlife who refuse to fade into the background. Join host, midlifer, mum-of-two and divorcee Ateh Jewel as she navigates her own second act by speaking to celebrity guests about what age means to them, and how they're approaching this new phase of life.

If you've got a question or dilemma you'd like Ateh, her celebrity guests and experts to answer, drop her a line at ⁠secondactpod@hellomagazine.com⁠ and make sure to tune in to hear the answer.

From HELLO! magazine

Producer: Millie Jackson

Editor: Chelsey Ranore

Executive producer: Danielle Lawler

Follow @hellomag on Instagram and watch all new episodes on HELLO! magazine's YouTube channel.

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