Middle and old age have suffered from a lot of bad press over the centuries, but there is a new generation of women who are showing that actually, there’s a lot to look forward to. This is further helped by celebrities championing age; a sprinkling of celebrity glitter can elevate even the most mundane of matters and put a whole new spin on areas of life that are usually approached with apprehension.
Here we celebrate some of the women in the limelight who are putting the inspiration and aspiration into midlife and beyond.
Dawn French
Providing the laughter track to our lives, Dawn French’s trademark warmth and hilarity now also provide excellent midlife support, simply by virtue of her living through it and taking us along for the ride (via her Instagram @dawnrfrench). Her great attitude to age and positive messaging shine out - along with her willingness to document the ups and downs of her transition from signature dark bob to (fabulous) grey hair.
Michelle Obama
Ok, so not many of us can relate to being a former First Lady but take away the fact that Michelle is a power player of epic proportions and you see that she’s actually doing what so many of us do: trying to juggle the compromise between work, family and partner, before finding a new lease of life at a stage when you get to concentrate a bit more on you again. We applaud Michelle’s honesty and openness on her own journey with this and she helps us to see that we are all in it together.
Claudia Winkleman
Blending female friendship and being ace at her job, Claudia, together with Strictly co-host Tess Daly, silenced critics who questioned whether women could carry a prime-time show. Living proof that lashings of eyeliner can be rocked in our 50s and beyond, Claudia balances being utterly fabulous whilst remaining wholly relatable.
Mariella Frostrup
A radio show, TV series and a new book Cracking the Menopause: While Keeping Yourself Together means Mariella Frostrup’s career is flying. Mariella has spoken in the past about fighting to be taken seriously as a glamorous young woman in the media and now blazes a trail showing how life can, as we get older, become richer and more fulfilling.
Trinny Woodall
Having had a successful TV career, Trinny went on to launch her (very successful) Trinny London make-up business, alongside raising a child. Trinny shares it all on Instagram (@trinnywoodall) with honesty and openness and shows us all how to look fabulous in the process. An inspiration for her willingness to offer support to other women, from putting her fitness sessions on Instagram Live so anyone can join in, to hosting elevator pitches for budding female entrepreneurs.
Davina McCall
Looking fabulous, working hard, taking care of herself and seemingly having a fine time doing it, Davina is another familiar face helping to redefine what 50+ looks like. She’s also become something of a poster girl for the menopause following her Channel 4 documentary Sex, Myths and the Menopause which aired last year. A follow-up is due to be screened later this year and will focus on menopause and the workplace.
Amanda Lamb
Having long graced our screens and given us interior inspo in the process on shows like A Place in the Sun and Selling Houses, we particularly love TV presenter Amanda Lamb for her relatable and inspirational beauty, fashion and life content on her Instagram @missamandalamb. Amanda’s approach to midlife shows us all how it can be done and makes us feel like we can achieve it, too. (Fun fact: Did you know that Amanda was the model in the Scottish Widows advert who wore the black hooded cloak? Legendary!)
Marian Keyes
You may have taken solace and found happiness between the pages of her books and now best-selling author Marian Keyes has a radio show and podcast, Now You’re Asking with actress and writer Tara Flynn. Together they solve listeners’ dilemmas. As Marian says, “we are old, we are wise, we have lived, we have suffered”. Midlife mantra right there. The show is like a comfort blanket that can also make you laugh.
The Queen
Our Queen is a mega-watt example of age being no barrier. A warrior Queen for our times, she navigates regally through everything life throws at her, displaying dignity and resilience (and the best jewels) always, whilst deploying fabulous colour blocking and perfectly applied lipstick in place of armour.
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As seen in Vogue, Independent, The Telegraph, This Morning and more.
