Gabby Logan shares secret to 23 year marriage to rugby star Kenny Logan

TV presenter Gabby Logan has opened up about menopause, ageism and how she’s navigating middle age to enjoy a better life – as well as her new book, The Midpoint Plan

When TV presenter Gabby Logan started to have brain fog in her late forties, struggling to recall words or names on live TV, she put it down to tiredness. “I couldn’t quite get that name or articulate in the way I had previously been able to, so I was concerned, but it coincided with lockdown and not doing telly for a while,” she says. “I remember feeling quite nervous going back to live telly.”

The former gymnast soon realised it was a symptom of perimenopause and promptly started HRT, which, she says, has balanced her hormones. Gabby, 51, has now written The Midpoint Plan, inspired by her eponymous podcast, in which she shares a wealth of advice from guest experts on the show about all aspects of reaching middle age, from mental health and hormones to midlife crises, sex and the importance of exercise.

In her book, she explores the difficulties of entering middle age, stopping short of saying she had her own midlife meltdown. But she admits, “There were definitely points of feeling, ‘This is a huge maelstrom of things going on. I’m not sure how I’m equipped to navigate this.’” That melting pot of feelings reached a peak during lockdown so in 2021, when Gabby experienced both physical changes and anxiety about Covid, she started her podcast. And she says talking to other well known faces about their midlife challenges – including actor Jill Halfpenny and DJ Adele Roberts – definitely helped her own mental health.

Gabby says she doesn’t worry about growing older or ageism in the world of live TV. “Nowadays, it’s a very different place for older women on TV than it was 20 or 30 years ago. I’m fortunate to be in a time where it’s a different landscape. I think it would be very hard to be ageist against a woman on TV now because of women who’ve gone before.”

She cites Sir David Attenborough and Dame Mary Berry as examples of older TV icons who are still working, and how people value their wisdom, experience and warmth. She notes that the landscape of sexism has changed, too. “It’s the idea that women have got a shelf life which we don’t see on TV as much,” she says.

Gabby, who’s been married to former rugby star Kenny Logan for 23 years, and has 19-year-old twins Reuben and Lois, also says in her book that you’re never too old to try new things. “You don’t always know what those challenges are going to be,” she says. “Even saying yes to a show like Freeze The Fear With Wim Hof [she took part in a BBC reality show in which celebrities take on challenges in sub-zero temperatures] was something different.”

So what have been the biggest hurdles in the midpoint of her life? “Getting used to the idea of changes is quite hard when you first experience some of the symptoms of perimenopause but don’t know what it is,” she reflects. “Family situations changing are hard. I talk about an empty nest in the book, and children leaving home and your changing dynamic in the family and the potential changing dynamic with your partnership and how you deal with that, how you look into the future and get your head around that. Your freedom and your time become more abundant.”

The Midpoint Plan by Gabby Logan (Piatkus, £22) is out now