She says that she is ‘furious’ and ‘so angry’ as she is ‘just trying to help.’

Presenter Davina McCall has taken to social media to defend herself after The Daily Mail ran an article on Sunday that claimed she’s trademarked the word ‘menopausing’ purely to make profit.

The article, which stated that she’s turning the common female health condition into a ‘money-spinning brand’ also indicated that the term isn’t new, and that she will be using the word on products including ‘lotions, scented candles, nutritional supplements, books and kitchenware.’

Defending herself, McCall posted videos on both Instagram and Twitter to confirm that she is, by no means, launching a range of menopause products, rather one expert-led book with real life case studies and testimonials throughout.

She says that she has trademarked the word purely for the purpose of the book.

The 53-year-old has long been vocal about her own struggle with both perimenopause and menopause, becoming a face for something which all women with a reproductive system go through but don’t speak about enough.

Earlier this year, she fronted a Channel 4 documentary called Sex, Myths and the Menopause, where she shared her own experiences with hormone replacement therapy and attempted to break the taboo on the matter with the help of several industry experts.

On Twitter, she said: “Hey there, I have just seen the headline on The Daily Mail and I am so furious about it that I thought I would take this measure and post something on here because I am really angry.”

“I have trademarked the word menopausing because I am writing a book and it’s called Menopausing and it’s a word I made up and I don’t want anybody else to knick it cos I wanted to safeguard it for my book, which I am doing in conjunction with lots of people and I’ve done a little website collecting your stories about menopause.”

“And that is it. I am not making any products, I am not starting a business. I am not making anything to try and make money out of anybody, I am so angry about it so I just wanted to put the record straight,” she concluded.

Her video on Instagram said the same thing.

Several celebrity friends responded to her video, with Sara Cox encouraging her to ‘keep on keeping on’ and Gabby Logan sharing: “Don’t even for one second let this DM nonsense enter your beautiful spirit and dampen your genuine passion to spread positivity and knowledge.”

All women with a reproductive system will go through menopause – as the NHS website explains, it’s the term used to describe when a woman ‘stops having periods and is no longer able to get pregnant naturally’.

Women can experience pretty life-altering side effects, including depression, brain fog, physical pain and hot flushes, and the number of tribunal cases citing menopause is on the rise, showing just how much it’s impacting women’s day-to-day lives.

While McCall will be profiting from the sale of the book, she’s made it clear her main aim is to raise awareness of the condition and help any women suffering in the same way she has. She’s long been a spokesperson and an advocate for breaking down the stigma around the condition, and for that, she should be commended.

Bottom line: perhaps this energy should be redirected into making sure menopause becomes – and stays – more mainstream, and ensure the women who need it get the menopause resources and support they need.

The post Davina McCall defends herself after being criticised for trademarking the word ‘menopausing’ appeared first on Marie Claire.