Comedian Mel Giedroyc has arrived in, and is firmly embracing her "crone era" - and it's a lot more joyful than it sounds.
During a conversation with AJ Odudu and Elizabeth Day during the latter's How To Fail podcast, the three ladies discussed everything from menopause to later life friendships, and Mel has some poignant and funny revelations.
When the talk turns to exactly what ages fall under the midlife bracket, Elizabeth feels it's between 40-55. For 58-year-old Mel, this means she's through this stage and into what Elizabeth calls her "crone era."
"I'm pure crone guys," Mel confirms, adding that feels "really blooming lucky" to have entered this era - which might not be the response listeners might expect.
Explaining why she feels lucky, Mel shares, "I've lost a lot of pals in the last five years, and family members - this is what happens when you turn 50."
She continues, "So be warned, this is what happens - when you turn 50 it's like freaking dominoes, so just to be here is such a privilege."
Mel also reveals that she feels the "invisibility" that comes with getting to her age is "like a power." She explains that she's enjoyed the attention that comes with being on high-profile TV shows, but now prefers working without that huge amount of focus on her.
"You get to observe other people and realise it's not all about you," she explains, continuing, "It makes me less selfish and less of a narcissist."
All part of her so-called "crone era," these changes allow her to "slow down" and "enjoy things more."
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Another benefit of this time of life is being able to say no people. "Maybe that's the thing about getting into crone territory - saying no," Mel says.
The ladies discuss the word "crone" being a compliment, and Mel agrees that she's going to absolutely "own the crone" and keep it as a positive reference for people in midlife and beyond.
The trio also talk about women supporting women, and the power of female friendships. Elizabeth shares, "Friendship has actually been the most consistent and long-lasting love of my life," as Mel agrees, "Thank god for female friends."
Mel also says that she has pockets of friends in different places, but her real "besties" are the people she's known since she was 11 - quite a rarity to have maintained such friendships for so many decades.
Speaking about her friendship with long-term collaborator Sue Perkins, Mel talks about how their relationship has evolved over the years.
When Mel got married and had children, she suddenly realised things were "going to be a bit different" between them and they naturally didn't see as much of each other as they'd been used to.
However, she reveals that in their 40s and 50s, "We're coming back together, in a really nice way - not that we ever really totally separated."
