By For some reason, reaching the landmark decades of 30, 40 and 50 hold a particular significance in society for women and can cause a great deal of apprehension as we near them; something Sue Perkins knows all too well.
Speaking on the Homo Sapiens podcast, the comedian and TV presenter said she experienced a 'classic' midlife crisis in the run up to her 50th birthday last year due to the 'subconscious cultural pressures to examine birthdays with noughts at the end'.
However once she'd reached the milestone birthday – which she celebrated by having a party – she felt a 'curious liberation' about crossing the threshold.
'Six months before I was almost entirely unbearable. I had a classic, lowest grade, entry-level midlife crisis,' Perkins said.
'I wanted to be somebody who didn’t behave the way everybody else behaved, I wanted to run contrary to the narrative. But now, I just got sucked straight into that: "What am I for? What am I about?"
'Then I had a party, got hammered, and couldn’t.. [care] after that. It was apprehension. Culturally, we’re hardwired to reflect on those big ones.'
We really are, which is why these conversations are so important.
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