Loose Women’s Jane Moore has opened up about “suffering constant pain” as she navigates the challenges of caring for her 94-year-old mother, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease.
At 63, Jane finds herself juggling the responsibilities of being her mother’s power of attorney and dealing with the aftermath of her divorce from ex-husband Gary Farrow. This has instilled in her a “push on through” mentality as she enters what she refers to as the “third age”. However, the stress has taken a physical toll on her.
In an article for Platinum, Jane revealed: “To put it mildly, it was a lot and I found myself suffering from constant abdominal pain (probably stress related) and struggling to sleep after decades of being able to nod off at the drop of a hat.”
The Loose Women panellist confessed that the strain left her feeling drained and perpetually fatigued. So, when the opportunity to participate in I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! presented itself, Jane saw it as an “all-expenses paid reset”. Despite acknowledging that her decision might be viewed as slightly “selfish,” the idea of spending a month away was too “appealing” to resist. Jane was the first contestant to be voted off in last year’s series.
While some of her fellow campmates struggled to adjust to jungle life, Jane admits she relished the experience, likening it to a “It felt more like a spa break to me.” She found joy in tending to the fire, carrying out her chores, and engaging in deep conversations with her campmates. The absence of stress in the jungle made her stint on the show a truly enjoyable one, according to Jane.
Just 15 days after stepping into the I’m A Celeb jungle, she emerged feeling completely “refreshed” and with a newfound perspective on life. The experience taught Jane a valuable lesson – that it was perfectly acceptable to entrust her mother’s care to her grown-up children whilst she took some much-needed time away, reports the Mirror. Her stint in the Australian wilderness opened Jane’s eyes to the importance of carving out moments for personal wellbeing, whether that’s enjoying a lengthy stroll, relaxing with mates, or simply unwinding in her own back garden.
Jane’s media journey began in journalism, where she climbed the ladder to become news editor at the Sunday Sport before making her Loose Women debut in 1999, though she departed after three years. She made her comeback to the panel show in 2013 and has been a permanent fixture ever since, taking on regular presenting duties from 2018 onwards. Between her Loose Women stints, she became a familiar face across various BBC programmes including Question Time, The Andrew Marr Show and This Week.
In 2022, Jane publicly announced her separation from former husband Gary during a Loose Women episode, revealing that following his accident, she had taken on the role of his carer. “I didn’t push him,” she quipped whilst discussing the end of their marriage, bringing her trademark humour to what must have been a difficult revelation.