Tess Daly and Vernon Kay just announced their split after 23 years — and toasted it with champagne.
No affair. No explosive row. Just what I call 'midlife marriage drift.'
It's a pattern I see all the time in my community: couples who don't hate each other, but have quietly grown apart. Different rhythms. Different interests. Different people than they were at 30.
Tess is also leaving Strictly after 21 years. Her eldest is in New York, her youngest heading to uni. Job, marriage, kids at home — all shifting at once.
We call this the 'midlife collision.' And our research shows 1 in 5 women by 50 has faced at least five major life changes — divorce, redundancy, empty nest, health, caring for parents — often all at the same time.
But here's what else we found: the women who go through the most, and shed what no longer serves them, end up the happiest.
Tess said she's never been on a trip with her girlfriends in 20 years. Two decades of putting everyone else first. And now? 'It could be gorgeous to finally do those things.'
That's the second act. And there's #muchmoretocome.
#tessdaly #midlifedivorce #queenagers #midlifewomen #silversplitters #divorceover50 #walkawaywives #startingover
Kathryn Stockett wrote bestselling novel The Help — then went quiet for 17 years. Her new novel, The Calamity Club, is about something many Queenagers know intimately: Finding your courage and your people — to live the life you want.
Set in The Great Depression in Mississippi, it’s a story about defiance, sisterhood and being underestimated. Sound familiar? These are themes we deal with a lot as midlife women.
Join us at NOON Book Club on Wednesday 21 May to hear Kathryn talk with Eleanor Mills, and to discuss the book and its themes. Whether you’ve read it, are curious about it, or just want to connect with other midlife women who understand — we’d love to see you. It’s open and FREE to all!
🔗 Link in bio to sign up
Have you ever found unexpected friendship in midlife? Tell us in the comments 👇
#queenagers #bookclub #midlifewomen #thecalamityclub #kathrynstockett @kathrynstockettauthor
30% of Queenagers are child-free — some by choice, some by circumstance. Our research shows what society still struggles to accept: Older women are not defined by being grannies or caretakers.
NOON and our network is changing the narrative. In fact, many Queenagers find this time of life is when they STOP looking after everyone else and START looking after themselves.
We're living life on our own terms, embracing who we are. And we're paving the way for younger women to live exactly as they want too!
Our worth was never tied to motherhood. It never will be.
#queenagers #midlifewomen #childfree #childfreebychoice #childlessbycircumstance #redefiningmidlife #muchmoretocome #womenover50
Would you like to sleep better… And find out just why your sleep is not as restful or easy as it could be? 😴💤🛌
NOON Queenager and sleep expert Heather Darwell-Smith is launching her new book with exciting new research about sleep and ADHD.
You can stop worrying about what you’re doing wrong and start understanding what’s actually affecting your sleep.
There’s still time to sign up to attend the launch in person or virtually. Thurs 7 May 7pm. Linkin bio #queenagers #sleep #midlifewomen #adhdsleep #adhdsleepproblems
Divorce can feel like drowning in questions you don’t know how to ask — or not even KNOWING what the right questions are. Such as:
What’s the best way to talk about what I need? What are my rights? How do I stop this taking over my life?
Our NOON Online Divorce Support sessions give you answers — led by a divorce coach AND a solicitor who’ve seen it all. You’ll get clarity on communication, boundaries, finances, and next steps. So divorce becomes a project you can manage, not a crisis you’re surviving.
✨ FREE for NOON Paid Members 💜 Open to all
Whether you’re just starting to think about it, right in the middle of the storm or trying to rebuild, this is the support you wish you’d had from day one.
🔗 Link in bio to sign up
#queenagers #divorcesupport #midlifedivorce #silversplitters #midlifewomen startingover
This week we’re celebrating Susan Schwartz, a Queenager who just launched her stunning new book about the best places to drink in Venice, including cocktails, wine, and coffee, along with essential Venetian drinking rituals and perfect day itineraries. It’s gorgeous full of beautiful images and recipes with the kind of discerning taste that comes from experience. We can remember when Susan told us she decided to pivot to the drinks industry space. Now she has an award-winning podcast, cocktail tours, a contacts book full of the best bartenders, mixologist, and distillers… And now this book.🍸🍷☕️ It’s the definitive guide for whatever you want to drink in Venice — borne out of Queenager experience and passion! Definitely one for your bookshelf and your suitcase. The book launch was at the bar Archive & Myth in Leicester Square, a sophisticated and sexy place for your next tipple. #cocktails #queenager #Venice #selectspritz #midlifetravel
We just walked the Camino — more than 100km to Santiago de Compostela — and we asked the women who came on the trip what stayed with them.
18 incredible Queenagers. Five days of blisters, casual chats, deep discussions, sharing Compeed plasters and experiencing a once in a lifetime journey.
Here’s what they said. 💜
Have you ever done something in midlife that surprised even you? Tell us below 👇
#queenagers #caminodesantiago #midlifeadventure #midlifewomen #womeninmidlife
Hurrah for Sarah Cox! We keep hearing here at noon about midlife Women at the top of their game, being shown the door at work or encouraged to leave or simply replaced, often by a man. Now we have 51-year-old Cox named as replacement for Scott Mills to host Radio 2’s Breakfast Show. That’s a nice twist on that boring old story, and couldn’t happen to a nicer gal. Our research shows that 70% of women in midlife want to power up their career. Fantastic to see this happening in the media. Take a moment to tag someone you know who deserves their moment in the spotlight ❤️🤩
We just walked over 100km to Santiago de Compostela - a group of 18 incredible women discovering new things as we walked.
It wasn’t about the distance. It was about what happened along the way.
The smell of eucalyptus, wild mint, cool forest, sea salt…. The conversations you only have when you’re moving — about loss, reinvention, fear, hope. The blisters that reminded us we’re stronger than we remember. The strangers who became sisters by day three.
And that moment when the cathedral finally appeared... we had done it!
We didn’t just finish the Camino. We reconnected with who we are now.
This is what midlife looks like. Still walking. Still becoming. 💜
Have you ever done something that surprised you at this stage of life? Tell us below 👇
#queenagers #caminodesantiago #midlifeadventure #midlifewomen #womeninmidlife
Something exciting is happening in Oxford 🌟
Our NOON Circle Oxford is officially launching — and to kick things off, NOON founder Eleanor Mills will be co-hosting alongside our brilliant new host Sam Rudd.
Sam is a transformative life and business coach and fellow Queenager. To celebrate Sam joining the NOON family, this month's Circle is OPEN TO ALL – not just NOON Paid Members.
If you've been curious about what NOON is all about, this is your chance to experience it firsthand.
📍 NOON Circle – Oxford
🗓️ Thursday 23 April 2026
🕖 19:00 – 21:00
📌 The Punter, Oxford, OX2 0BE
What are NOON Circles? Our signature gatherings where women in midlife come together for open, honest conversations. Share as much or as little as you like. We tackle challenges, celebrate triumphs, swap stories, and have a proper laugh. It's support, insight, and connection — all in one evening.
Find your new tribe!
We can't wait to welcome you to the NOON family 💜
#queenagers #noonoxford #midlifewomen #nooncircles #oxfordevents #womeninmidlife #communitymatters
See what day Five looks like on our trip walking to Camino in midlife. We started walking through a lovely forested area, made it to Padron, where the peppers come from, and then onto the final destination in Santiago. Check out the marvel of walking into the square and seeing the cathedral. #queenagers #camino #caminodesantiago @todosantiagodecompostela
Day 3: Starting in the cathedral at Tui we bought fish-shaped shortbread from a nun behind a grill in the closed convent. The route took us through ancient woods, over medieval bridges, through intense green of oak and fern and eucalyptus forest the path punctuated with crosses and shrines and everywhere gorgeous flowers - yellow, white, purple. Views of mountains and rivers, the clearest streams and for me the highlight was two kingfishers speeding down a river unperturbed by the motorway nearby! The Camino is a funny mixture of ancient and modern, ancient pilgrim trail check by jowl with industrial estates and factories. #camino #caminodesantiago #midlifetravel #queenagers
