It was my birthday just a few days ago, and I don’t know about you, but on my birthdays I philosophise about, well, getting older. Despite feeling young and having two young children, I know that time is going forward. I don’t want to sound morbid or melodramatic—that’s not the point - but I am not getting younger.
One thing that I’ve realised is that when I was younger, I could easily create role models for myself because TV and films were full of beautiful young women doing amazing things. And when you get older, you don’t notice that many older women doing amazing things. They’re either not very visible, or one day there and then gone from our screens. How many TV presenters over 50 can you name in 5 seconds? Or singers or actresses that are still going strong? Many try to defy ageing via surgery or by seeking roles meant for much younger women. Others vanish.
And then I realised that I only notice what I pay attention to. I concentrate on younger women out of habit, so I see them more. But I’m sure there are successful older women that I could use as role models for my future self if only I look hard enough.
So I started thinking—who is older than 50 that I admire? Several individuals came to mind. I tried not to use Google or ChatGPT to help me come up with answers because I needed to challenge my attention and my assumptions, to retrain my brain to notice. So I racked my brain and surprised myself when I could think of more than 5.
Even though my list is mainly UK-based women, you should be able to come up with your list of inspirational women over 50 from your country.
Inspirational Women over 50
Mary Berry
The first woman is a very famous TV presenter and chef, Mary Berry. I watched her programme the other day and remember thinking: she looks great. I love the way she dresses, her hair, her jewellery. Her age does not even come to mind when watching how skilfully she cuts vegetables or carries heavy pots from the stove to the oven. Mary is who she is. She is positive and genuine and she loves trying out new recipes and dishes. She’s not hiding her wrinkles just to fit in with the younger crowd. I respect her for being such an authentic and joyous presence on our screens.
Gabby Logan
The second inspirational individual over 50 that I thought of is Gabby Logan. She’s a TV presenter and a former gymnast. She is beautiful. I think she is genuinely one of the most beautiful women I’ve seen. And she is getting older, and she talks about it. She even wrote a book called Midpoint, which I mentioned in a blog post about books that helped me feel less alone as a mum. She openly discusses the challenges and struggles of getting older on her Instagram account and the podcast. In her book, she talks about how we are so scared of ageing because there’s this myth that something bad happens when we reach our midpoint. It’s almost like we’re approaching this metaphorical cliff, and once we reach a certain age, we fall off it and disappear from the face of the Earth—which isn’t true.
And Gabby—she doesn’t need to pretend she’s younger. She is exquisite at her age, and she dresses so well. I admire her style. I wish I could wear the clothes she wears, but I’m shorter, so I don’t think they would suit me. She’s still doing a lot—interviews, TV work—she doesn’t seem to slow down. If anything, she’s doing more and more, and that’s amazing.
Prue Leith
Prue Leith, a TV presenter and chef, is another example. She’s a judge on The Great British Bake Off. She celebrated her 85th birthday on the 18th of February 2025, near to my birthday.
I absolutely adore her glasses. She seems to have a never-ending supply of all types of colourful spectacles. I love her makeup and her clothes. She’s so bright and so vibrant. You look at her and just think—wow. She’s a ray of sunshine. You don’t even think about her age.
Honestly, when I look at Prue, I forget people even have different ages, so to speak. She’s just Prue. That’s it. And age does not define her.
She is who she is, and I want to be like that when I grow older. I want to be myself without trying to be a certain age or not. Just—this is me. I have my style, and it doesn’t matter how old I am. I’m still me, and I think that is absolutely inspirational.
Julia Donaldson
Julia is a children’s book author. You never think of her age when you look at her. You think of all the wonderful and quirky timeless characters she’s created. Even though she is not getting younger, nothing slows her. She keeps on writing books, producing masterclasses, and talking at events. She is not her age either. She is an author, a very successful one.
Dr Sarah McKay
As a psychology graduate, I felt like Christmas came early when I came across Dr McKay’s newsletter. I learn so much from her summary of important scientific discoveries and her blog posts. She is an absolute woman inspiration. She is an Australian, who studied at Oxford and now spends her time coaching, writing books and popularising neuroscience amongst coaches and women. Dr McKay debunks myths about women’s brains and helps to understand our unique capabilities and turn our so-called weaknesses (like PMS) into superpowers. I already wrote about Dr McKay in my post on inspirational books by women and for women. Check it out!
Deborah Meaden
Deborah is a successful businesswoman and a Dragon - she is a TV presenter and an investor on a very popular BBC TV show “Dragon’s Den”. When you watch Deborah on Dragon’s Den, where people compete for investor’s attention, presenting their great inventions or business ideas - you never think, ah, she’s not as good as her colleagues, who are men. If nothing else, you admire her even more because, despite being blonde, you don’t focus on her hair or age but on her skills.
Mel Robbins
Mel is 56 (I cheated and checked online). I knew she was over 50. Despite her age, Mel never seems old to me. I see a vibrant, motivational person who comes up with great fun ideas to help us achieve our goals. Yet again, her being older didn’t stop her from publishing new books speaking at events or having a podcast. She continues interviewing, sharing her story, and inspiring young women worldwide.
Final Thoughts
This is not the end of my list. If anything, I challenge myself to add an inspirational woman over 50 every week for the next three months! I might do the same for my Inspirational books for women and by women blog post. Who does not like a good challenge especially if it helps us grow and change our habits?
How about you? How many amazing women could you help me add to this list?