TV journalist and author of I’m Your Peri Godmother.
TV journalist and author of I’m Your Peri Godmother.

Shelly Horton is putting perimenopause in the spotlight, and she’s not afraid to get loud about it.
The journalist, TV presenter and health advocate is joining the Australian Women’s Weekly Health Summit to lead the charge on a topic too often kept in the shadows: perimenopause. She’ll appear on the national panel alongside names like Jessica Rowe, Maggie Beer, Melissa Leong and Lisa Curry, sharing real talk, expert-backed advice, and her own raw experience.
After being blindsided by her own hormonal rollercoaster, Shelly turned her story into I’m Your Peri Godmother, a book that’s equal parts helpful, hilarious and completely unfiltered. Now, she’s on a mission to make sure no other woman feels alone in the chaos.
We chatted with Shelly about the Summit, smashing stigma, and why sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is stay in your pyjamas.
How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I’m a Queenslander born and bred. I grew up in Kingaroy but spent years chasing my media career across Melbourne, London and Sydney. In 2021, when my dad needed brain surgery, my husband Darren and I knew it was time to come home. Thankfully, Dad came through with flying colours. And we fell in love with the Gold Coast lifestyle, so we ended up buying a place in Palm Beach. My brother and his family are in Burleigh. Now I get to live near my family, by the beach, and still run my business – it’s the best of all worlds.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
It’s the perfect blend of beachside chill and boss-babe energy. Also, people here smile at strangers – if you do that in Sydney, they react like you’re a serial killer.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a journalist, a regular on Channel Nine and now author of I’m Your Peri Godmother. I emcee events and I do presentations in workplaces and at conferences particularly about perimenopause. I’m also really proud of the company I run with my husband here on the Gold Coast, ShellShocked Media, where I hold “Speak with Impact” workshops. We have a broadcast quality TV studio and teach business owners, professionals, and teams polish how they present on camera and off – so they speak with clarity and confidence every time.
On the personal front I have the best husband in the world and we have two rescue pups Mr Barkley who is 15 and Maui who is 3.

You’re set to speak at The Australian Women’s Weekly Health Summit in all five states. Tell us a bit about the Summit.
The AWW Health Summit is such an important event because it gives women a platform to talk and learn about the stuff we’ve been told to keep quiet about for far too long. Secret women’s business doesn’t help women. We’ll be talking about everything from what the hell hormones are and how they impact every part of your body and your life. This is about education, empowerment, and making sure women don’t get sideswiped like I did.
You’ve been refreshingly open about your experience with perimenopause. What made you decide, “Yep, I need to talk about this publicly, and loudly”?
I didn’t just want to write this book – I needed to. Perimenopause hit me like a hormonal freight train. One minute I was thriving on national TV, the next I was drowning in depression and ready to walk away from it all. No one warned me. No one even mentioned the word. So, I decided to be the voice I desperately needed.
I’m on a mission to make sure other women aren’t left fumbling in the dark. I won’t shut up until women know what’s coming, how to deal with it, and how to demand better care. Midlife women deserve to feel well.

Your new book I’m Your Peri Godmother blends real talk with real advice. If someone’s never picked up a book on perimenopause, what makes this one different?
There are no books out there on perimenopause specifically. There are medical books about menopause but I didn’t ever pick one up because, when I was 45, I thought menopause was for old ladies. I had no idea perimenopause can last 10 years and start in your early 40s. So, no beige cardigans or whispering in this book, it is evidence based and has expert advice, but it’s also full of lived experience, swearing, embarrassing stories, and belly laughs. It’s practical without being preachy and medical without the jargon. I wanted women to feel like they’re talking to a bestie who’s already been through the fire and is passing back the hose.
Why do you think perimenopause has stayed in the shadows for so long, and how are events like The Australian Women’s Weekly Health Summit helping to bring it into the light?
Previously Australian women have been taught that women ageing is something to hide. And women’s reproductive health should be kept a shameful secret. Add in medical misogyny and a lack of education and it’s no wonder perimenopause has been swept under the hormonal rug. But events like the AWW Health Summit kick that rug away. We will have incredible (and credible) menopause expert voices plus real stories centre stage, giving advice, empathy and a few cooking recipes. We’re making it clear that talking about perimenopause and menopause isn’t taboo – it’s necessary.

What’s one piece of advice you wish someone had given you at the start of your perimenopause journey?
Don’t wait for it to get really bad before asking for help. If something feels off – emotionally, physically, or mentally – start tracking your symptoms and find a doctor who listens. You’re not imagining it. You’re not overreacting. You’re in perimenopause and you deserve treatment.
What are your Gold Coast favourites?
Café: Bean Surfing Café under Tallebudgera Surf Club – they do great coffee and the team is so friendly
Restaurant: The North Room – it’s tiny but the food is incredible
Bar: Norte – very cool
Beach: Palm Beach (I’m biased)
How do you choose to spend your days off?
I love going out to new restaurants on the Goldie. And I love walking on the beach with my hubby and dogs. But one a fortnight I fully embrace what I call a “Zero Day” – zero guilt, zero productivity, zero pressure. It’s my version of hitting the reset button. I stay in my pyjamas, binge whatever trashy TV I’m obsessed with and nap. No emails, no to-do lists, no expectations. It’s not lazy, it’s necessary. Rest is my rebellion against burnout, and trust me, it works. The next day I’m bouncing with energy.
