Kiwi comedy stars open up about struggles with PCOS: 'Our ovaries are our secret weapons!'

Comedy stars Angella Dravid, Brynley Stent and Hayley Sproull have bonded over their shared experiences with polycystic ovary syndrome. Photo / Michelle Hyslop

It was in Year 6 that a devastated Angella Dravid rushed home from the swimming pool and grabbed her dad's razor to shave her upper lip after she heard a cute guy declare, "That girl has a ****ing moustache!"

Meanwhile, Brynley Stent recalls bursting into tears after being told she had an "incurable" condition that would likely require taking birth control pills for life. And Hayley Sproull remembers anxiously "shaving myself from head to toe" before her first sleepover with her fiance Aaron Cortesi.

All regulars on the Kiwi comedy scene, the stars make a hilarious trio as they crack jokes during our shoot at Auckland's Basement Theatre, but behind the gags lie years of insecurity, tears, mental struggles, fears and the frustrations of living with polycystic ovary syndrome. Also known as PCOS, it's a common hormonal disorder that causes excess levels of testosterone and insulin, which can result in weight gain, acne, hair growth, irregular periods and fertility issues.

It can also increase the risk of depression, diabetes and miscarriage. "The fertility thing's really hard," Taskmaster NZ star Angella, 34, tells Woman's Day, adding that she was dumped two days ago because she may face trouble conceiving. "It makes you feel like less of a woman if you can't have a baby.

"I told my ex I had PCOS and it affects fertility, but he said, 'Your mum has five kids, so maybe it's okay.' It's hard to hear that part of being a woman is giving birth. You'd hope you were more than a function."

The toll PCOS can take on relationships, body image and mental health was something the trio weren't made aware of when they were each diagnosed in their 20s. For Angella's Taskmaster co-star Brynley, 31, the news suddenly explained her "moustache and soft sideburns", and why, despite being a sporty kid, she still couldn't lose weight around her midsection. "I did swimming, athletics, soccer, dancing ... I had long, muscly arms and legs, then pure fat in the middle."

Strongly urged to take the pill, which she had previously halted because it affected her mood and sex drive, she's instead working with specialist Clare Goodwin, aka "the PCOS Nutritionist", to adopt a high-protein, low-carb diet. A similar diet has been key for Hayley, 31, who experienced excessive hair and irregular periods from the age of 12. "My mum was constantly like, 'She's pregnant!'" the Great Kiwi Bake Off presenter and Golden Boy actress says with a wry smile.

Diagnosed at 21, Hayley was offered birth control to regulate her period, but after doing her own research and making the 2018 documentary Cystic Sisters, she learnt how diet and lifestyle can relieve symptoms. "It was shocking I wasn't told any of this by doctors," she says. "I had full-blown acne, was gaining weight, hairy, unhappy, hormonal, bloated… then I just changed how I ate." Cutting carbs, and eating more greens, protein and healthy fats has been life changing.

The trio have formed close bonds through their struggles. Photo / Michelle Hyslop

"I love food, socialising and drinking, but if I get off track, there are consequences," tells Hayley. "My skin gets bad and I'll lose clumps of hair." Hair loss was something Angella was surprised to notice too, given her parents have full, thick locks. She also grew up with excess facial hair and weight struggles.

Diagnosed at 24, Angella, who has diabetes as well, finally understood her frustrating body shape. "But it's a catch-22 situation – if you lose weight, it reduces PCOS symptoms, but PCOS makes it harder to lose weight." The ladies agree the weight struggles fuelled by the disorder have taken an unhealthy toll on their body image.

"I hated my body most of my life," admits Hayley. "We're in a time of self-love, which is helpful and talking about it has been great – not being ashamed or embarrassed by my moustache. I also met my fiance at 21 and it's been amazing to not feel like I've got something to hide. He's accepting of anything my body's doing at any given time."

For Brynley, body image is an ongoing struggle involving a "never-ending cycle of diets", partly propelled by the entertainment industry. "Even though we're seeing more diversity on screens and stages, when was the last time you saw a plus-sized girl as the romantic lead on a New Zealand screen?" Brynley muses. "I look at my size 12 body and wonder, 'Is the disgust in my stomach coming from myself or the idea I need to be skinny to get jobs?'

"For Taskmaster, I reached out to local designers to dress me and they were lovely, but they said, 'Pop in – we've got size 8 samples.' Everyone expects if you're on TV, you're size 8." Angella has, meanwhile, overcome the shame she felt shaving her face and says having peers with similar insecurities has boosted her confidence.

"My ex got pissed I didn't wear dresses. I said, 'It takes courage to look frumpy!' When you're a kid, you want to look like everyone else, but now, being in comedy with friends who also have PCOS, I've got the strength to look average!"

Yet the potential fertility struggles that ended her last romance remain a concern for Angella, who grew up wanting children. With an Indian father and Samoan mother, she notes both cultures prize having kids. "If you want babies, when your body refuses you that, it's hard for self-acceptance," she adds. "How do you accept your body when it's not doing what everyone says it should? You feel like a shell."

Hayley has co-written Basement Theatre's upcoming festive fundraiser Le Basement XXXmas, starring Brynley. Photo / Michelle Hyslop

Brynley has been with her actor boyfriend Adam Brown for seven years and would love children some day, but they would need medical assistance. Meanwhile, Hayley was encouraged to consider pregnancy back when she was diagnosed. "I got told, 'It'll be hard to get pregnant – if you want to, do it ASAP.' I was only 21! Had I listened, I would've lived a very different life. There's so many ways to deal with fertility other than, 'Have a baby now!'"

However, Hayley doesn't feel a strong desire to have children – "Sorry, Mum!" – which lessens her anxiety around missed periods. Still, she says there's plenty of "bad anxiety" that comes with living with PCOS. "That's where little communities of women like ours, talking about it and normalising it, can help lessen the depression and anxiety of living with this." Indeed, the trio have formed close bonds through their shared struggles.

But is PCOS a comedic superpower? "Well, there's an assumption that female comedians only talk about periods – but we hardly get them!" jokes Angella, who joined Tom Sainsbury in handing out trophies at this week's New Zealand Television Awards.

"Good comedy comes from hardship and rage," adds Hayley. "The rage that comes with having to deal with something so annoying fuels you. Higher testosterone levels also increase competitiveness. I think that's helped me in this industry because I've always been like, 'I'll never give up!' Maybe that's my testosterone helping me push through."

After pushing through a difficult year, Hayley's now helping Kiwis kick into holiday mode, having co-written Basement Theatre's upcoming festive fundraiser, Le Basement XXXmas Cabaret, which opens on November 19, and stars Brynley as a maintenance worker and aspiring singer "with a voice like a rammed NutriBullet".

Each performance features a musical guest, with Hayley teasing "a Finn or two" and "the nation's biggest bangers". She explains, "We wanted to make a show that was silly and fun, as opposed to deeply political or reflective because everyone's sick of talking about 2020."

Nodding, Brynley adds that's also the sentiment behind her and Angella's TVNZ 2 show Taskmaster NZ. "It's so silly and I love improv," says Brynley.

"Watching comedians get up and fail is so fun – and we all need the laughs right now!"