Following her shock brain surgery in November, Davina McCall has been keeping fans updated as she recovers. And a source now tells heat that her recent health scare has encouraged her to truly grab life with both hands.
Davina, 57, revealed that she was undergoing brain surgery to remove a rare cyst in November. Although it was benign, she revealed it was ‘14mm wide’, and needed ‘to come out, because if it grows, it would be bad’. And with the presenter on the road to recovery, an insider tells us she is entering 2025 with a ‘totally fresh’ perspective.
‘Davina has said she’s going to grab this year by the balls,’ we’re told. ‘She’s told friends that she feels reborn – it’s been a huge wake-up call. She feels like she’s been given a second chance and wants to make every minute count. She plans to be the very best version of herself she can be.’
Davina’s partner Michael Douglas, 49, revealed last month that Davina was planning to return to work by mid-January, and she has already been dipping her toes back into the world of showbiz, delivering an emotional speech at the Brain Tumour Research Campaign event in early December, just weeks after undergoing her craniotomy.
Alongside charity ventures, Davina also has a healthy roster of broadcast work to look forward to – including the latest series of Masked Singer, and her new podcast Begin Again for TV Dragon Steven Bartlett’s Flight network.
It not just Davina’s career that’s on the up – it’s also been rumoured she wants to tie the knot with celebrity hairdresser Michael, who she’s been dating since 2019. Davina – who is mum to Holly, 23, Tilly, 21, and Chester, 18, from her previous marriage to Matthew Robertson – described Michael as the ‘best boyfriend ever’ as he cared for her following her surgery. Our insider says, ‘Davina and Michael will be celebrating six years together in the new year, and she’s said that their recent times together have been the best so far. She credits him for making her a better person and the happiest she’s ever been.’
But while Davina is ready to tackle 2025 head-on, we’re told her recent health scare has been a stark reminder to put her wellbeing first – even if that means turning down work. Our source says, ‘She was always on the go before her surgery, working on TV shows and brand collaborations, as well as her fitness. Now, she’s had time to reflect, and she’s realised what she wants is a simpler life and to spend quality time with the people she loves, as well as more rest and downtime. Life’s not always about work – health comes first.’
The source continues, ‘Davina is great at putting others over herself. But she thinks about the people she’s lost every day, especially her sister Caroline [who passed away from cancer in 2012]. She says she owes it to them to live her life and raise awareness. She feels like she’s been put on this planet for a reason – to make a noise about things that matter.’
The source adds, 'Of course, Davina is worried about her health, like you’d expect after a scare like she had. The tumour has made her realise she’s not invincible and that no one knows what’s around the corner. She feels like she shouldn’t be here – but she is. She believes she has guardian angels who want her to be the torch carrier for a greater purpose – helping others, making change, and seeing progress happen.’
