S Poddar
TV presenter Davina McCall is “recovering well” after undergoing surgery to remove a rare brain tumor called a colloid cyst.
On her Instagram, her partner, Michael Douglas shared an encouraging post about her: “Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well-wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU. She is ‘loving awareness.’ Thank you xx Michael.”.
The sincere message had an accompanying picture in bright pink: all caps, “massive relief to see some light breaking through.” Four heart emojis accompanied the message. Douglas also thanked them all for the good support they have been getting: “Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and up.”
This brought ripples of joy on social media among friends and celebrities. Actress Patsy Palmer, for example, sent a message “sending healing”, while Dame Kelly Holmes simply commented “awesome news Michael” and Jools Oliver posted a succession of heart emojis.
Sharing the news with her fans on Instagram last Friday, 57-year-old McCall said she was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. She referred to it as “very rare” and explained that it measured about 14mm and was necessary to remove to avoid complications if it kept on growing.
Speaking candidly on a video before going into surgery, she explained, “It needed to come out because if it grows, it would be bad.” She said that the surgical procedure, a craniotomy, would involve opening access to the tumor through the top of her head. But regardless of the pain and discomfort she was soon to face, she assured fans she was “in good spirits” and expected to spend about nine days in the hospital after surgery.
Non-cancerous brain tumors like McCall’s are said to be slow-growing but less likely to spread through the NHS but are still dangerous.
Michael Douglas has been keeping fans of McCall updated on her condition during recovery. His post recently is the second update after the operation.
Best known for hosting Big Brother from 2000 to 2010, McCall has had a busy television career. She began presenting for MTV in the mid-1990s before going on to present Channel 4’s Streetmate and now presents the ITV dating show My Mum, Your Dad.
Besides her broadcasting life, McCall has been a fervent campaigner for women’s health and particularly on the subject of menopause. Her 2022 release of Menopausing greatly received acclaim and has won the Book of the Year prize at the British Book Awards. She presented the Channel 4 documentary Davina McCall: Sex, Mind And The Menopause, and also spoke about her own fight with perimenopausal symptoms. She once reported an episode where she thought she was suffering from a brain tumor or Alzheimer’s since she could no longer multi-task. As a recognition of her efforts for broadcasting, McCall was nominated a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2023. A photo of the ceremony showing her beaming face as she is celebrating with her partner Michael Douglas and daughter Holly Robertson.
Off the screen, McCall has been married twice and has three children—two daughters and a son—with her second husband, presenter Matthew Robertson. She has been living with Douglas since 2022, and the couple cohosts a lifestyle podcast, Making The Cut.
Fans and friends of McCall continue to rally around her, wishing her all the best as she continues her road to recovery. Her honesty and strength have inspired so many people; within this update, there is certainly a sigh of relief from those reading her story.
