Davina McCall ‘wrote letters and a will' before brain tumour surgery

Irish Independent

28-05-2025

The presenter (57) underwent an operation in November 2024 to remove a colloid cyst, which was found after she was offered a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work.
Recently, McCall was given the all clear - but she has now spoken about her worries before the operation, saying she wrote letters and organised a will in case something happened during the operation.
Speaking to radio presenter Jamie Theakston on her podcast Begin Again, she explained: 'I have never had thought processes like I had before my operation.
'Some people were like 'You were quite extreme' because I was like I need to make sure everyone is alright if I die, will, letters.'
When Theakston asked if she really did that, she replied: 'Yeah. I mean I was literally telling everybody [that I was fine].
'But being on an operating table is a risk at our age.'
On the show, Theakston also spoke about his experience with stage one laryngeal cancer.
The presenter returned to his Heart breakfast show earlier this year, after saying he was 'cancer free'.
'I feel in a much better place not only physically but also mentally because I have learnt so much about myself, and about how strong you can be,' he added.
'I've learnt about other people, about friends and family about how important they can be.
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'Supporting, being there, not taking them for granted. It has been a real gift.
'Often when bad things happen to us, in the aftermath of that there can be good things to take from it and I really do feel that I am a better person because of what I have been through than what I was before.'
McCall has been updating her fans on her recovery online and in her 'final brain surgery update' last month, the presenter said she feels 'lucky to be able to draw a line under this' when 'so many people can't'.
In an Instagram video, where she appeared alongside her partner, celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, she said: 'We thought we'd post a final brain operation update.
'So last week I had my final MRI and I was a bit nervous about it because I knew that if any of it was left then it would grow back and I'd just go through the whole thing again, which I was prepared to do.
'I kind of mentally prepared myself for that.'
A picture of the MRI scan was shown on screen and McCall said the scan was 'clear'.