Latest news with #Davinia
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Soap icon devastated over mum's cancer death - 'I'll never get over it'
After losing her mother 12 years ago, Davinia Taylor couldn't bear the thought of dying young and leaving her four sons early, so she transformed her diet and lifestyle to ensure she'll be healthy for decades to come Ten years ago, Davinia Taylor felt old before her time. 'Bearing in mind I hadn't drunk for five years, I felt hungover, sluggish, I had no self-esteem and no get-up-and-go,' she says. 'Life was like walking through quicksand.' So the Hollyoaks actress changed her diet and lifestyle, dramatically transforming her physical and mental wellbeing, which, in turn, sparked a passion for health and wellness that inspired her 2021 book It's Not A Diet and Hack Your Hormones in 2023. And the results are startling. Davinia, now 47, has discovered – thanks to a GlycanAge blood test that identifies chronic inflammation – that she has a biological age of 20. 'I feel better than I ever did in my teens, twenties or thirties,' she says. 'Internally, you could be ageing ferociously and you don't even know it.' In fact, she reports that the average woman in England and Wales spends 23% of her life in poor health. That's the statistic that prompted her shift of focus towards the idea of 'healthspan' – the number of years we spend in good health – rather than just lifespan. 'Research shows only 25% of differences in lifespan is down to genetics. The rest is down to what we do,' she says. Already a wellness entrepreneur with her own supplements brand, WillPowders, Davinia has now done a deep dive into the world of health longevity and the result is Futureproof: Build Resilience, Feel Younger, Live Longer, which distils extensive in-depth research into a game-changing, accessible wellbeing bible that she hopes can help women everywhere. Davinia may seem like an unlikely health guru. A former party girl who was part of the 90s Primrose Hill set, she socialised with Kate Moss and Sadie Frost, and married first husband Dave Gardner, David Beckham's best friend. Life looks very different today. Happily wed to builder Matthew Leyden, she has four sons aged nine to 17. Davinia has been sober for 16 years and practises what she preaches, following the science to stay fit, healthy and active for as long as she possibly can. And it's clearly working – she glows with health and has an enviable line-free complexion that is testament to her lifestyle. But while many are motivated by vanity, Davinia is driven by something more profound – her mother's death from cancer at the age of 60. 'That was 12 years ago and it's still too much for me to deal with,' she says. 'I'll never get over it. And I'm coming up to my 50th. If I think about my boys going through losing me, not having a grandmother for their children and everything I'd miss out on... suddenly mortality is very much on my radar.' One of Davinia's key discoveries was that her supposedly 'healthy' low-fat diet was having a disastrous impact on her wellbeing. 'After my mum passed away, I didn't realise that I was eating unhealthily. I was eating five or six portions of wholegrains a day, a low-fat diet and not much meat.' But she felt hopelessly lethargic. 'If I was going to the supermarket, I'd always park in the mother-and-baby space. And if there wasn't a space, I'd drive home.' Then she learned that her brain was insulin resistant, due to over-exposure to sugar. She addressed this by taking a tablespoon of MCT oil (a type of easily digested fat), which boosted her brain energy and reduced hunger pangs. She also changed what she eats. 'My diet is very meat heavy now. Meat and two veg makes sense, that's what we evolved on. I have a super-high calorie intake because I've got such a high-fat diet. But it's not about calories, it's about the nutrition you're getting that will stop you snacking.' Her ideal snack, though, isn't 'a handful of nuts and a corner of dark chocolate', she was a crisps and mint Aero girl, so making these changes didn't come naturally. She explains, 'We've had our palates hijacked by the five big companies that make 95% of our snacks – but you can hijack them back. I don't get cravings any more, unless I'm due on my period or something stressful has happened – even then, I'll crave a big sandwich, not a mint Aero.' And she's determined to help others do the same. 'Growing numbers of people are dying of chronic diseases,' she says. 'We're living longer, but we're living worse.' Futureproof: Build Resilience, Feel Younger, Live Longer by Davinia Taylor (Orion Spring), £16.99, is out now How to stay forever young Davinia Taylor's simple tips for slowing down ageing, boosting energy and feeling great: EAT FOR VITALITY Most age-related diseases are linked to chronic inflammation, and processed food is a key cause – cut it out. Reduce your intake of sugary foods. Try intermittent fasting – eating all your meals between 11am and 7pm – as it repairs and regenerates cells. Plan meals around protein. It curbs cravings by steadying blood sugar and supports muscle growth. GET STRONGER People who move more live longer. Just 90 minutes each week can reduce your risk of dying from all causes by 14%. I run daily for 20 minutes – not to lose weight, but to help my brain. ○ Join a gym and build muscle. CALM DOWN Alcohol might feel like instant relief, but you won't get deep sleep and your anxiety will fly up the next day. Ditch the 'treat yourself' mentality (sugar is linked to anxiety) and get outside. Enjoy sunlight, exercise and connection.
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Davinia Taylor wins battle to transform £1.7m mansion – as she cashes in on bio-hacking transformation
The stunning home boasts amazing features, including cornice ceiling and working fireplaces with countryside views TAYLOR-MADE Davinia Taylor wins battle to transform £1.7m mansion – as she cashes in on bio-hacking transformation Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) ACTRESS Davinia Taylor has won her battle to turn a barn into a gym and health spa at her historic country home - but will have to make room for bats. The former Hollyoaks star has splashed out on a Grand Designs-style makeover of her £1.7million rural retreat which boasts a new outdoor swimming pool. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 9 Actress Davinia Taylor has won her battle to turn a barn into a gym and health spa at her historic country home - but will have to make room for bats Credit: Dan Charity 9 The star's stunning home is set to get a glow up Credit: Instagram 9 She plans on turning a barn into a gym and health spa at the huge pad Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia Taylor played Jude Cunningham in Channel 4's Hollyoaks from 1996 to 1998 and reprised the role in 2016 Credit: Getty - Contributor Now the weight loss expert wants to convert a crumbling barn at the 19th Century pad into a private gym and health spa with a sauna and two treatment rooms. The former stables will also have a ground floor gym, lobby and staff quarters with an en-suite bedroom for an employee to help run the estate in Lancashire. But a bat survey carried out ahead of the proposed development found common pipistrelle bats - a protected species - flying into the barn. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to intentionally or recklessly harm or disturb them, which means Davinia will have to put up special bat boxes on the barn and nearby trees. In their report, an ecologist said: "Due to the transient nature of bats, their presence can never be entirely ruled out and a precautionary method of working should be adopted. "Therefore if bats are found during any stage of the development, work should stop immediately and a suitably qualified ecologist should be contacted to seek further advice." Davinia, 47, played Jude Cunningham in Hollyoaks and is also a former party girl and member of the Primrose Hill set, having previously been married to David Beckham's pal Dave Gardner. She and husband Matthew Leyden bought their historic country home four years ago after it came onto the market for the first time in years. The 6,723 property boasts original period features including cornice ceiling and working fireplaces with stunning countryside views in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Davinia has previously been given the go-ahead for a garden room extension and 26x9ft swimming pool, and has now applied for a "change of use" of the barn to a residential annexe. Davinia Taylor: My health journey In a design statement, her planning agent said: "The front-facing elevation is in a very poor state of repair and requires complete rebuilding. "The conversion of the barn does not affect the existing domestic residential curtilage and, as such, will not result in undue harm to the visual amenity of the area or character of landscape. "Bats were found to be present and, as such, the relevant protective measures must be adhered to on commencement of any restoration works/alterations." Officials at the local council gave the go-ahead after there were no objections from neighbours in the designated conservation area. 9 Davinia often posts videos from inside her luxury home Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia has previously been given the go-ahead for a garden room extension and 26x9ft swimming pool Credit: Instagram 9 The star turned her back on acting in favour of becoming a health and fitness guru Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia's partner Matthew Leyden Credit: Instagram
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Davinia Taylor wins battle to transform £1.7m mansion – as she cashes in on bio-hacking transformation
ACTRESS Davinia Taylor has won her battle to turn a barn into a gym and health spa at her historic country home - but will have to make room for bats. The former Hollyoaks star has splashed out on a Grand Designs-style makeover of her £1.7million rural retreat which boasts a new outdoor swimming pool. Advertisement 9 Actress Davinia Taylor has won her battle to turn a barn into a gym and health spa at her historic country home - but will have to make room for bats Credit: Dan Charity 9 The star's stunning home is set to get a glow up Credit: Instagram 9 She plans on turning a barn into a gym and health spa at the huge pad Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia Taylor played Jude Cunningham in Channel 4's Hollyoaks from 1996 to 1998 and reprised the role in 2016 Credit: Getty - Contributor Now the The former stables will also have a ground floor gym, lobby and staff quarters with an en-suite bedroom for an employee to help run the estate in Lancashire. But a bat survey carried out ahead of the proposed development found common pipistrelle bats - a protected species - flying into the barn. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to intentionally or recklessly harm or disturb them, which means Davinia will have to put up special bat boxes on the barn and nearby trees. Advertisement Read More on Davinia Taylor In their report, an ecologist said: "Due to the transient nature of bats, their presence can never be entirely ruled out and a precautionary method of working should be adopted. "Therefore if bats are found during any stage of the development, work should stop immediately and a suitably qualified ecologist should be contacted to seek further advice." Davinia, 47, played Jude Cunningham in Hollyoaks and is also a former party girl and member of the Primrose Hill set, having previously been married to David Beckham's pal Dave Gardner. She and husband Matthew Leyden bought their historic country home four years ago after it came onto the market for the first time in years. Advertisement Most read in Celebrity The 6,723 property boasts original period features including cornice ceiling and working fireplaces with stunning countryside views in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Davinia has previously been given the go-ahead for a garden room extension and 26x9ft swimming pool, and has now applied for a "change of use" of the barn to a residential annexe. Davinia Taylor: My health journey In a design statement, her planning agent said: "The front-facing elevation is in a very poor state of repair and requires complete rebuilding. "The conversion of the barn does not affect the existing domestic residential curtilage and, as such, will not result in undue harm to the visual amenity of the area or character of landscape. Advertisement "Bats were found to be present and, as such, the relevant protective measures must be adhered to on commencement of any restoration works/alterations." Officials at the local council gave the go-ahead after there were no objections from neighbours in the designated conservation area. 9 Davinia often posts videos from inside her luxury home Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia has previously been given the go-ahead for a garden room extension and 26x9ft swimming pool Credit: Instagram Advertisement 9 The star turned her back on acting in favour of becoming a health and fitness guru Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia's partner Matthew Leyden Credit: Instagram 9 Davinia starring in Hollyoaks Credit: Lime Pictures
