Davina McCall was moved to tears on ITV's Lorraine as she opened up about her past addiction, crediting her best friend Sarah Hiscox with saving her life. The 58-year-old television host, known for presenting Big Brother, revealed she would not be alive without Hiscox's intervention during her struggle with heroin dependency.
Emotional Reunion on Live TV
Appearing on Thursday's (July 2) episode of Lorraine, McCall and Hiscox discussed their 40-year friendship and Hiscox's new book, The Beginning and End of Everything, which details her own harrowing drug addiction. Hiscox's dependency was so severe that it destroyed her marriage and led to her losing custody of her two sons. After 25 years of sobriety, she has reunited with her family and credits McCall as instrumental to her recovery.
During the interview, McCall became emotional, saying: "I'm so unbelievably proud of her. In so many ways she put herself out there. She wrote a book that was very painful for her to write." She added, "Behind all of it is the sweetest most beautiful love story ever.. I'm going to start crying. Sarah's husband is an amazing man and what they went through together and where they are now."
McCall's Own Battle with Addiction
McCall revealed that Hiscox had rescued her life. The former Big Brother host began drinking as a teenager before developing a heroin dependency. She achieved sobriety and has remained clean for more than three decades. She confessed: "She got me clean - I wouldn't be here without her. I really wouldn't. I was desperate and I was pretending and I was trying to fake everything was fine."
Addressing Hiscox directly, McCall continued: "She (Sarah) was honest with me and I hated her for it. She locked me in the car." Hiscox interjected: "I loved her and I could see this incredibly vital woman that I loved. You know, she's family to me. I could see her just disappearing. She was running clubs at the time and everybody wanted to be on the guest list for one of her clubs so no one would dare confront her."
A Friendship That Saved Lives
McCall quipped that she thought she was going to a Santana gig when Hiscox locked her in the car for a stern conversation. Host Lorraine Kelly commented: "You were getting a right talking to." McCall conceded: "Yes I was." Kelly added: "But isn't that the thing about how much you need your pals because when the tables were turned, Davina you helped."
Focusing on Hiscox's book, McCall highlighted the importance of checking in on loved ones. She said: "You know what I also think is an important message for anybody watching is that I read this book and I had to call you (Sarah) every five pages because I didn't know. I was best friends with her when we were 19, but I was kind of taking drugs recreationally. It was getting quite out of control but I was so self obsessed and wrapped up in myself, I didn't know how broken she was." She added: "You've got to ask people how they are, check in and make sure they're ok. Double check in - 'How are you really?' - because I never knew."
Lorraine airs weekdays from 9.30am on ITV1 and ITVX.
