Television presenter Davina McCall has opened up about a profoundly challenging year, revealing how a simple act of self-care – wearing sexy lingerie – became a crucial tool for boosting her mood following major health scares.
A Year of Health Battles
The 58-year-old star described how a 12-month period, which included brain surgery and a breast cancer diagnosis, ‘knocked me for six’. In November 2024, McCall underwent a six-hour operation to remove a 14mm colloid cyst, a rare type of benign brain tumour.
Almost exactly a year later, on November 8, 2025, she disclosed that she had also been diagnosed with breast cancer six weeks prior. The cancer was caught ‘very, very early’ after she discovered a lump while on the set of ITV's The Masked Singer, prompted by a health reminder in the studio toilets. She subsequently had a successful lumpectomy.
The Power of Dressing Up
Throughout her ordeal, McCall emphasised the importance of her appearance to her mental state. In a candid interview, she explained that her love for ‘sexy’ nightwear even became a family joke ahead of her brain surgery.
‘Before my operation my mum laughed at me, because I love wearing sexy clothes or sexy dressing gowns,’ McCall told The Mirror. ‘She asked what nighties I had for hospital.’ McCall eventually opted for short pyjamas, with her mother quipping, ‘don't be flashing your brain surgeon’.
The presenter stated that her choice of underwear is a direct reflection of her mood. ‘I always say go out and buy yourself some new underwear, you can tell what mood I am in by the underwear I am wearing. If I don't like myself it is off-white, seamless comfortable underwear,’ she revealed.
Support and a Surprise Wedding
McCall credited her husband, celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, 49, for his unwavering support. The couple tied the knot in an intimate London ceremony just two months after a surprise engagement in Ibiza, with friends suggesting her recent health woes prompted the decision to marry now.
She added that Douglas actively encourages her to stand out, such as by wearing pink boots, believing that while it might be outside one's comfort zone, ‘someone will go “wow”’. McCall urged others not to feel embarrassed to be seen and to resist the urge to shy away.
Following her lumpectomy, doctors gave McCall the all-clear, though she will require radiotherapy. She shared her story bravely, hoping to help others just as she did when discussing her brain tumour operation the previous year.
