Davina McCall shares health update after gruelling brain tumour surgery
11 March 2025, 11:46 | Updated: 11 March 2025, 12:14
The Masked Singer star opened up about her difficult recovery, admitting it "tested" her to "a new level".
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Davina McCall has shared a positive update about her health since undergoing major brain tumour surgery last year.
The Masked Singer judge, 57, had a gruelling operation to remove a non-cancerous colloid cyst in November 2024, but has assured fans she is now firmly on the road to recovery.
Despite the brutal ordeal testing her to "a new level", the ex-Big Brother presenter admitted she was done with resting her body after four months and just wanted to make the most of every moment.
Speaking to The Times about her reinvigorated lust for life, she said: "I reckon I've got another two or three months before I'm fully energised."
"I love work. I love life. I love dancing. Now I just want to do all those things as much as possible," the mother-of-three continued.
"I don't need a rest. I'm not tired. I want to live life now. Bucket lists are for when you are living. Buy the dress! Go to the party even if you are working and only going to get five hours' sleep."
Opening up about the mental and physical toll of the complex brain surgery, Davina confessed she poured her efforts into getting in good shape for the aftermath.
- Read more: Davina McCall admits brain tumour 'changed her relationship' with partner Michael Douglas
"I just went somewhere in my head. I thought about it every single day between April and November 15," she said.
"I ran daily. I got myself into the best possible health. I put on a couple of extra kilograms because [my doctor, Kevin O'Neill] said it would help me recover.
"I processed what was going to happen so I could get to a point where I could be at peace with going into the hospital and just letting go of the outcome."
The My Mum, Your Dad host first discovered she had a rare brain tumour during a health check-up, offered to her as part of her advocacy work around the menopause.
Before undergoing the risky operation, she admitted to putting her "whole life in order", writing letters to her adult children – Holly, Tilly and Chester – incase the worst outcome occurred.
Davina also revealed she put her full trust in her surgeon Kevin O'Neill, who was handpicked to perform the procedure, which uses GPS trackers for accuracy and has been likened to diffusing a bomb.
"The temptation, of course, was to say to him: 'I've got three children. Please, please keep me alive.'
"But that is quite a stress for the surgeon.
"It's an immense pressure and what he needs to know is that I have faith in him.
"I know that he is the best at his job. I know that he wants to do the best for me. So I said to him, 'You do whatever you need to do. I put all my faith in you.'
"He doesn't need me screaming at him to keep me alive. He needs to be in the calmest and most confident place. I wanted to empower Kevin to do the best job he could."
The surgery was thankfully a success and after a period of rest, Davina explained that she and the doctor who saved her were to be "friends for the rest of our lives".
She said: "We are going to go out to dinner with our partners. We are going to do it."
The TV star also opened up about how she sees life differently in the wake of her brain tumour, revealing: "Everything is beautiful now. I walk around London and I see it like I've never seen it before."
- Read more: What happened to Davina McCall? TV presenter reveals health latest
- Read more: Davina McCall facts: TV presenter's age, partner, ex-husband and children revealed
- Read more: Inside Davina McCall's love life from ex-husband to boyfriend Michael Douglas
