Davina McCall taking health 'nice and slow' as she updates fans after rare brain surgery

Davina McCall
-Credit:PA Wire/PA Images


Davina McCall has shared that she's "taking everything nice and slow" as she eases back into fitness training following her recovery from surgery to remove a "very rare" benign brain tumour. The 57 year old former Big Brother presenter disclosed in November that the colloid cyst was discovered after she underwent a health check-up, which was part of her work advocating for menopause awareness.

On Instagram this Tuesday, McCall updated her followers: "Ok I’m back training. Been walking daily. Yesterday I did 15 minutes in the gym... just to see." She also mentioned her determination to rebuild muscle mass, saying, "I’ve lost a lot of muscle so gonna eat really well and train hard ! ! ".

McCall, who runs a fitness community named Own Your Goals Davina, is currently promoting a new six-week strength and sculpt challenge with fitness coach Richard Callender. She spoke about the timing of the challenge: "This @ownyourgoalsdavina challenge has come at the perfect time ... feels quite humbling ... but in a good way."

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Emphasising her cautious approach, she added, "Taking everything nice and slow... really listening to my body... #strengthandsculpt... 20 mins with @richcallender on OYG ... who is with me ? ".

An advocate for health and wellbeing, McCall has launched her own range of fitness equipment and cookbooks, alongside numerous exercise DVDs. In a social media video posted last November, she described the colloid cyst as a "big" tumour, measuring 14mm wide, and stressed its rarity, noting: "It needs to come out, because if it grows, it would be bad."

Following her operation, celebrity stylist Michael Douglas, who is in a relationship with McCall, kept her fans informed about her progress as she recuperated in intensive care. In a heartfelt video message shared on November 25, McCall talked about her journey to recovery, expressing gratitude for being back home, though she mentioned that her "short-term memory is a bit remiss".

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The following month, McCall bravely revealed her surgical scar to her followers during a haircut session with her partner. The NHS notes that non-cancerous brain tumours tend to be more prevalent in individuals over 50, with symptoms ranging from headaches and vision issues to drowsiness.

As the presenter of 'My Mum, Your Dad', McCall has been a vocal advocate for women's health, hosting documentaries such as 'Sex, Myths And The Menopause' and 'Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution'. Her contributions to broadcasting earned her an MBE in the King’s birthday honours in 2023, and she was also celebrated with the special recognition award at the National Television Awards for her illustrious career last year.