Television presenter Davina McCall has revealed she maintains an “annoyingly positive” outlook on life, even as she recovers from recent emergency brain surgery.
The 57-year-old made the candid admission in a recent episode of her Begin Again podcast where she discussed her approach to life’s challenges with journalist Johann Hari.
The former Big Brother host described herself as “aggravatingly and annoyingly positive”, suggesting it was an unchangeable part of her personality.
“I have been through so many things and sometimes I have wondered why I am still such a positive person,” McCall shared in the episode, which was recorded before her surgery to remove a rare benign brain tumour.
Last week, McCall underwent surgery to remove a colloid cyst, a rare condition affecting only three in a million people, which was discovered during a routine health check.
Speaking on her Making The Cut podcast just days before the operation, she shared her pre-surgery mindset: “All I know is that I’ve chosen an amazing surgeon, I have absolute faith in him.”
The presenter revealed she would set a positive intention before anaesthesia, saying: “As they’re putting me under – which is such a nice feeling by the way – I’m going to say, ‘love, love, love, all the way’.”
The 14mm tumour required removal due to risks of future complications if left to grow.
McCall reflected on her persistently positive attitude despite facing numerous challenges throughout her life, including past struggles with drug addiction and a chaotic childhood.
“I don’t know if you can change things like that about yourself really,” she told Johann Hari in the podcast discussion.
The presenter admitted to initially trying to ignore her diagnosis, saying: “I waltzed into this health check cocky. It’s me, fitness lady, and I came out with a benign brain tumour.”
She explained her decision to delay sharing the news publicly: “I didn’t want the drama and I was really thinking about my kids.”
McCall’s boyfriend Michael Douglas provided a positive update on her recovery this week through her Instagram account.
“She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours. She is out of ICU. She is ‘loving awareness’.”
The presenter had previously announced she would take two months off work to recover from the procedure.
Before surgery, she reassured fans about her support system: “Me and Michael are rock solid, my kids are great.
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“They’re dealing with it brilliantly and I’ve got really good friends around me.”
She also requested her followers to “look after Michael” during her recovery period.
