Davina McCall reflects on rare brain tumour that can cause 'sudden death'
Davina McCall has opened up publicly for the first time about her brain tumour diagnosis and the subsequent brain surgery she went through last year.
In November 2024, the TV presenter revealed that she had been diagnosed with a benign brain tumour called a colloid cyst following a health check-up. In an Instagram post shared later that month, Davina said she was "on the other side" following surgery to remove the tumour.
Now, speaking to entrepreneur Steven Bartlett on her Begin Again podcast, Davina has bravely recalled how being diagnosed with the non-cancerous tumour that "very, very rarely" can "cause sudden death" impacted her life.
In the emotional interview, two clips from which can be watched below, she shared that she was left feeling "so angry" by "this thing that had taken control of me." When asked what she was most scared of, Davina said "my old life feeling so alien... I was like, 'I'm still here.'"
Davina also highlighted that benign brain tumours can still be life-threatening. "You have no idea that benign brain tumours can still kill you, it's just you don't know when it's going to happen," she shared.
The Masked Singer judge opened up about how she made plans for her death, addressing her will and writing "letters of wishes" to her partner, celebrity hairstylist Michael Douglas, and her three children. "I really went to sleep and thought, everything will be okay, whatever happens," she said.
Three months after she first revealed her diagnosis, Davina remains positive and incredibly proud of her family. "I'm grateful. Life will never be the same again, but in rather a good way."
The NHS describes a benign brain tumour as "a mass of cells that grows relatively slowly in the brain", explaining that they "tend to stay in one place and do not spread", and "will not usually come back if all of the tumour can be safely removed during surgery".
We wish Davina all the very best in her continued recovery.
For more information, help and support on benign brain tumours, visit the NHS website or contact The Brain Tumour Charity.
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