Davina McCall opens up about entering a ‘mind-blowing’ period of her life after brain surgery

Davina McCall, 57, expressed her heart out, recalling her recent experience with a brain tumor in a recent conversation with Women’s Health UK.

Reflecting on her medical journey of brain tumor diagnosis, called colloid cyst, in 2023, and undergoing surgery, she shared,

"I’m sort of going through a slightly mind-blowing phase of my life where I’m just asking questions about everything. I keep thinking: I’ve survived this thing, but I don’t know how that happened or why it happened."

In August 2023, the British TV presenter came to know about the rare benign brain tumor, posing significant health risks. Next year in November, she underwent a long craniotomy at the Cleveland Clinic in London.

Following the successful operation, Davina McCall made a full recovery. According to The Sun, a recent MRI showed no signs of the tumor returning.

Davina McCall spoke about her life after brain surgery

Despite the severe health condition and risks, Davina maintained a positive approach towards her treatment and life. Amid the stress, check-ups, and illness, she was determined to remain optimistic throughout her medical journey.

During her interview, published on May 20, 2025, she revealed how she named her tumor Jeffrey. Funnily, she hosted a F*ck Jeffrey celebration on her 57th birthday. She invited her loved and close friends to enjoy her special occasion.

A lot has transformed after her surgery. McCall lost her memory for a short time due to her surgery. Recounting the experience, she explained,

"My short-term memory after the operation was really poor. I was like Dory [the forgetful fish] from Finding Nemo. I literally couldn’t remember anything. So I woke up in the morning and I went to go to the loo and was like, 'Oh my God, my legs, why am I hurting? Oh, right… I worked out yesterday. And then I was like, “I love this pain.' It was a really good way of sparking my memory."

Now, she enjoys a healthier life, with an MRI confirming her surgery was successful. Looking back on how things have evolved over time, she chimed in,

"When I got this brain tumor I said to Michael, 'If I make it, this will be the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.' Because of the learnings, yes – and because of the places I’ve had to go to deal with it."

Davina McCall is exploring and learning new experiences. She is back to learning the piano again. During her younger days, she "flunked" Maths A-Level. Now, she is planning to retake the subject.

Davina is sweating it out and working hard to gain strength and get stronger. Her transformation journey is inspirational and commendable.

Expressing how she has been taking steps to get back into her usual lifestyle, she talked about the first few weeks of her recovery,

"And [in the midst of ] that feeling of anxiety and institutionalisation – of your house being the only safe place, of forgetting how to function in a normal way – everything felt like a massive win."

Getting back to working out was not a smooth transition post-brain operation. Recounting how she felt, Davina McCall elaborated,

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"I can’t tell you how much I cried after I did the first one,’ she recalls, her voice cracking at the memory. I was so proud. I didn’t care that I had to stop halfway through the exercises or whether I was 'going to failure'. I didn’t beat myself up."

Soon, she began to feel more energetic and felt physically better, and "loved feeling out of breath again."

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