In a remarkably candid conversation on her joint podcast with husband Michael Douglas, television icon Davina McCall has revealed how the intense pressures of presenting live television may have contributed to lasting damage to her health. The Big Brother and Masked Singer star, who has faced significant health battles in recent years, offered emotional insights into her wellbeing journey during the intimate recording.
From Live Television Stress to Health Struggles
During their podcast episode titled Making The Cut, Michael Douglas prompted Davina about her longstanding thyroid condition, suggesting that her career in high-stakes live broadcasting could be a contributing factor. "I know you've always said something about your thyroid," Michael remarked. "You think you might have damaged your thyroid with your work, being so anxious permanently about being on live telly, it might have damaged you."
Davina concurred with this assessment, explaining how persistent feelings of imposter syndrome and anxiety during her television career created ongoing stress that potentially impacted her physical health. This revelation comes after the presenter underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumour in 2024, following breast cancer surgery the previous year.
A Turbulent Journey Through Addiction and Recovery
The conversation delved deeper into Davina's complex relationship with her health, tracing back to a troubled childhood and subsequent struggles with substance abuse. She described how a difficult relationship with her mother Florence contributed to emotional distress that eventually led to heroin dependency beginning at age fifteen.
"Heroin became my best friend," Davina recalled during the podcast discussion. "It's like the biggest, warmest, softest cuddle." She had previously revealed on ITV's This Morning that she had been "trying to fill a hole, a void" through drug use during her younger years.
Transformation to Mid-Life Fitness Authority
Following her recovery from addiction, Davina underwent a remarkable transformation in her approach to health and wellness. During her fifties, she emerged as a respected fitness guru, creating her Own Your Goals Davina wellness platform alongside publishing sugar-free recipe books and exercise DVDs.
This commitment to physical wellbeing represents a dramatic shift from her earlier lifestyle, where she admits exercise was never a priority. "In my 20s, exercise wasn't as much of a focus for me as it is now," she explained. "I was quite slim but my body wasn't very toned, which was probably because when I did go to the gym, I would never really break a sweat."
Navigating Menopause with Transparency
Perhaps most strikingly, Davina discussed achieving what she describes as the peak physical condition of her life while navigating menopause. She has become an outspoken advocate for hormone replacement therapy, regularly sharing details of her daily HRT routine on social media to demystify the experience for other women.
"A big part of my morning routine is hormones, and I thought to demystify it a little bit, I would show you how to apply it," Davina explained in one recent video demonstration. She detailed using a transdermal HRT patch on her hip, supplemented by oestrogen gel applied to her arm and a testosterone-containing cream.
Addressing common misconceptions about testosterone therapy, she quipped: "Testosterone does not make you grow a penis, or testicles or get hair or anything like that. I am just replenishing my levels to where they should be."
Current Health Perspective and Reflections
Despite the health challenges she has faced, Davina maintains a remarkably positive outlook on her current physical condition. "Comparing my fitness now to back in my 20s, I am so much fitter than I was then," she revealed. "At the time, I was quite content with my fitness, but if I was to have done a fitness test at 28, I'm sure I wouldn't have scored as well as I would now, despite being in my 50s."
The conversation between Davina and Michael took place while she was in York for a theatre appearance, adding another dimension to her multifaceted career that has spanned from presenting Channel Four's debut Big Brother series a quarter century ago to currently hosting the smash hit The Masked Singer.
Through her openness about both past struggles and current health management, Davina continues to demonstrate how personal challenges can transform into sources of strength and advocacy for others facing similar journeys.
