Television icon Davina McCall has opened up about her unique philosophy for finding joy, crediting her choice of underwear as a key mood indicator and a tool for self-confidence. The revelation comes as the presenter, 58, prepares to return to our screens on Boxing Day as a judge on ITV's The Masked Singer Christmas special, following a year of significant personal health challenges.
Underwear, Pink Boots and a 'Second Spring'
Davina, who secretly married celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, 52, amidst coping with both a benign brain tumour and breast cancer within a twelve-month period, advocates for small, bold acts to reclaim one's sparkle. "I always say go out and buy yourself some new underwear," she advises. "You can tell what mood I am in by the underwear I am wearing. If I don't like myself it is off-white, seamless comfortable underwear."
She credits her husband Michael with encouraging vibrant choices, like pink boots, to break out of a rut. Her positive mindset, she says, was instrumental in landing her role on The Masked Singer, which she describes as a "second spring" for her career. After leaving Big Brother in 2010, she feared her time in entertainment was over, but a bold suggestion during a lunch with ITV's Kevin Lygo six years ago changed everything.
Overcoming Health and Personal Demons
Davina's recent resilience follows a difficult menopause which left her "knocked for six," and the subsequent serious health diagnoses. She underwent brain surgery in November 2024, maintaining her characteristic humour by worrying about flashing her surgeon in her short pyjamas.
Her strength is hard-won, forged from a turbulent childhood with her late birth mother, Florence Kock, who struggled with alcoholism, and a past battle with substance abuse. Davina started smoking cannabis with her mother at age 12, later using heroin in her early twenties. She has been clean and sober for almost 35 years, a journey that began at 25 with help from a friend of Eric Clapton and Narcotics Anonymous. "I realised you can love yourself warts and all," she reflects on her recovery.
A Future Filled with Love and Music
Today, Davina's happiness is rooted in family life with Michael and her three children—Holly, 23, Tilly, 21, and Chester, 18—and the steadfast support of her stepmother, Gaby. Her "drug of choice" is now the pure joy of being with loved ones, dancing to music like Florence and the Machine's Free.
As she looks to the future, Davina has a clear message for anyone feeling invisible or past their prime: "Be ballsy. Remember your worth... if you don't try...you don't get." And for those who find her famous enthusiasm annoying? She laughs it off, content in the knowledge that her vibrant approach to life, and her underwear drawer, are just right for her.
