Television icon Davina McCall has shared the invaluable, and sometimes difficult, life lessons she has learned from her three children, prompted by a direct request from her youngest daughter.
The 'difficult' lesson in letting go
The 58-year-old Masked Singer panellist, who co-wrote the book Birthing with midwife Marley Hall, explained that her now-adult children have been her greatest teachers. Her children are Holly, 24, Tilly, 22, and Chester, 19.
Speaking to the North Devon Journal, Davina revealed that her middle child, Tilly, fundamentally changed her approach. "Tilly has been the greatest at teaching me to stop micromanaging," McCall admitted. "She is like, 'no Mum, let me try this – don't tell me what to do. I know what to do, and if it’s a mistake, I’ll still be ok.'"
She acknowledged that this is a major fear for many parents, who feel compelled to guide their children through every difficulty. "They have to make mistakes," she stated, emphasising that her "greatest gifts" in life have emerged from catastrophic situations.
Honesty and forgiveness in family life
McCall also offered crucial advice to other parents, stressing the importance of transparency. She believes parents should be as honest as possible with their children, as this encourages children to be more honest in return.
This foundation of mutual honesty, the mum-of-three argues, makes it far easier for both parent and child to forgive one another when mistakes inevitably happen. It creates a resilient and open family dynamic where learning from errors is valued over perfection.
A new perspective on life and death
While promoting the paperback of her birthing book, Davina also spoke on Chris Evans’ Virgin Radio Breakfast Show about a future project focused on death and how to achieve a positive end to life.
This reflection was deeply influenced by her own health scare in November 2024, when she had a 14mm colloid non-cancerous cyst removed from her brain. Discussing the ordeal with The Guardian, she shared how it reshaped her feelings about mortality.
"The best thing to come out of it is not being frightened of death any more," she said. "I wasn’t terrified of dying, but I didn’t want to die. I love life... I looked at my three kids and, although I didn’t want to leave them, I did think: you’d all be OK if I did."
Davina McCall's journey through parenting and personal health challenges highlights a powerful message about growth, resilience, and the unexpected wisdom that comes from both our children and our own vulnerabilities.
