Davina McCall, 58, has revealed that she feared her long-running television career was over as she suffered debilitating menopause symptoms. The presenter, who has been open about her menopause experience, shared in a new interview that hormone changes left her struggling with her emotions, memory, and even eyesight.
Struggles with Memory and Vision
McCall told The Sun: "These aren't sweats, or aches, or joint pain, or shooting pains in your head, or palpitations. These are just mental. But these are all real, and these are very disconcerting to me — to the point where I thought, 'I'm not sure I can present television any more'. My eyesight went a bit weird. I couldn't really read the autocue."
She recalled an incident while presenting the show Stepping Out: "I couldn't remember Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's name. I mean, that name is so recognisable. And I'm like, 'Oh my God, I am on a live TV show'. And I was having to say, 'You'."
Emotional Toll and Shame
McCall described a moment when a woman from ITV asked if she was okay: "I was like, 'Sorry, I'm fine. Bit tired today.' And she leaves and I just burst into tears. I couldn't f***ing function. I'd look at my daughters laughing so hard — when was the last time I did that? The shame around all of that was so massive, and shame was unfamiliar to me."
Recovery Through HRT
The presenter said that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has left her feeling like her old self again. She added: "I want to say I am 58. I am out the other side." Earlier this year, she backed a Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) call for action to improve understanding of the link between menopause and mental health.
Health Battles: Brain Tumour and Breast Cancer
McCall also revealed that the benign brain tumour she discovered in autumn 2024 is now "completely gone." The former Big Brother star had surgery to remove the colloid cyst. Last year, she also discovered she had breast cancer, undergoing a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy earlier this year.
