English TV presenter Davina McCall, 57, is out of surgery following an operation to remove a rare brain tumor, according to her partner Michael Douglas. Ms McCall had earlier informed her 1.9 million followers on Instagram in a video message that she had been diagnosed with a type of benign tumor called a colloid cyst. On Friday (November 16) evening, Mr Douglas provided an update, saying Ms McCall had not had surgery after doctors performed ‘textbook’ surgery.
“Davina is out of surgery and according to the surgeon it was textbook. She is currently recovering in the ICU as a precaution, as you can imagine she is completely exhausted. Thank you so much for the love from everyone here… it’s powerful stuff, we are so grateful,” the update from Mr Douglas read.
Mr Douglas said his partner would be offline for some time as she recovered from surgery.
“@davinamccall will be “off the grid” for some time while she recovers from this brain operation. She is in good condition and in very good hands,” she wrote.
“I’ll be posting weird updates from her account here for anyone interested. I’m sure she’ll read all the comments when she’s able, so feel free to send love. People’s support is amazingly powerful. Awesome It’s day everyone.”
In the video message, Ms McCall said the discovery of the tumor had come as a shock to her. Ms McCall said that when she was offered a health scan to discuss menopause, the test results revealed a brain tumour.
“I thought I would crack this (exam). But it turned out I have a benign brain tumor called a colloid cyst, which is very rare – three in a million,” she said in the video.
Describing it as “big”, 14mm wide, Ms McCall said: “It needs to come out, because if it grows it will be bad.”
“And so I put my head in the sand for a while, and then I saw multiple neurosurgeons. I got a lot of opinions, and I realized I had to figure it out.”
What is a benign brain tumor?
According to doctors, benign (non-cancerous) brain tumor is a group of cells that grow relatively slowly in the brain. These are unlikely to spread, but are still serious and can be life-threatening. Such non-cancerous tumors are more common in people above 50 years of age.
Symptoms include headaches, blackouts, behavioral changes, and loss of consciousness.
Who is Davina McCall?
Ms McCall’s presenting career includes appearances on the reality TV shows Big Brother, Long Lost Family, and My Mum, Your Dad as well as Comic and Sport Relief. In 2023, she won the top prize at the British Book Awards for her book on menopause, co-authored with Dr. Naomi Potter.
Ms McCall has contributed extensively to campaigns on menopause awareness and fought for women’s rights. BBC,
