Davina’s hidden pain: I’m afraid to let people see the real me
Davina McCall, host of upcoming new show The Davina Hour, explains why…
Anyone looking at Davina McCall’s Instagram posts could be forgiven for thinking she’s pretty happy with her life.
Her feed is full of pictures of the TV star looking tanned and toned, smiling widely with glossy locks and a washboard stomach – and then, of course, there’s her happy marriage [to dishy businessman Matthew Robertson], three beautiful kids and a gorgeous house complete with swimming pool.
But, speaking on her new programme, The Davina Hour – a discussion show about mental wellbeing that airs on entertainment channel W from next Monday – the self-confessed ‘therapy junkie’ admits she’s still haunted by her past.
For the first episode, Davina, 49, takes a ‘Perfectionist Test’, which examines how much pressure people put on themselves to attain perfection in life.
Davina’s result was quite balanced – something that comes as a surprise to her, due to a complicated childhood that still haunts her. She has spoken before about the ‘chaos, rejection and selfishness that damaged [my sister] Caroline and me’.
She later recalled the painful moment her mum, Florence, left her in the care of her grannies, aged just four.
Davina explained, ‘I saw that as a rejection, and I spent probably the rest of my life – and the whole reason for me becoming famous – trying to get [Mum] to want me back.’
Davina believes her hunger for acceptance has influenced her attitude to social media, saying about her Instagram page, ‘I definitely post things and go, “That took me 30 attempts to get one I felt good about!”
‘It would be good sometimes to post one I didn’t feel that good about, but I don’t want people to see me like that… I do feel quite selfconscious. I’ve realised, even though it might make me feel deeply uncomfortable, being really honest on Instagram might help someone else. And we should all do that.’
In her book, Lessons I’ve Learned, Davina admits to feeling like a work in progress.
‘I am learning every day. I learn from every situation and every person I meet. Maybe the lesson hurt or embarrassed me but, with hindsight, I can feel how much it taught me.’ Wise words, Davina.
The Davina Hour begins on 4 September on W
‘I am learning every day. I learn from every person I meet, and I can feel how much it’s taught me’