Davina’s secret agony: ‘I’m grieving for Dad already… ’
She’s had more troubles than most but, at 50, Davina McCall is healthy, happy and hotter than ever!
One of TV’s national treasures, Long Lost Family host Davina McCall recently hit the big 5-0 and, despite some dramatic ups and downs, she remains wonderfully chipper. As she says herself, Davina – whose hubby of 17 years is former TV presenter Matthew Robertson – is one of life’s ‘glass halffull’ girls. It takes a lot to get the mum-of-three down – perhaps we could all take a leaf out of that book...
TURNING FIFTY
She might well be 50 (and joking that she is ‘growing old disgracefully’!), but that won’t stop Davina showing off her toned figure. She admits to her flaws, but isn’t ashamed of them. Posting a pic on Instagram, she captioned it, ‘I [ love] my wrinkles on my tummy! My tummy carried three bonnie babies!’
Two weeks before her big birthday, the TV presenter posted a pic of herself in a thong-style bikini, admitting she was ‘pretty chuffed’ with how she looked – and we would be, too! Age for Davina has clearly brought with it a devil-may-care confidence.
‘I genuinely care a lot less about what people think of me. I’m wearing what I’m wearing. Get over it!’ she said.
SAYING ‘NO’ TO PLASTIC SURGERY
One route Davina hasn’t gone down is cosmetic surgery. ‘I don’t want my children to look at me and think I look like the Bride of Wildenstein! But I was smiling in a snap on my Twitter feed, and somebody went, “Ooh, you’ve got wrinkles,” I was like, “Of course I have!” But people don’t seem to have wrinkles any more – they’re all Botoxed! So I’m holding out for as long as I can. I can’t say I never will, but I’m kicking against it.’
HER DARKEST MOMENT...
Davina may appear bubbly on the outside, but she has experienced appalling trauma. First, there was her abandonment by her French mother, Florence, who left her with her grandparents aged three. Davina felt deeply ‘ betrayed’, adding, ‘My mother wasn’t normal at all – and left a gaping hole in my life.’
A youthful flirtation with drink and drugs developed into an addiction to heroin by her early 20s. ‘The drink and drugs were getting serious – not just a party thing any more – and I was a mess.’
Finally, even her devoted pals had had enough. ‘There was one person left, and she said to me in the end, “We all know you’re taking heroin, and I’m not going to stand around and watch it any more.” I was devastated,’ Davina recalls. ‘ When you hate yourself so much, you think you’re worthless.’
But there was more pain to come when she discovered her mother had sold a story about them attending an Narcotics Anonymous meeting, which she described as ‘the worst betrayal’.
AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
Davina has proved, however, that your past doesn’t have to define you – unless you let it. Speaking recently on an episode of her TV show The Davina Hour on W, she confessed, ‘I’ve come to a happy place with age. But it’s also because I had a really tricky time in my late teens and early 20s, and I’m very grateful. Gratitude brings me happiness.’
During the episode, Davina took a survey on happiness, and came out with a score of 5.4 out of 6. ‘Everybody says to me, “Oh, if you could change anything, would you go back, or do you have any regrets?” and I reply, “None whatsoever. I think I wouldn’t be where I am now without what happened then.”
‘For anybody that’s suffered – if you can get through it – it might make you happier in the long run. I was a junkie. I used to sweat with cold turkey, so you’d wake up and your bed would be completely wet. Every morning to this day, I still wake up and think, “Amazing – dry sheets.”’
HER ‘HERO’ DAD
Davina has spoken of the heartache of watching her beloved father, Andrew, deteriorate in front of her eyes after being diagnosed last year with Alzheimer’s, aged 73. ‘My dad has always been my rock. He’s smarter than me, funnier, stronger. I’ve always slightly heroworshipped him,’ she said.
The family began to notice something was wrong when Andrew started coming out with odd sentences and forgetting conversations he’d had 15 minutes previously.
Since then, sadly, Andrew now struggles to find the right words and often can’t find everyday objects. Yet Davina’s take on their changed circumstances is inspirational.
‘I have grieved the loss of my old dad. But we are forging a new relationship, where perhaps he might need me more. Our dynamic has changed, but he’s still my dad.’
Davina explained that he is staying positive, and doing exercises to keep his brain alert. And there’s another side-effect: ‘He still gives the best hugs. Since he’s had Alzheimer’s, he’s become calm, and [my] kids respond very well to that.’
Davina has come back from some dark places. We hope she finds the strength to get through this, too.