Sunday People

PROUD NATION MARKS RAF REACHING 100

- By Halina Watts SHOWBIZ Editor

DAVINA McCall has told of the huge strain that having children put on her marriage.

The TV star, whose divorce is under way, admits she took revenge on hubby Matthew Robertson after their first-born child Holly arrived.

Mum- of- three Davina, 50, resented fellow presenter Matthew going to the pub and deliberate­ly woke him when she was feeding Holly at night.

The former Big Brother presenter said: “I remember him going to the pub and I was going ‘Oh I will come… oh no I won’t, t he baby’s upstairs’.

“With Holly I wanted to punish Matthew in some way and keep him up. So we slept in the same bed and with the feeds I would turn the light on and change the nappy.

“You know – bedside light, do the feed, change nappy. And think well, I am sorry if you are asleep.”

But Davina, who is splitting from Matthew, 49, after 17 years, admits she took a calmer view when next children Tilly and Chester arrived.

Speaking on the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast she said: “With the second and the third one we’d fall asleep in the bed together and with the midnight feed he’d go off and sleep in the spare room. And sleep.

“Which sounds selfish. Guy gets to go to sleep. But if one gets some sleep then they can make tea or whatever for the other one.

“It was quite nice to be able to turn on the telly thinking I can be awake without feeling guilty that I am keeping Matthew awake.” BRITAIN today is saluting the 100th birthday of the RAF with celebratio­ns across the country.

Last night TV stars Carol Vorderman and Dan Snow hosted a Royal Albert Hall gala with a ceremonial drill and footage of events in the service’s history.

Among today’s festivitie­s are an exhibition at the Military Museum of Scotland in Wilkieston, near Edinburgh, an open cockpits day at Newark Air

Addictions

Davina, who has released a series of fitness workout DVDs, and Pet Rescue host Matthew made the shock announceme­nt l ast November they were going their separate ways.

Davina also admitted she told Holly, 16, Tilly, 14, and Chester, 11, about alcohol and heroin addictions she had in her 20s.

She said: “I’ve had to be very honest about my past with t he children, especially now they have access to the internet.

“They grew up with ‘ Mummy’s going to a meeting.’ They just didn’t know it was Narcotics Anonymous.

“When each of them got to about 10 or 11 I’d say, ‘ Let me explain what those meetings are.’” Museum, Notts, and the Land, Sea and Air Museum in Sunderland.

Air Cadets cycling from RAF Lossiemout­h, Moray to RAF Odiham, Hants, will today pass through Manchester.

Celebratio­ns have been arranged for them at the John Alker Club in Urmston.

The RAF, approved by King George V, was the world’s first independen­t air force.

Air power expert Dr Matthew Powell, from Portsmouth University, said independen­ce let the RAF focus on strategic bombing and home defence, which affected the course of the Second World War. He said if the RAF had been controlled by the Army or Navy they may have not put in the necessary resources.

He also said our strategic bombing capability kept the US interested in the fate of Europe after France fell in 1940.

Dr Powell added: “We were still able to continue the fight in some way.”

 ??  ?? WEIGHT LOSS: Fitness DVD maker Davina MARRYING: In 2000 with her Michael HONEST: Davina on her marriage
WEIGHT LOSS: Fitness DVD maker Davina MARRYING: In 2000 with her Michael HONEST: Davina on her marriage
 ??  ?? CLASSIC DESIGN: Spitfire flies in 1998
CLASSIC DESIGN: Spitfire flies in 1998

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