British TV Presenter Davina McCall ‘On the Mend’ After Brain Tumor Surgery

Davina McCall attends the UK Premiere of "Yesterday" in London, England, on June 18, 2019. Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

British television presenter Davina McCall is finally home and recovering after undergoing surgery earlier this month to remove a benign brain tumor.

McCall, 57, took to Instagram on Monday to share that she had been discharged from the Cleveland Clinic London Hospital over the weekend after being admitted on Nov. 15 for a craniotomy.

“It’s been mad, and it’s just really nice to be back home,” she said in a video update. “I’m on the other side.”

Although the procedure was a success, McCall, who shares three children—Holly, 23, Tilly, 21, and Chester, 18—with her ex-husband, Matthew Robinson, noted that she was experiencing short-term memory loss following the operation.

“But that is something that I can work on, so I’m really happy about that,” she said. “I’m writing down everything that I’m doing to keep myself feeling safe.”

The former “Big Brother” host and bestselling author conveyed her appreciation to her current partner, celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, and her stepmother, Gaby, for their unwavering support during her recovery period.

“I don’t really say thank you to Gaby enough. She’s been an amazing rock my whole life,” McCall said, visibly overcome with emotion.

“I think when something like this happens we just feel so grateful—I’ve always been grateful. I’ve been really lucky in my life, but I feel unbelievably grateful right now,” she continued.

“I’m on the mend, I’m resting, I’m sleeping loads, and I feel really good. I just feel very lucky.”

Well Wishes

Elsewhere in the video, McCall extended a “heartfelt thank you” to those who had sent her encouraging messages. “It’s meant the world,” she said.

British singer-songwriters Olly Murs and Craig David were among those who expressed their well-wishes online.

“So happy you’re back home,” Murs wrote. “You’re amazing Davina,” David noted. “And we all love you so much.”

Fellow British television presenters Alison Hammond and Ruth Langsford also showed their support in the comment section.

“Get better soon superstar,” wrote Hammond. “Good to see your lovely face,” commented Langsford. “Rest up and let those lovely people take care of you.”

“Sending all the love you magnificent woman,” wrote Irish model Laura Whitmore.

“Beautiful girl. You just rest. You need a big break. You have entertained for a very long time,” added British actress Patsy Palmer. “So glad you are healing.”

“Just a blessing to see you and hear you’re in safe hands (which we all knew already),” wrote celebrity fitness trainer Richard Callender. “Rest up, recover and sending love from us all.”

Benign Brain Tumor

In a previous social media update posted the morning of her surgery, McCall—an outspoken advocate for menopause awareness—said doctors discovered her brain tumor during a routine health screening.

“A few months, I did a menopause talk for a company and they offered me a health scan in return, which I thought I was gonna ace,” she explained. “But it turned out I had a benign brain tumor called a colloid cyst, which is very rare.”

According to Weill Cornell Medicine, colloid cysts affect a small percentage of the population, occurring in only about three in a million people.

The cause of the growths, which typically form in the third ventricle of the brain, located in the center of the head, is currently unknown. However, some researchers believe that the tumors develop in the fetus during the embryonic stage of development.

The fluid-filled cysts are non-cancerous but can increase in size over time. If left untreated, colloid cysts can cause a host of health problems, including neurological issues, and even sudden death, per the Barrow Neurological Institute.

For this reason, McCall, co-author of the 2022 book “Menopausing,” said she decided to have her tumor removed.

“I decided to put my head in the sand for a while and then I saw quite a few neurosurgeons. I got lots of opinions, and I realized that I have to get it taken out,” she explained.

“It’s big for the space—it fills the space. It’s 14 millimeters wide, and it needs to come out because if it grows, it would be bad.”

Douglas provided an update after the procedure, assuring McCall’s fans and followers that the surgery had gone smoothly.

“According to the surgeon it was textbook!” he wrote in part on Nov. 15.

“She’s currently recovering in ICU as a precaution. As you can imagine, she’s utterly exhausted. Thanks so much for all the love from everyone on here...it’s powerful stuff, we are super grateful.”