TV Presenter Davina McCall Recuperating After Brain Tumour Removal

Davina McCall’s partner has confirmed she is recovering following an operation to extract a rare brain tumour. The 57-year-old television presenter had previously shared a video on Instagram, announcing her diagnosis with a benign tumour identified as a colloid cyst. Michael Douglas provided an update on Friday evening, stating that Ms. McCall was “out of surgery” and recuperating in the hospital. He expressed gratitude to well-wishers “for all the love” and mentioned that Ms. McCall was “utterly exhausted”. The Brainstrust charity explains that while a benign tumour is non-cancerous, these types of cysts typically exhibit slow growth. Mr. Douglas’s statement, disseminated to Ms. McCall’s 1.9 million Instagram followers, quoted a doctor who characterized the surgical procedure as “textbook”. Before the operation, Ms. McCall had detailed the fortuitous discovery of the tumour. In her video, she recounted: “A few months ago, I did a menopause talk for a company and they offered me a health scan in return, which I thought I was going to ace. But it turned out I had a benign brain tumour called a colloid cyst, which is very rare – three in a million.” She continued: “And so I slightly put my head in the sand for a while, and then I saw quite a few neurosurgeons. I got lots of opinions, and I realised that I have to get it taken out.” She further explained the situation: “It’s big for the space. It fills the space. It’s 14mm wide, and it needs to come out because if it grows, it would be bad. So I’m having it removed via a craniotomy.” A craniotomy is defined as a surgical procedure in which a portion of the skull is temporarily removed by a surgeon to access and extract a tumour. Ms. McCall described the procedure in simple terms, stating: “Get the cyst, empty it, take it out, Bob’s your uncle.” While appearing with her partner, Mr. Douglas, she commented: “I’m OK. It’s been up and down, obviously. We’ve been through a lot, yes.” She indicated an anticipated hospital stay of approximately nine days following the surgery. To her followers, she conveyed: “I don’t want you to worry about me. I’m doing that enough.” She continued: “But I’m not worrying too much and I am in a good space. I have all the faith in the world in my surgeon and his team, and I am handing the reins over to him.” And concluded: “He knows what he’s doing, and I’m going to do the getting better bit after. I’ll see you on the other side.” Mr. Douglas stated at that time that he would manage her social media accounts temporarily. The Brains Trust specifies that these cysts typically develop within a fluid-filled cavity located in the brain’s center and are themselves fluid-filled. According to the charity, they constitute under 2% of all primary brain tumours, with individual variations in growth rate and symptom presentation. Their discovery frequently occurs incidentally during scans for unrelated conditions, and some surgeons advise a “watch and wait” approach if the cyst is minor and asymptomatic. Nevertheless, their enlargement can obstruct the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), leading to symptoms such as headaches, visual disturbances, nausea, and loss of consciousness. In severe instances, untreated cysts can result in coma or even sudden death. The Brain Tumour Charity conveyed to BBC News: “All of us wish Davina the best possible outcome for this procedure. As an inspiration to so many, we’re grateful that she has chosen to raise awareness of this uniquely devastating disease.” They added: “We are committed to funding pioneering research, campaigning for systemic change and offering support to all those whose lives are turned upside down by a brain tumour diagnosis.” Will Jones, chief executive of Brainstrust, further commented: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate, they can affect anyone and they are more common than people might think. Over 80,000 people in the UK are living with a brain tumour, and there are over 130 different diagnoses.” He also expressed that they were “grateful to Davina” for sharing her story “openly and candidly,” stating: “This will help hundreds of people living with a colloid cyst to feel acknowledged and less alone.” Ms. McCall’s extensive career in television presenting encompasses programs such as Channel 4’s Big Brother, ITV’s Long Lost Family, and My Mum, Your Dad, in addition to Comic and Sport Relief for the BBC. Earlier this year, she received a special recognition award at the National TV Awards, acknowledging her contributions to the television industry throughout her career. Furthermore, she advocates for menopause awareness, having been motivated by her own hormonal changes to spotlight women’s experiences through her professional endeavors. In the previous year, she secured the top prize at the British Book Awards for her 2022 publication, Menopausing, co-authored with Dr. Naomi Potter. The phenomenon dubbed the “Davina effect” led to a significant surge in demand for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following her 2021 Channel 4 documentary, Sex, Myths and Menopause. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.