Television presenter Davina McCall has revealed she has cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a fresh health update following her battles with breast cancer and a brain tumour.
The former Big Brother presenter has faced a number of health setbacks in recent years; in 2024, she received brain surgery to remove a rare 14mm benign tumour, shortly after which she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Speaking on her podcast, Begin Again, the TV presenter revealed that she has now been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease – the name for a group of conditions that affect a person’s heart and blood vessels.
“I wanted to let you know, I also have cardiovascular disease, and this is a very important conversation to have,” she said on the show.
The 59-year-old spoke with heart attack survivor Louise McGill to highlight the vital importance of women’s cardiovascular health.
McCall added: “Anyone can get sick and when I had my cancer experience, you just suddenly feel vulnerable in a way you weren’t before… Once you’ve been ill, you think ‘Oh, I thought I was invincible.’”
McCall noted she was told she had high cholesterol before being diagnosed. She said: “I had high cholesterol and had it for quite a long time. It was deemed I had good cholesterol and that offset the bad or something.”
McCall urged women not to ignore potential symptoms and ensure they stay proactive about their health.
She said: “Heart attacks and cardiovascular disease is rife out there particular in women post menopause.
“If there’s one takeaway today it’s not to brush things off.”
The NHS states that CVD is often caused by a build-up of fat in the arteries, making it hard for blood to flow through the body. It can be prevented through a healthy lifestyle or medication if required.
In April, McCall said that she had received the "all clear" following surgery for breast cancer. However, earlier this month, she revealed that she had developed symptoms relating to “advanced Alzheimer’s” following her brain surgery, admitting that the operation had a significant effect on her memory for several months.
“The staff came in every day, and they’d go, ‘What’s my name?’ and I’d go, ‘I don’t know,’” she said, adding that her husband, hair stylist Michael Douglas, “would come and visit for two hours, and he’d go to the loo and come back, and I’d go, ‘Oh my God, you’re here,’ and I didn’t know he’d been there”.
The presenter made her TV debut on MTV before hosting Big Brother for a decade. She has also featured in several other popular shows, including the Bafta award-winning series Long Lost Family, Million Pound Drop and The Masked Singer.
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