Davina McCall has endured one of the toughest years of her life, undergoing major surgery for both a brain tumour and breast cancer. Yet at 58, the presenter—who calls herself a “fitness addict”—is already back running just weeks after her lumpectomy, determined to rebuild her strength while she awaits radiotherapy.
The journey has been long and frightening. In November 2024, Davina revealed she had a rare colloid cyst that required a gruelling six-hour brain operation. One year later, she discovered a lump while filming The Masked Singer. She later shared that a reminder on the back of the studio toilet door telling women to “check your breasts” prompted her to investigate again. “Every time I went for a wee I checked—and it was still there,” she recalled. A biopsy soon confirmed breast cancer, and she underwent a successful lumpectomy.
Now cancer-free, Davina is focusing heavily on staying fit and fuelling her body well—something she says has become part of her recovery.
Inside her fridge, she keeps an abundance of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins, nuts, grains and “lots of popcorn”. Laughing, she admitted her “naughty habit is… nuts”, though she insists she shows everything honestly—even “sticky toffee pudding” when she craves it.
She rotates three breakfast choices: a fibre-packed granola bowl inspired by Dr Megan Rossi, a simple buttered crumpet, or porridge. On gym mornings, she heads straight to her home workout after her coffee.
Lunch is colourful and balanced. In a recent video she fried sweetcorn in a tiny bit of butter, grilled halloumi, and paired them with salad, cooked carrots, falafel and hummus—using lettuce leaves as wraps.
Dinner is quick and wholesome: chicken mini fillets, corn on the cob, potatoes and steamed broccoli—prepared in under 30 minutes. Evenings are her weakness; she often craves something sweet, so she settles for a couple of squares of dark chocolate and a purple tea.
Despite her fitness reputation, Davina revealed she actually only works out for 30 minutes, four times a week. “People think I’m doing two hours every day,” she joked. “But if you work out efficiently for half an hour, it’s enough.”
She uses 0.5kg weighted gloves, 5–6kg dumbbells, and even a weighted vest for strength sessions. Running remains part of her life too—she recently completed her first jog post-surgery, sharing a beaming selfie in a red beanie hat.
Having battled drug addiction in her youth and now sober for over 30 years, Davina says discipline saved her life. Today, that discipline is fuelling yet another fight—one she’s determined to win, step by step, meal by meal, mile by mile.
