IT’S FAIR to say that Davina McCall is one of the most recognisable faces on British TV.
But the mum-of-three had to go to great lengths to make sure she didn’t lose the host spot on Big Brother.
The mum-of-three revealed she had to go to great lengths to make sure she didn’t lose the host spot on Big Brother[/caption]
Davina, now 57, would aim to fall pregnant in December so that she had her babies in September – which is when the beloved show starts[/caption]
Davina and her ex-husband Matthew Robinson went on to have three kids before divorcing 17 years into their marriage[/caption]
The TV star launched to national stardom when she landed the job as the original presenter of the Channel 4 reality show in 200.
But chatting on the latest episode of Fabulous’ No Parental Guidance podcast, the 57-year-old revealed she had special tactics in place to keep the host spot secured.
Watch our No Parental Guidance podcast on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
The My Mum, Your Dad presenter would aim to fall pregnant in December around the festive season so that she had her babies in September – which is when the series start.
”So no one else presented Big Brother,” Davina told the podcast duo Hannah East and Louise Boyce.
”Me and my ex, we might still not be together but we did do babies well,” said Davina who shares three children – Holly, 23, Tilly, 21, and Chester, 18 – with her ex-husband Matthew Robinson.
”Biologically, we were meant to make babies – and we came out with three amazing kids.”
Davina gave birth for the first time in 2001, welcoming daughter Holly with her second husband Matthew.
Just two years later, she gave birth to her second child, Tilly, and at the peak of her Big Brother fame in 2006, her third child, Chester, was born.
The marriage lasted almost two decades – but ultimately, it wasn’t a fairytale ending, with Davina agreeing to give up at least £2.5million for a quickie divorce.
While the mum-of-three no longer hosts the show – which is said to have plenty of ”twists and turns” this year – she still cherishes all the memories and even has the iconic ‘Big Muther’ T-shirt framed.
”And I’ve got the ‘Big Muther Reloaded’ because that was the year that Matrix Reloaded came out – that was Tilly.
”And then ‘Big Muther – The Trilogy’ for Chester,” she chuckled.
The series – which will start on Sunday, 28 September, at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX – catapulted Davina to stardom in the UK.
But wanting to do well in her TV career meant the mum-of-three had to work extra hard – something Davina was willing to do.
”I really loved what I did for a job – and it’s not stepping on someone else’s head to get where you want to get to.
”But it was like, I will take that extra job in the middle of the night – or I will sleep under the desk in the office, so that I can be here in the morning.
”I would go the extra mile because I loved being in telly.”
The TV host has already written several books, including Begin Again and Birthing, where she attempted to ”empower women to get the birth that they want”.
”I loved giving birth because I ended up having three births that I wanted. All very different but I somehow felt a bit in control.
”I think sometimes you can feel a bit like your control is being taken away from you at the time of giving birth – and that ends up transmitting to you, a feeling of ‘Oh, I don’t know’.
”You have to feel safe when you’re giving birth,” said Davina whose kids were born at home.
The The Masked Singer judge – who started dating former hairstylist Michael Douglas in 2019 – also spoke about potentially becoming a grandmother and how daughter Holly is really nervous about giving birth.
According to Davina, whose kids Holly and Tilly where there when she was having Chester, she was ”doing some mooing” as she was in labour.
”I guess for a kid, it’s quite intense.”
Teen-like lovebirds make us all happy
By Clemmie Moodie
I DEFY you to name a more loved-up couple than Davina McCall and Michael Douglas.
Seeing them in the flesh is like witnessing teenagers in the first flush of intoxicating, all-consuming, hormonal-heavy love. Minus the angst.
News of their engagement is the bit of cheer we all needed at a time when so much else in the world is unrelentingly grim.
Davina is one of the kindest, most genuine celebrities in Britain.
Michael is a bundle of high energy fun.
He is as deeply in love with his fiancée as he is rightly proud of her.
Whilst their public lives are deeply entwined thanks to a successful podcast and his artful rendering of her locks, they are also deeply successful, and independent, in their own right.
A few years ago I bumped into Michael at London’s Soho House.
He came over to say hi; he drinks (moderately, not in a lush way) whereas six-packed, uber-fit Davina is famously teetotal.
He was lovely, unguarded and deeply complimentary of his then-girlfriend.
Michael invariably accompanies her on set and, granted, they’re not snogging unprofessionally between takes, but their chemistry is palpable.
Their decision to marry, having insisted they would never want to rock the boat, will give dog-obsessed spinsters like me hope.
Evidently Davina’s recent trauma, which she so powerfully documented to help others experiencing similar, has given her fresh perspective. Life is short; celebrate those you love.
For a woman so synonymous with menopause awareness, how lovely another M word “marriage” is now what we are all talking about.
I wish them a lifetime of happiness.
The legendary host previously revealed the romantic moment her boyfriend Michael got down on one knee during a stunning clifftop proposal – but admitted she nearly spoiled it by being in a bad mood.
Speaking on Virgin Radio, Davina told her pal Chris Evans: “It happened in Ibiza.
“What was quite funny was after lunch Michael had booked a lunch which was like, not that usual on a beach and he wanted to take me to a beach where we’d been with all the kids before.
“So I was like, ‘Oh, this is really nice.’ And then he said, ‘Let’s go for a walk around the cliffs.’”
But Davina admitted she wasn’t exactly dressed for the occasion.
She went on: “Now I’m in Ibiza right? When I’m in Ibiza, I dress for Ibiza, Chris.
“I’m in some god-forsaken cowboy boot, little pink cowboy boots with steel toe caps and I’m not in a cliff climbing outfit.
“I could see he really wanted me to like it, it would make him happy.
“And I thought, ‘Oh, bless.’ Like he wants to show me something beautiful. So I was like, ‘Stop being miserable and get up the cliff.’
“So I’m clambering up the cliff in some sort of steel toe capped cowboy boots.
“I’m not going to say what happened, but he recited something to me which was lovely, because I’m going to keep something for myself.
“He recited something that was lovely and then he got down on one knee.”
The couple, who have been together for seven years, jetted to Nevada this summer to to celebrate their engagement at the iconic Burning Man festival.
Davina McCall dances with stunning rarely seen daughter Tilly Robertson[/caption]
Davina with her partner Michael Douglas and her daughter Holly Robertson after being made an MBE[/caption]
Davina opened up on a recent episode of No Parental Guidance[/caption]
