Davina McCall has offered a rare account of how her relationship with hairdresser Michael Douglas began, saying the change from long-term friends to partners felt like a sudden "coup de foudre" — a lightning bolt.
The 57-year-old TV presenter, who split from her ex-husband Matthew Robertson in 2017, said she and the 51-year-old Douglas had known each other for about 20 years while they were both married to other people and had been close as client and hairdresser. The pair began dating in 2019. In an interview with The Guardian, McCall said the shift to romance was not gradual. "It was more of a coup de foudre (a sudden unforeseen event). A lightning bolt," she told the newspaper.
McCall described a deep friendship in which the two confided in one another. "I told him all of my secrets, about how I was feeling, and he was a brilliant sounding board. He would share his experiences; I would share my experiences. We would help each other navigate things," she said. She added that at the time both were committed to their spouses: "And he was in love with his wife and I was in love with my husband." She also acknowledged the emotional complexity of discussing the transition, saying, "I probably don't want to talk about this because I have to think about Matthew."
The presenter said that Douglas, while working as her hairdresser, had been part of her household routine for years, at times bringing his children to her home while he did her hair. That longstanding familiarity is one reason she said the change felt surprising despite their close bond.
McCall's comments come after public remarks she has recently made on other aspects of intimate relationships, including her views on so-called "sexless marriages." In the Guardian interview she framed the development of her relationship with Douglas as both unexpected and rooted in a long friendship that provided mutual support.
McCall rose to prominence as a television presenter and has been candid in past interviews about her personal life. Douglas is known in the hairdressing industry; the two have kept aspects of their relationship private while speaking occasionally about its origins. Their account underscores the role long-term friendship and emotional intimacy played in the formation of their partnership after decades of acquaintance.