Davina McCall says fewer parents are suffering from empty nest syndrome these days because rising house prices mean children stay at home longer. As young adults head to university, the presenter says she is comforted by the idea they are part of the boomerang generation, returning home after leaving.
McCall, 57, has three children with her second husband, Pet Rescue presenter Matthew Robertson: Holly, 23, who went to Newcastle University; Tilly, 21, just back from Australia; and Chester, 19. She says she has reached a 'nice place' where she sees her children often but has her own freedom.
I guess nowadays the proper empty nesting thing doesn't happen as much as it used to. I feel like kids come back all the time. My daughter went to Australia for three years. She's coming back for at least four months, which we're really excited about.
Davina, with her daughters Holly and Tilly, says fewer parents suffer empty nest syndrome these days as rising house costs mean children stay at home for longer. Davina's feelings are in stark contrast to Gavin And Stacey actor Larry Lamb, who says he was deeply affected by empty nest syndrome. He tells the mental health podcast On The Mend, released tomorrow: Just the other day I was thinking about this extraordinary moment when you say goodbye to your kids and they're going off to start their own lives. You will never forget it. Lamb – dad to George, 45, Eloise, 26, and Eva-Mathilde, 22 – has even penned a poem about his pain, with the lines: Can you hold back the tears? Not easy. But you have to not make them feel guilty for doing what you've spent your life preparing them for. But oh, the pain. Then the dam breaks, and the tears keep on coming, whenever you're reminded of that moment.
On the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Davina adds: When Holly came out I was like, I never want to work again – she's just robbed me of all my ambition. But at the same time all through their childhood I thought the goal for me is that my children walk away from me and never look back – not because they hate me, but because they feel confident in themselves and they are looking forward to going out and living their lives. I don't want to have somebody who's still clinging on to my ankle, worried, frightened, a bit scared of the world.
Lamb’s remarks reflect a broader conversation about parenting in a housing market that encourages longer stays at home, even as families celebrate their children’s independence in other parts of life. The discussions traverse television studios and podcasts, illustrating how culture and entertainment figures are shaping a public narrative about family dynamics in the 2020s.