Davina McCall has said she nearly spoiled a clifftop proposal from her partner, celebrity hairstylist Michael Douglas, after arriving in the wrong footwear and feeling grumpy during a trip to Ibiza.
The 57-year-old television presenter spoke about the engagement on Chris Evans' Virgin Radio show, describing how a lunch on the beach was followed by a walk along the cliffs where Douglas got down on one knee and recited "something lovely" that she said she will keep private. McCall said she had been in a bad mood because she was wearing "some god-forsaken cowboy boot, little pink cowboy boots with steel toe caps" and did not feel dressed for climbing cliffs.
McCall told Evans that Douglas had been playfully inching toward the moment for months by pretending to kneel and tie a shoelace, a gag that had become a private joke. She said she could tell he wanted the setting to be special and forced herself to cheer up and go with him. Friends told The Sun that McCall has a ring but is wearing it only in private.
The former Big Brother host said she and Douglas were friends for years before becoming romantically involved after her divorce from ex-husband Matthew Robertson was finalized in April 2018. The relationship became public that year and Douglas moved into McCall's home by January 2023.
McCall has also spoken publicly about serious health concerns she faced last year. In November she revealed doctors had discovered a "very rare" colloid cyst — a benign brain lesion that affects only a small number of people — and she subsequently underwent surgery to remove it. She has said the operation was successful and that she made a full recovery, but that the months that followed were more difficult than she anticipated.
On Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, McCall described how short-term memory problems after the operation led her to fear she had become a burden and to worry whether Douglas still wanted to be with her. She recounted moments of repeating questions many times over short periods and said the memory loss left her feeling that her partner might not recognize the person she used to be. McCall said the couple talked through the fears and that Douglas reassured her of his commitment, telling her, "What are you talking about? I love you, of course I want to be with you," and lightening the mood by saying she was "just a bit annoying at the moment." She said she was relieved and laughed at the response.
McCall said she still becomes emotional when discussing the tumour and the recovery, adding that she did not fully understand how long it would take to recover memory and cognitive function. She emphasized that the condition and its aftereffects were temporary and improving, and thanked medical teams and loved ones who supported her through the ordeal.
Representatives for McCall did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The presenter has shared pieces of her experience in interviews and on social media as she continues to recover while planning for her future with Douglas.