Davina McCall Describes Memory Loss After Brain Surgery

TV presenter Davina McCall has shared that she experienced memory loss akin to "advanced Alzheimer's" after undergoing surgery to remove a benign brain tumor in 2024. The 58-year-old discussed her recovery on Paloma Faith's podcast "Mad, Sad and Bad," detailing the extent of her cognitive difficulties.

McCall recalled that upon waking after the operation, she did not realize she had undergone surgery. A staff member would reportedly ask her daily if she remembered their name, to which she would respond, "I don't know." She described a period where she was unable to watch movies for six months because she could not retain plot details from one scene to the next, and similarly struggled to remember previous pages when reading books.

"After I'd had my brain tumour taken out, I had advanced Alzheimer's, so I couldn't remember anything," McCall stated.

In November 2024, McCall underwent surgery after a colloid cyst was discovered during a health check related to her menopause advocacy. She also revealed in November of the previous year that she had undergone surgery for breast cancer, calling 2025 the "hardest year" for her and her partner.

Describing her post-surgery experience, she said, "Michael would come and visit [hospital] for two hours, and he'd go to the loo and come back, and I'd go, 'Oh my God, you're here', and I didn't know he'd been there."

McCall noted that approximately a year after the surgery, she experienced her first full day of memory recall from the previous day.

According to the NHS, later stages of Alzheimer's disease involve significant problems with both short-term and long-term memory. Alzheimer's is a progressive condition, with symptoms typically worsening over years. However, recovery from brain surgery often sees symptoms at their worst initially, followed by stabilization and improvement over weeks to months, though some individuals may experience lasting, milder changes.

McCall believes that singing lessons played a role in her recovery, suggesting that music therapy can aid in healing after brain injuries.

In April 2025, McCall announced that MRI scans indicated her tumor was "not coming back." A benign tumor is non-cancerous, though such cysts can grow slowly, according to the Brainstrust charity. The NHS states that non-cancerous brain tumors are more common in individuals over 50 and can cause symptoms like headaches, vision problems, and drowsiness. The surgery McCall had, known as a craniotomy, involved removing a portion of her skull to access and remove the tumor. She has previously discussed the procedure and her recovery on her own podcast, "Begin Again."