Davina McCall Details Post-Surgery Alzheimer's-Like Symptoms

Davina McCall, 58, has shared that she experienced symptoms akin to advanced Alzheimer's disease for months following surgery to remove a brain tumor. The television presenter discussed the cognitive effects of the operation on the "Mad, Sad and Bad" podcast with Paloma Faith.

McCall recounted a period where she struggled to remember events that had happened as recently as 15 minutes prior, making it difficult to follow films or even recall the previous page of a book. She also described instances where she wouldn't recognize her husband, Michael Douglas, immediately after he left and returned to her hospital room.

"After I'd had my brain tumor taken out, I had advanced Alzheimer's," McCall stated. "So I couldn't remember anything. So 2025 was the hardest year of Michaels and my lives."

She explained that upon waking after the operation, she had no memory of it. Hospital staff would test her memory daily, asking for her name, which she could not recall. "Michael would come and visit for two hours and he'd go to the loo and come back an I'd go 'oh my god you're here' and I didn't know he'd been there," she said.

McCall found that singing lessons helped her regain her memory, describing the process as "mind physio." She reported that in October of the previous year, she woke up and realized she could remember what she had done the day before.

In August, McCall also disclosed that she received support from comedian Peter Kay after being diagnosed with both a brain tumor and breast cancer. She underwent surgery for the benign brain tumor in 2024, followed by a breast cancer diagnosis the subsequent year.

McCall stated that Kay, whom she did not know well prior to her illnesses, offered significant support. She recalled receiving an unexpected call from him while she was hospitalized for the brain tumor. He continued to offer assistance after her breast cancer diagnosis, guiding her through her options and encouraging her to discuss her feelings.