Davina McCall has been through a lot in her life - from overcoming addiction to her recent cancer battles, she’s demonstrated her strength time and time again.
But, in a new candid conversation, the beloved TV personality has revealed that one hurdle that nearly proved too much for her was going through menopause, and the "shame" she felt dealing with a myriad of symptoms that left her questioning herself.
From forgetfulness to losing her temper with her children, Davina got to a point where she thought she had to give up presenting.
Speaking to The Sun about the symptoms that came on, Davina shared, "These aren’t sweats, or aches, or joint pain, or shooting pains in your head, or palpitations. These are just mental. But these are all real, and these are very disconcerting to me - to the point where I thought, ‘I’m not sure I can present television any more’.
"My eyesight went a bit weird. I couldn’t really read the autocue. I was presenting a show called Stepping Out. I couldn’t remember Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s name. I mean, that name is so recognisable.
"And I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I am on a live TV show’. And I was having to say, ‘You'".
A post shared by Davina McCall (@davinamccall)
A photo posted by on
Reaching near breaking point, Davina remembers, "The woman from ITV came in, said, ‘Are you OK? I was like, ‘Sorry, I’m fine. Bit tired today.’ And she leaves and I just burst into tears.
"I couldn’t f*****g function. I’d look at my daughters laughing so hard - when was the last time I did that?"
"The shame around all of that was so massive, and shame was unfamiliar to me."
A post shared by Begin Again (@beginagain)
A photo posted by on
It wasn’t just at work - Davina, in a confession that is no doubt relatable to many women, remembers losing her confidence with daily tasks, and finding herself with a temper that was unfamiliar to her.
Speaking of a sudden lack of confidence, she said, "I had thrown myself out of a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, on television. I was brave. But I became a bit worried about going to Sainsbury’s at dusk, because it would be dark when I’d be driving back with the shopping on the five-minute trip home.
"Those little changes where you start going, ‘I don’t feel myself. Who is the person that’s getting my three kids ready for school?’
"I’d say, ‘Can you get the car? OK, could you get in the car? Can you just get in the f*****g car?’
"And I sit in the car with my head on the steering wheel, and just cry, and they’re all going, ‘You all right, Mummy?’. That rage went from nought to 60."
Davina has since credited HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for 'saving' her - and wants more openness and less taboo around the topic.
She has previously said, "[HRT] did really, really, really save me. But I wasted and lost three years of my life not taking it because of the stigma around it. When I finally did, I didn't tell anybody. And if anybody asked me about it, I lied and said I wasn't on it."
After her own journey, Davina has become a champion in raising awareness about what women really need when dealing with menopause and perimenopause, including writing the best-selling book, Menopausing: The Positive Roadmap to Your Second Spring.
