Kent-based TV presenter Davina McCall is undergoing brain surgery today to remove a tumour, she’s revealed.
The 57-year-old, who lives in Tunbridge Wells, took to Instagram to share the news of her procedure with her 1.8 million followers.
Davina, who has hosted shows such as Big Brother, explained she has a rare colloid cyst which only affects three in every one million people. She received her diagnosis by chance after booking for a health scan.
Addressing her fans, she said: “I was offered a health scan which I thought I was going to ace but it turned out I had benign brain tumour which is very rare, three in a million.
“I slightly put my head in the sand for a while, I saw a few neurosurgeons, had quite a lot of opinions and realised I needed to take it out.
“It’s quite big, it’s 14mm wide and it needs to come out because if it grows it would be bad. I’m having it removed. Say a prayer for me. I’m in good spirits.”
A colloid cyst is a slow-growing tumour typically found near the centre of the brain. The benign growth contains gelatinous material.
Most patients present with headaches, although other symptoms including vertigo, memory problems and double vision can occur.
The mum-of-three told how she wasn’t facing any immediate risk but doctors had raised concerns about if the tumour began to grow.
After the procedure she is expected to stay in hospital for just over a week before returning home.
Davina’s celebrity hairdresser partner Michael uploaded the video to her social media, adding a caption which said: “Hey everyone. Michael here. She will be ‘off grid’ for a bit while she recovers from this brain operation.
“She is in great shape and in very good hands. I’ll do the odd update from her account here for anyone interested.
“I’m sure she’ll read all the comments when she’s able to so feel free to send love ❤️ . The support of people is amazingly powerful. Have a great day everyone. Michael xxx”.