TV presenter Davina McCall has opened up about the darkest days of her brain tumour diagnosis before she thankfully got the all clear in April of this year

Davina McCall credits unusual hobby for ‘saving her’ during her brain tumour diagnosis(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)

Davina McCall has revealed that The Masked Singer played a huge role in getting her through one of the darkest times of her life as she fought a brain tumour diagnosis last year.

The much-loved TV presenter was diagnosed with a rare colloid cyst in her brain in November 2024, following a routine health check. The incredibly rare cyst, which affects only a handful of people worldwide, was thankfully discovered before it could cause serious complications.

After reluctantly going to for the health check, Davina subsequently underwent surgery to have it removed and has since confirmed that follow-up scans show the cyst is not returning. In April, the former Big Brother presenter confirmed her “final MRI” had shown a colloid cyst is “not coming back”.

Since then, Davina has continued to open up about how the terrifying diagnosis has given her a new lease of life while also detailing the darkest moments she endured throughout her diagnosis as she admitted that she didn’t know when her life was going to end.

Davina underwent surgery in 2024 to have a tumour removed from her brain(Image: Instagram/ @davinamccall)

Davina shared her diagnosis last November(Image: @davinamccall/Instagram)

Speaking about her incredibly difficult yet life-changing year at the National Television Awards on Wednesday, Davina said that one element of The Masked Singer ‘kept her going’ throughout her darkest moments.

“You know what? Being apart of The Masked Singer during that time actually healed a huge part of me I think. You see, they gave me singing lessons. I always thought I could sing and wanted to be really good at it, so when I was diagnosed, I took lessons,” Davina explained.

“Singing really kept me going, and it was almost like a certain type of therapy for me. It was wonderful and I’m very grateful for those lessons,” she added.

It comes after Davina admitted she ‘didn’t think she’d be here’ as she opened up about her difficult year. The beloved presenter’s life completely changed last year when she underwent surgery to have a benign brain tumour removed, an ordeal that’s got her thinking about what comes next in life.

Davina was happier and healthier than ever at this year’s NTA Awards(Image: Getty Images for the NTA’s)

Weeks before her surgery, Davina was in tears as she accepted the Special Recognition Award at the 2024 National Television Awards. She told the audience at the time: “This means so much I can’t even begin to tell you…”

And this week, Davina was back at the annual event, healthier than ever and took to the winners’ room to reveal the backstory behind her tears the year before.

Reflecting on her journey, she said: “Last year, I knew I had a brain tumour and I knew I was being operated on six weeks later and I picked up the award, which meant so much to me.”

The star was speaking through tears as she continued: “Everybody else knew why it meant so much to me. It just meant the world to me because I wasn’t sure where I was going to be six weeks later. You know, what my life would look like.”