Davina McCall has shared the last words she spoke before undergoing surgery to remove a “very rare” brain tumor.
Last week, the TV presenter, 57, revealed that a benign brain tumour, known as a colloid cyst, was found after she was offered a health check-up as part of her menopause advocacy work.
In the latest episode of her Making The Cut podcast with her partner Michael Douglas, recorded two days before the procedure, McCall opened up about the experience, admitting she felt "worried" and found the situation "intense."
She explained: “All I know is that I've chosen an amazing surgeon, I have absolute faith in him.
“I'm going to give him the steering wheel and strap myself into the passenger seat and enjoy the ride.
“As they're putting me under, which is such a nice feeling by the way, I'm going to set an intention and I'm going to say, ‘love, love, love, all the way’.”
During the discussion, the Long Lost Family host admitted she had been "ignoring" the reality of her upcoming surgery and had "buried her head in the sand" after discovering she had a colloid cyst following a routine health check.
Reflecting on the unexpected diagnosis, she shared: “I waltzed into this health check cocky. It's me, fitness lady, and I came out with a benign brain tumour.
“I slightly put my head in the sand because they said it's a colloid cyst and sometimes it grows and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it just stays stable for years.
“So I thought well I don't need to do anything about it, they can just scan me again. Then somebody called me and said they'd like to make an appointment with a neurosurgeon and I was like, ‘that doesn't sound good!’
“So I went to talk to this person and he showed me my brain which blew my mind, weirdest thing ever. He pointed it out to me, it's right in the middle of my brain.”
Davina admitted she didn't fully grasp what the neurosurgeons were explaining to her and sought guidance from her doctor and a friend who had previously experienced a brain tumor.
Discussing the potential risks involved in removing the cyst, she shared: “It's in the area of short term memory, they're [doctors] like, ‘how is your short term memory?’, I'm menopausal, it's not great at the best of times!
“But what I do know is that if my short term memory is affected there are things I can do about that. I am a fighter and that is that.”
Although the beloved presenter reassured fans that she was in good spirits, she admitted to feeling anxious about the surgery.
Explaining her decision to keep the news private until she was already in the operating room, she said: “I didn't want the drama and I was really thinking about my kids.
“It's tough enough going through something like this on your own but when you've got lots of people stopping you in the street and worrying about you. Well I'm worried, I don't need other people's worry. It's intense, it's really intense.
“So I'm putting my phone down, no social media for a couple of weeks.”
McCall explained why she chose to speak out at all about her operation, adding: “I know that I'm well known and if I don't tell people and I disappear for two or three weeks they're going to start digging and they will tell their side of the story.
“I'd much rather they have something from my mouth.”
The mother-of-three is set to take two months off work to focus on her recovery: “It's a big deal, but I'm in really, really good hands. I don't want you to worry about me.
“Me and Michael are rock solid, my kids are great, they're dealing with it brilliantly and I've got really good friends around me. Lots of people looking out for me.
“I've taken two months off, I've got lots of recommendations to watch and read, I'm going to learn to play a song I can perform for you [Michael]. I'm ready.”
McCall ended her candid conversation about her diagnosis by asking her fans to keep look after her boyfriend of five years.
She concluded: “Will all of you look after Michael? If you see him, give him a hug.”
On Monday, it was revealed that McCall had made "an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours".
Her partner Michael Douglas shared that the star was out of the ICU following her craniotomy to remove a benign colloid cyst, a condition that affects just three in a million people.
