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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Joel Leaver

Davina McCall took drugs with 'troubled' mum when she was just 12 years old

Davina McCall has spoken candidly about her upbringing, saying that she took drugs twice with her late mother - once when she was 12 and the second time taking cocaine at 15.

The presenter, 55, opened up about her childhood whilst a guest on the latest episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast, which is hosted by entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, 30.

Discussing her youth, Davina said her mother Florence Kock left her in the care of her grandmother Pippy McCall. She said Pippy shared custody with her father Andrew McCall.

She recalled this happening when she was a young child and said her mother went to live in her native France. Davina said they only saw each other during holidays out there.

Davina McCall (pictured) appeared on the latest episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast (The Diary Of A CEO)

Davina - whose mum passed away in 2008 - said those trips were "quite crazy" and recalled experiences that she had with her mum, who she said was "troubled".

The experiences included her telling podcast host Steven that she had done drugs with her mum and her older sister, Caroline Baday, during her childhood visits to them.

Candidly speaking about it, she said on the podcast: "Drugs at 12 with my mum. Smoking weed at 12. [...] I did coke with my mum at 15. I did it with my sister at 14".

She added: "Me and my mum only did drugs twice. I mean, I know that's twice times too many in my book, but I don't want to give this impression that she and I were taking tonnes of drugs together cause that would be a false impression".

She spoke about her late mother, Florence Kock (pictured), on the podcast (BBC/Wall To Wall)

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The Masked Singer judge said her grandparents would "reground" her whenever she returned from seeing her mum. She said life with them was "safe" and "simple".

Davina said she feared being prevented from seeing her mum if people at home knew about life with her. She added: "I didn't care how mad she was, I still wanted to see her."

She said that her older sister Caroline was her "lifeline" in France. "She was my rock," she explained. Davina later said their close relationship continued into adulthood.

She also discussed her late sister Caroline Baday (pictured) (Davina McCall/Twitter)

Davina said that Caroline's death in 2012 remains the "worst thing that ever happened" to her. She went on to issue advice to viewers about dealing with their own loved ones.

She recalled her sister - who had been diagnosed with cancer shortly before her death - having "put a fence" around herself, with Davina having been determined to get even closer to her in the weeks leading up to her death.

She said they ultimately ended up having "the best talks" in those few weeks.

Encouraging listeners to reach out to their loved ones before it's too late, she said: "The best seven weeks of my life with my sister were those last seven weeks of hers'".

She also urged people to do bucket-lists whilst alive, rather than doing it after a terminal diagnosis. And she called on viewers to spend time doing "what really matters" to them now, adding: "Don't wait for somebody to say you've got six weeks to live".

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