Emotional Davina McCall breaks down on Comic Relief as she recalls brain tumour surgery
DAVINA McCall froze on Comic Relief before breaking down in an incredibly emotional moment.
The TV presenter, 57, was one of the eight-person presenting team for the BBC telethon.
Davina highlighted having had a “pretty mad year” in light of health struggles.
The beloved presenter had surgery late last year in order to remove a benign tumour.
Addressing Comic Relief viewers, she said: “Doctors found a benign brain tumour by chance and after a lot of deliberating, I had it removed.
“And it’s been quite possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever been through.
“But this whole experience, weighing up all the risks and all the positive things about having this tumour removed made me really think deeply about what life is all about.
“What really, really matters when things get tough.
“I needed the brilliance and the skill of lots of experts to make me okay.”
She added: “And oh my goodness, I’ve needed the love and support of -“
Visibly emotional, Davina took a moment to compose herself before carrying on.
The star said: “No, no I’m good, thanks guys”, as the audience applauded.
Davina continued: “My family and particularly Michael to get me through.
“And tonight and watching Billy Monger’s documentary the other night when he visited the projects really made think there are so many people who are scared.
“They’re in trouble, they’re in danger. So many. We’ve seen it tonight, right?
“And they don’t have the friends, or the money or the support that I did.
“I know I was so lucky. But, we know the experts who can help them.
Symptoms of a benign brain tumour
A benign brain tumour is a mass of cells that grows relatively slowly in the brain.
Benign means it in not cancerous.
Non-cancerous brain tumours tend to stay in one place and do not spread.
Some slow-growing tumours may not cause any symptoms at first.
When symptoms occur, it’s because the tumour is putting pressure on the brain and preventing a specific area of the brain from working properly.
As the tumour grows and increases pressure in the skull, you might experience:
- New, persistent headaches that are sometimes worse in the morning or when bending over or coughing
- Feeling sick all the time
- Drowsiness
- Vision problems, such as blurred or double vision, loss of part of your visual field and temporary vision loss
- Epileptic seizures that may affect the whole body, or you may just have a twitch in one area
See a GP if you develop any of these symptoms.
They’ll examine you and ask about your symptoms.
If they suspect you may have a tumour or are not sure what’s causing your symptoms, they may refer you to a brain and nerve specialist for further investigation.
Source: NHS
“That’s what’s so brilliant I think about tonight. There are wonderful projects that we’ve seen that can totally change and turn their lives around.
“And that is what tonight is all about. Oh my gosh, you’re the people, the wonderful strangers who are always there.
“I love you guys, we love you, honestly.
“Because you, all of you, you at home, you show up for people when they are really up against it.”