‘I Feel Like I've Been Reborn'

Broadcaster Davina McCall talks to us about fresh starts, feeling positive, life in her fifties, and what success means to her these days

We’ve come to know UK TV presenter Davina McCall, 51, as a master of family reunions on Long Lost Family, and the champion of transformations on This Time Next Year. Bubbly, clever and kind, Davina puts people at ease and reels us in time and again. Away from the screen, she’s passionate about keeping fit, and many a fitness fanatic will have tried her workout routines on DVDs like Fit in 15 and Toned in 10. Her latest, Davina: Power Box & Tone, is out now. Over the past two years, life for Davina herself has changed dramatically, following her divorce from her husband of 17 years, Matthew Robertson. But she seems happier than ever, and has a genuine sparkle in her eyes as she laughs through the w&h cover shoot and interview. “I was in a café recently during filming for Long Lost Family,” Davina recalls. “We were having lunch and a woman took me by the hand and said, ‘Are you OK?’ I said, ‘I’m good, thank you.’ And she goes, ‘You look it.’ She didn’t mean physically; she thought I looked happy. I’m in a good place.” Despite a successful career, it’s obvious that Davina’s greatest achievement is her three children, Holly, 17, Tilly, 15, and Chester, 12. Throughout our chat, she makes it clear that – no matter the job – the kids always come first.

Being a single mom, you become a good juggler.

The weekends are the hardest, when everybody wants to go somewhere different. But in a funny way it’s quite good, because the kids have become more patient with each other. The girls will say, “Oh, Chester needs to go here, so we’ll sit in the car and go there before we can go where we want.” They’ve realised everyone has to share and be more supportive of each other’s wants and needs.

You build resilience from struggles.