Davina McCall has told how she is ‘annoyingly and aggravatingly positive’ despite all the hardships she has been through in her life. 

She spoke in a podcast released on Thursday that was recorded before she revealed the shock new last week that she was having surgery to remove a benign, but ‘very rare’, colloid cyst that affects only three in a million people.

In the latest episode of her Begin Again podcast, where she interviewed journalist and TED speaker Johann Hari, she told how she has always had reframe negativity into positivity to cope with tough times. 

She told Johann: ‘I have been through so many things and sometimes I have wondered why I am still such a positive person. 

‘I am actually aggravatingly and annoyingly positive. But I don’t know if you can change things like that about yourself really.’

Davina, 57, has been through many traumas in life including a drug addiction and a chaotic childhood. 

Davina McCall has told how she is ‘annoyingly and aggravatingly positive’ despite all the hardships she has been through in her life

In the latest episode of her Begin Again podcast, where she interviewed journalist and TED speaker Johann Hari, she told how she has always had reframe negativity into positivity to cope with tough times

And last week she was forced to face another hardship after being told she would need surgery to remove a brain tumour. 

Earlier this week she revealed the final words she said before being put to sleep for the operation. 

In the latest episode of her Making The Cut podcast, which was recorded two days before her operation, she shared more details about the procedure, confessing she was ‘worried’ and finding everything ‘intense’. 

Joined by boyfriend Michael Douglas on the podcast, 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 pᴀssenger 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”.’

Elsewhere in the chat, Davina confessed she’d been ‘ignoring’ the fact her surgery was coming up and that she had ‘put her head in the sand’ after learning she had a colloid cyst as a result of a random health check.  

Sharing her surprise at her diagnosis, she confessed: ‘I waltzed into this health check cocky. It’s me, fitness lady, and I came out with a benign brain tumour.’

She told Johann: ‘I have been through so many things and sometimes I have wondered why I am still such a positive person. I am actually aggravatingly and annoyingly positive’

She spoke in a podcast released on Thursday that was recorded before she revealed the shock new last week that she was having surgery to remove a benign, but ‘very rare’, colloid cyst that affects only three in a million people

The TV presenter, 57, shared the news about her surgery in an Instagram post last week (pictured with partner Michael Douglas)

Davina went on: ‘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 revealed that she ‘didn’t really understand’ what the neurosurgeons were saying to her and enlisted help and advice from her doctor and a friend who also had a brain tumour in the past. 

Read More Davina McCall reveals her final words before being put to sleep for brain tumour operation as she shares more details about ‘worrying’ surgery

Revealing the risks of removing the cyst, Davina shared: ‘It’s in the area of short term memory – they’re 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.’

Joking about the craniotomy – removing part of the skull to access the brain – she went on: ‘Michael was saying when they take a bit of my skull out there’d be unicorns and streamers and fireworks coming out… then they’d go a bit deeper and there’d be a naked picture of Michael!’ 

Yet while she was quick to ᴀssure that she was in good spirits, Davina confessed she had still been worrying about the operation. 

Explaining why she chose not to reveal her pre-recorded news until she was in the operating theatre, 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. 

‘I’m putting my phone down, no social media for a couple of weeks.’ 

Revealing why she chose to speak out at all about her operation, Davina went on: ‘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.’

Revealing she would be taking two months off work to recover, the mother-of-three went on: ‘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.’

Davina ended by asking her fans to keep an eye out on her boyfriend, who she has been dating for five years.  

‘Will all of you look after Michael?’ she asked. ‘If you see him, give him a hug.’ 

WHAT IS A COLLOID CYST? 

A colloid cyst is a slow-growing tumour typically found near the center of the brain. 

The benign growth contains gelatinous material.

Most patients present with headaches, although other symptoms including vertigo, memory problems and double vision can occur.

If large enough, a colloid cyst obstructs the movement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain.

This results in a build up of CSF in the ventricles of the brain and raises pressure in the skull.

Surgery may be required promptly in order to reduce the relatively high risk of sudden death.

Source: UCLA Department of Neurosurgery 

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Last week, Davina told fans she was having brain surgery. 

The presenter said she received the diagnosis by chance after booking in for a ‘health scan’. 

A colloid cyst is a slow-growing tumour typically found near the centre of the brain. The benign growth contains gelatinous material.

They are often asymptomatic and found incidentally during imaging tests. 

If symptoms do occur as the tumour grows, they are commonly reported to include headaches that are most severe in the morning upon waking, nausea and blurry vision, with other key signs including vertigo and double vision.

Most patients present with headaches, although other symptoms including vertigo, memory problems and double vision can occur.

If large enough, a colloid cyst obstructs the movement of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain which leads to a high risk of sudden death.  

She said: ‘I was offered a health scan which I thought I was going to ace but it turned out I had benign brain tumour which is very rare, three in a million. 

‘I slightly put my head in the sand for a while, I saw a few neurosurgeons, had quite a lot of opinions and realised I needed to take it out. 

‘It’s quite big, it’s 14mm wide and it needs to come out because if it grows it would be bad. I’m having it removed.’

She added: ‘Say a prayer for me. I’m in good spirits.’

Davina explained while she was at no immediate risk, doctors were concerned that the tumour could grow larger and cause complications. 

She revealed she had been feeling ‘up and down’ and explained she would be in hospital for at least nine days before coming home.

Over the weekend it was revealed that she was out of surgery and ‘recovering in ICU’ in an update 

Michael penned on her Instagram this week: ‘Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well wishers. ❤️❤️❤️ She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours’

The presenter’s partner revealed on Tuesday a huge update that she was now out of intensive care.  

He wrote on her Instagram: ‘Update folks. Thanks so much to all the well wishers. She really has made an enormous leap forward in the last 24 hours.

‘She is out of ICU She is ‘loving awareness’. Thank you xx Michael.’

The grid post then read: ‘Update – Mega progress these last 24 hours. Mᴀssive relief to see some light breaking through. Thanks for all the good vibes coming in from all angles. Up and Up.’