Davina McCall: 'Memory Loss After Brain Surgery Felt Like Advanced Alzheimer's'
BBC News reports that TV presenter Davina McCall has disclosed experiencing symptoms akin to "advanced Alzheimer's" following brain surgery. Speaking on Paloma Faith's podcast Mad, Sad and Bad, the 58-year-old detailed her struggle with memory loss while recovering from an operation to remove a benign brain tumor in 2024.
"After I'd had my brain tumour taken out, I had advanced Alzheimer's, so I couldn't remember anything," McCall recalled.
She shared an anecdote about a staff member constantly asking her to confirm their name, to which she would respond, "I don't know."
McCall underwent surgery after a colloid cyst was discovered during a health check-up related to her menopause advocacy work. She also revealed her battle with breast cancer, stating 2025 was the "hardest year" for her and her partner.
"Michael would come and visit [hospital] for two hours, and he'd go to the loo and come back, and I'd go, 'Oh my God, you're here', and I didn't know he'd been there," she said.
"I couldn't watch a movie for six months because I couldn't remember what had happened in the movie 15 minutes before. [When reading] a book I couldn't remember the page before."
A year after her surgery, McCall noted for the first time she woke up and could recall activities from the previous day. She attributed her recovery, in part, to music therapy, suggesting singing lessons had ultimately "healed" her.
McCall's surgery involved a craniotomy, where part of her skull was removed to extract the tumor. She has openly discussed her experience, including on her podcast Begin Again.