Davina McCall on Her Memory Loss After Brain Surgery: 'Like Advanced Alzheimer's'
BBC News
By Paul Glynn
TV presenter Davina McCall has shared a powerful account of her experience with memory loss following brain surgery, describing it as similar to "advanced Alzheimer's."
Speaking on Paloma Faith's podcast Mad, Sad and Bad, the 58-year-old opened up about her struggles while recovering from an operation to remove a benign brain tumor in 2024.
"After I'd had my brain tumor taken out, I had advanced Alzheimer's, so I couldn't remember anything," McCall recalled. "When I came out of the operation, I didn't know I'd had an operation."
She shared an anecdote about a hospital staff member who would daily ask her if she could remember their name, to which she'd respond, "I don't know."
McCall had the surgery after a colloid cyst was discovered during a health check-up related to her menopause advocacy work. She also revealed she had undergone surgery for breast cancer in November 2024.
"It was the hardest year for both [her and her partner]," she said.
She described her recovery from brain surgery as challenging, citing instances where she wouldn't recognize her partner upon his return from the bathroom, and struggled to recall details from movies and books.
However, a year after her surgery, she noted a significant improvement, waking up one day and remembering what she had done the previous day for the first time.
McCall attributed her recovery, in part, to music therapy and singing lessons.
According to the NHS, late-stage Alzheimer's symptoms include "significant problems with short and long-term memory." While symptoms can be severe immediately after brain surgery, they often stabilize and improve over weeks to months.
McCall has been open about her experience, sharing details on her podcast Begin Again.