TV presenter Davina McCall has returned to live TV presenting for the first time following her recovery from brain surgery at the end of last year, presenting Red Nose Day for Comic Relief
Comic Relief: Davina McCall opens the show
Davina McCall has made a triumphant return to live television following her recovery from brain surgery. The presenter and campaigner has appeared on screen in pre-recorded shows like The Masked Singer, but her appearance on Friday night as one of the hosts of Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day marks the first time she has appeared as a presenter on live TV since last year.
The much loved host kicked off the night’s entertainment along with co-hosts Alison Hammond, Joel Dommett, Alesha Dixon, Tom Allen, Jonathan Ross and Rylan Clark. Wearing a Red Nose Day jacket, she looked healthy and happy and kicked off the proceedings by saying the show would celebrate all things 1980s, before introducing a musical start featuring Limahl, Carol Decker and Roachford.
Fans were thrilled to see her back on live TV even if they were confused by the musical entertainment. “Who are these people?” wrote one viewer, while another added: “I feel old and I will wasn’t even born in the 80’s.”
A third didn’t recognise Cuddly Toy singer Roachford, writing: “Okay. Tell me I’m not the only one who thought that was Ian Wright in the white suit.” “Davina looks fabulous,” wrote one fan, while another was relieved she was back. “Davina, oh thank god.”
Davina took a break from filming in autumn 2024 to undergo brain surgery for a colloid cyst, and has since been recovering at home. Her podcast, Begin Again, launched in September 2024 with Davina pre-recording a catalogue of episodes to publish weekly and continue throughout her recovery.
Following her surgery in November, she recently gave an update on her health and shared how she and her partner Michael Douglas weathered the storm of such a scary situation.
Davina emphasised how much had changed in her outlook, gushing to Hello: “You have a new look on life, gratitude, love for people, love for nature, love for architecture – everything looks beautiful. It’s different in that way, but not in personality or anything.”
The Channel 4 star added that for her the crisis seemed like it was a click of the fingers, while for Michael it was a long struggle. She added of their very different experiences that “obviously the first two months I had no short-term memory.”
She appeared on The One Show on Monday night to chat about Red Nose Day in her first live interview since the surgery. Davina said it was “amazing” to be back. “I am so happy to be back it was like the final piece of the jigsaw! I was recovering at home in my bedroom a lot, going for a couple of walks a day.
“But I was kind of stuck in my bedroom, it became my safe space. I kind of didn’t want to leave. I got a bit nervous about going back to work and I kept thinking in my head: ‘Well I could just make a bit of an excuse.’
“And Michael said to me: ‘I know you, I know how much you loved work and how much it means to you. I know you’re scared but this is the final piece of the jigsaw and I think it’s going to make a big difference when you go back.'”
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