The TV presenter, 57, was rushed to hospital after a cyst was found by chance in a routine body scan and she underwent a complex six-hour operation last November
The indomitable Davina McCall demonstrated her stoicism as she sought to ensure that her brain surgeon was in the most tranquil state possible prior to her intricate procedure for a brain cyst. The 57 year old television presenter confided that, although tempted to implore consultant neurosurgeon Kevin O’Neill, aged 62, to “keep me alive” for her three children, she chose instead to project tranquillity and instil confidence in him before the six-hour operation.
In a moment of brave composure, Davina told the doctor: “‘You do whatever you need to do. I put all my faith in you’.”
She firmly believes these 14 words played a part in the successful outcome of her surgery last November. Today, she reports feeling the vigour of someone decades younger and is excited to soon host the BBC’s Stranded on Honeymoon Island.
“He doesn’t need me screaming at him to keep me alive. He needs to be in the calmest and most confident place. I wanted to empower Kevin to do the best job he could,” said Davina, who was taken urgently to the hospital after the discovery of the cyst during a routine body scan.
In an emotional interview post-surgery, Davina held back tears as she commended Dr O’Neill, with whom she has developed a powerful and intimate bond. During the meticulous medical procedure, Dr O’Neill surgically opened Davina’s skull from ear to ear, excising the 14mm colloid cyst located in the third ventricle within her brain’s hemispheres, reports the Mirror.
Dr O’Neill compared the delicate task to disarming a bomb while he retracted the scalp, bored into the cranium, and positioned GPS equipment decked with trackers around Davina’s head, akin to little stickers.
The TV presenter was well aware of the potential dangers associated with her surgery, which led her to finalise her will and pen letters for her three grown children, Holly, Tilly, and Chester. Reflecting on her difficult time, Davina shared: “I set up my whole life before I went into the operating theatre knowing that, if I didn’t make it, the kids would be OK. I needed to go under the anaesthetic knowing I had my ducks in a row. It was my way of letting go. I am so grateful for that process, because I realised through all of it that, if I were not around, my children would be on the right path.”
Davina recently met with Dr O’Neill, whom she describes as an “empath”, for the first time post-surgery, according to reports from The Times. Both spoke highly of each other during their interview with the publication, and a friendship has bloomed, extending to Dr O’Neill’s partner, who works as a fashion model.
Davina, famed for hosting Big Brother, told The Times: “We’re going to be friends for the rest of our lives… We are going to go out to dinner with our partners! We are GOING TO DO IT!”.
Operating privately at the Cleveland Clinic in central London and serving the NHS at Imperial College Healthcare Trust, Dr O’Neill reflected on Davina’s character: “Davina is a special person. Some people are so terrified they can’t make a decision [about what to do].
“You can’t overthink things. You can’t let [negative] thoughts overtake you. I’ve been in extreme surgical cases where you think, ‘S***! I want to run away.’ But you have to gather yourself, give yourself a talk: ‘You’ve done this before; you’ll do it again. You can do this really well. What are you afraid of?'” the surgeon shared.
He continued, “I knew if I let these thoughts come in with Davina, I’d start to freeze, and so you have to have something that overpowers them. That is that I am experienced and highly regarded by my peers and I do this a lot.”