Davina McCall's 'Alzheimer's' scare post-brain surgery

TV presenter Davina McCall has shared her harrowing experience of severe memory loss following surgery to remove a benign brain tumour in late 2024. She described suffering symptoms akin to "advanced Alzheimer's" during her recovery, rendering her unable to remember basic personal details or recent events. This cognitive impairment significantly impacted her daily life, making it difficult to engage with activities like watching movies or reading books.

McCall's surgery was for a colloid cyst found during a health check related to her menopause advocacy. She endured a difficult period, calling 2025 "the hardest year" alongside her partner, especially after also revealing breast cancer surgery the previous November. A year ago, she experienced her first morning remembering the previous day's events.

While problems after brain surgery typically improve over weeks to months, McCall noted that her cognitive difficulties lasted for an extended period. She believes music therapy played a crucial role in her healing process, helping her to recover from the brain injury. In April 2025, she received positive news that her tumour was "not coming back."