The girl by Davina’s aspect: How star’s artist stepmother Gaby McCall has been her rock since she moved in together with her aged 13 – as she praises her following mind tumour surgical procedure

There is one woman who has been a rock to Davina McCall as she has navigated the ups and downs of her life – her beloved stepmother.

In fact, she has credited Gaby, the wife of her late father Andrew, as being her ‘stabilising’ force, especially when her relationship with her own mum Florence was strained.

And never more so, it appears, than now as the television star recovers from a surgery to have a benign brain tumour removed just over a week ago.

In a heartfelt Instagram update, Davina, 57, shared her gratitude for Gaby and stepmothers in general, describing her as ‘an amazing rock’ and affectionately calling her ‘a big dose of vitamin G.’

Speaking in the video message filmed from her bed, she said: ‘I’m being brilliantly looked after by Michael and my mum.

‘I’d quickly like to say big up the step-mums. I don’t really say thank you to Gaby enough. She’s been an amazing rock my whole life.’

She emotionally continued: ‘I was talking yesterday to somebody, I said I’ve got a massive dose of vitamin G. I think when something like this happens I just feel so grateful. I’ve always been grateful, I’ve been really lucky in my life.

‘But I feel unbelievably grateful right now. So thanks for everything all of you. I’m on the mend, I’m resting, I’m sleeping loads and I feel really good. I just feel very lucky.’

Gaby – an artist from West London – came into Davina and her late older sister Caroline’s lives after she met their dad Andrew when the presenter was aged six.

One friend of the star said: ‘Gaby and Davina are so close, it is lovely. Davina feels so blessed.’

‘Gaby is always there for her, they are super close. Not only was she there for Davina as an adult but she was there from when she was a teenage girl.’

They have remained close since Andrew’s death in 2022 and she calls Gaby mum.

Davina, who hosts Long Lost Family, has long been full of praise for Gaby – who she calls Gabba.

In 2019, she celebrated her stepmother’s support, praising her for stepping into a maternal role during her troubled childhood.

Posting a photograph of Gaby, the presenter wrote: ‘Mothers come in all guises. They don’t have to be biologically connected to you.

‘My birth mother wasn’t a mum to me. But two women filled that role. Pippy, my grandma and this lady. This is Gaby. She is my step mum, she has been since I was six.

‘Being a step mum has its challenges… but for me… (my real mum was an alcoholic) she was my very much needed stability.’

The mother-of-three to daughters Holly, 22, and Tilly, 21, and son Chester, 17, revealed how she began going ‘off the rails’ not long after she moved to live with Gaby and her father Andrew when she was 13.

She said: ‘I went to live with Gaby and my Dad when I was 13 and a couple of years later, started going off the rails.

‘She was always there, solid, a rock… and has continued to be throughout my life. She gave me my gorgeous little sis and is the most phenomenal wife to my Dad (who has Alzheimer’s).’

‘So Gaby, I’m so proud to call you mum. Thank you for everything. I love you.’

In her comments on Davina’s post, Gaby revealed she’s ‘never liked the title of ‘step mum’ because she’s ‘always felt like just your mum’.

She wrote: ‘Thank you! I have never liked the title of ‘step mum’ because it doesn’t bring up the best of images, in life or in fiction. I’ve always felt like just your mum’.

The former Big Brother presenter has been open about her complicated relationship with her biological mother, Florence, who she cut out of her life after a series of betrayals, including selling stories about Davina’s struggles with addiction. 

Reflecting on one such incident before her wedding to TV presenter Matthew Robertson, Davina explained on Loose Women that Florence’s actions led to rumours about her sobriety.

‘I told her about it [selling stories],’ Davina said, ‘but she didn’t think it was a big deal—and then she did it again.’

Ultimately, Davina decided to sever ties with her mother permanently.

She clarified that she wasn’t ‘mum bashing,’ but acknowledged Florence’s limitations: ‘My mum was an amazing mum, but she didn’t know how to behave on a human level.’

‘I don’t want to be a victim, nor be portrayed as one,’ Davina told the panel. 

‘If I can teach anyone anything [from my struggle], that will be a good thing.’

During an appearance on Who Do You Think You Are? Davina recalled that her mother abandoned her at the age of three, and was married four times, before her death in 2008.

The two didn’t speak for eight years and in the emotional programme the Big Brother host admitted her mother ‘probably shouldn’t have had kids.’

Despite this, Davina does not want to be seen as a victim: ‘If I can teach anyone anything [from my struggle], that will be a good thing.’

Whatever happens, she will have her stepmother by her side through it all.