Davina McCall breaks her silence after secretly marrying hairdresser fiancé Michael Douglas as she praises her ‘beautiful’ new husband and shares a touching love poem
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Davina McCall has broken her silence after secretly marrying hairdresser fiancé Michael Douglas on Friday following her recent health woes.
The television host, 58, praised her ‘lovely’ new husband, 49 on Instagram on Thursday, and shared a touching love poem which she called ‘extraordinary.’
Davina tied the knot with her long-term partner just three months after the celebrity hairstylist proposed during a romantic trip to Ibiza.
The couple exchanged vows during an intimate ceremony in front of immediate family and their closest friends, with a larger service carried out for a wider group of friends and family members the following day, according to The Sun.
Devoted partner Michael supported Davina during her recent surgery to remove a benign tumour from her brain and with her recent breast cancer diagnosis.
Davina McCall has broken her silence after secretly marrying hairdresser fiancé Michael Douglas. She praised her ‘lovely’ new husband and shared a touching love poem on Instagram on Thursday
She reposted Michael’s latest hairdressing video, writing @mdlondon tips. Michael ur lovely’
Davina also shared a video of a love poem by Harry Baker on Thursday, calling it ‘extraordinary’
Friends claim it was the presenter’s recent spate of health issues prompted their decision to marry now.
Davina shared a video of a poem by Harry Baker on Thursday, calling it ‘extraordinary.’
The poem contained the words: ‘It’s not the flowers, it’s the weeding in the mud with you. It’s not the champagne, it’s that cuppa in that favourite mug you use.
‘It’s not the chocolate. OK it is, but not just one or two, it is becoming Bruce Bogtrotter and Augustus Gloop.
‘It’s voting frozen pizza over fancy grub with you. Because some nights, nothing can beat a slice of comfort food.’
Davina also reposted Michael’s latest hairdressing video, writing @mdlondon tips. Michael ur lovely.’
A source said of the pair’s recent nuptials: ‘Their wedding was perfect, exactly what they wanted. They chose a small venue close to their home, and just invited about ten of their friends and relatives to be there with them.
‘It was very intimate and everyone who attended is very special in their lives. They’ve been through a huge amount in recent months, with Davina’s health, and it just felt right to formalise their marriage. They didn’t see the point in waiting.
The source added: ‘The next day they just carried on with life as normal, and as coincidence would have it they were guests at another friend’s wedding day.
Davina secretly married long-term partner Michael just two months after the celebrity hairstylist proposed during a romantic trip to Ibiza
It’s understood that the couple exchanged vows during an intimate ceremony on Friday, with a larger service carried out for a wider group of friends and family members the following day
‘So they went as a married couple for the first time and happily showed off her wedding ring. It was the perfect weekend.’
Davina has been close friends with Michael for years after meeting the skilled hairdresser at Hertfordshire’s Elstree Studios during her spell as the presenter of Big Brother.
But their platonic friendship became romantic after McCall’s 17-year marriage to Matthew Robertson – the father of her three children – collapsed in 2017.
In October, the presenter confirmed Douglas had proposed after whisking her off to Ibiza for a romantic mini-break.
Recalling the unexpected proposal during an appearance on the Chris Evans Virgin Radio Show in September, she said: ‘What was quite funny was after lunch Michael had booked a lunch which was like, not that usual on a beach and he wanted to take me to a beach where we’d been with all the kids before.
‘So I was like: “Oh, this is really nice”. And then he said: “Let’s go for a walk around the cliffs.” ‘I’m in some god-forsaken cowboy boot, little pink cowboy boots with steel toe caps and I’m not in a cliff climbing outfit. I could see he really wanted me to like it, it would make him happy.
‘And I thought, “Oh, bless” Like he wants to show me something beautiful. So I was like: “Stop being miserable and get up the cliff.”’
Confirming the engagement earlier that month, a close friend told The Sun: ‘She has a ring but is only wearing it in private.
‘It is wonderful news and everyone who knows them is just so thrilled. They really do make the most gorgeous couple.’
Douglas was by McCall’s side after doctor’s discovered a ‘very rare’ colloid cyst that affects only three in a million people, on her brain.
The presenter underwent surgery as doctors operated to remove the cyst, which they feared could cause serious problems if it grew any further.
But despite making a full recovery, McCall admitted she was left questioning if Douglas wanted to stay in the relationship following her operation.
Davina’s platonic friendship with Douglas became romantic after her 18-year marriage to Matthew Robertson (pictured) – the father of her two children – collapsed in 2018
Davina with her ex-husband in 2013. The couple were together for 18 years before confirming their separation and subsequent divorce
She told Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast: ‘Michael, who spent the majority of the time with me, I’ve never seen him struggle with spending time with me, but sometimes… he was telling me sometimes I’d ask him the same thing, like seven times in half an hour, right?
‘And he’d have to leave the room for a bit… But I could. It wasn’t normal. What was happening wasn’t our normal life.
‘I had long-term memory. I could remember… and I thought, “Oh, he doesn’t want to be with me.”
‘But in the end, we had a chat and he said, “What are you talking about? I love you, of course I want to be with you.”‘
Little more than a month ago, the presenter confirmed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
And friends say her two health issues prompted her to consider a speedy marriage to Douglas instead of planning ahead, with the couple initially considering a January ceremony.
Douglas was by McCall’s side after doctor’s discovered a ‘very rare’ colloid cyst that affects only three in a million people, on her brain
A source told new! magazine: ‘After all she’s been through Davina feels she can’t take anything for granted. Not just one, but two health scares really send home the poignant message of who and what really matters.
‘Neither Michael or Davina see the point in waiting. They’re both in their fifties Davina has been married before and they want to make it happen.’
The source added: ‘She’s always said she wanted a big wedding but I think this is going to be quite small. She doesn’t want too much of a fuss.
‘It’ll be focusing on the couple and their love for each other. They’ll have a big showbiz party later but right now they want to get married at the start of next year.’
McCall recognised the symptoms of breast cancer after seeing posters for Lorraine Kelly’s lifesaving Change + Check campaign at ITV studios.
In November, she told Instagram followers: ‘I just wanted to tell you I have had breast cancer, I found a lump a few weeks ago and it came and went.
‘But then when I was filming The Masked Singer, the show Lorraine put signs on the back of their toilet doors saying “check your breasts” and every time I went for a wee I did that, and it was still there.’
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
‘I underwent a biopsy and it was indeed breast cancer and I had it taken out in a lumpectomy nearly three weeks ago.’
The presenter stressed her cancer had been caught early, but would still require five days of radiotherapy in January as an ‘insurance policy’ to remain free of the disease.
She added: ‘It was very very small so I got it very very early, which is incredibly lucky, but I am so relieved that I have had it removed and that it hasn’t spread.
‘I was very angry when I found out, but I let go of that and I feel in a much more positive place now.
‘The message here, is know your boobs. Notice any changes. Don’t procrastinate. Get your free checkups. And never ignore a niggle. Sending out huge love.’
McCall was briefly married to Andrew Leggett in 1997 before exchanging vows with second husband Robertson in 2000.
She has three children with the Pet Rescue presenter, Holly, 23, Tilly, 21, and son Chester, 19.
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