Davina McCall opens up on returning to TV for Red Nose Day 2025 after brain tumour battle

The Masked Singer star is set to present live as part of the presenting team for Red Nose Day 2025, which will take place on Friday evening (March 21). However, Davina has revealed that her return to television left her “nervous” after she was diagnosed and treated for a benign brain tumour - known as a colloid cyst - in late 2024.

Speaking about the situation on The One Show, Davina said: “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, and it became my safe space, and I kind of didn’t want to leave. And I got a bit nervous about going back to work, and I kept, kind of, in my head, thinking, ‘Well, I could just make a bit of an excuse’.”

Davina was diagnosed with the colloid cyst after she was offered a health check-up due to her menopause advocacy work. She and partner Michael have documented her recovery and journey on social media, with the ex-Big Brother presenter revealing that it was Michael who gave her a push to get over her fear of returning to work.

She said: “Michael said to me, ‘I know you, I know how much you love 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’.

“And I was so angry with him, and then when I went back at the end of the day, I sat in the car and I was like, yes, it felt so good to see everybody and to be back to normal. It felt like something normal that I could do that I love.”

Davina will joins stars such as Alison Hammond, Rylan Clark, AJ Odudu, Joel Dommett, Alesha Dixon, Jonathan Ross and Tom Allen on Friday’s bumper Red Nose Day telethon. The show will air from 7pm on BBC1.