Davina Lucy Pascalle McCall was born in October 1967. She has worked as a television presenter, is a former model, and she’s had other jobs outside of the entertainment world. McCall didn’t have the smoothest upbringing, but she has most certainly come out on top and has carved a name for herself in so many areas. Growing up, she attended Godolphin and Latymer Girls School in Hammersmith. McCall is one of those British celebrities that everyone thinks they know, but here are ten things you probably didn’t know about the star.
1. She started her career as a singer
McCall was not always the presenter and fitness enthusiast we know and love. She’s had many different jobs, including as a male model scout; a dancer for Kylie Minogue; and a singer in a ‘seedy Paris nightclub’. Not just any ‘seedy Paris nightclub’ either, Davina was a singing waitress in Moulin Rouge! As for her singing career, Davina started out in a band called Lazy Bear, but at 19 she wanted to aim for the skies. She was interested in a solo career instead. Davina left the band and made a demo disc which was produced by her then-boyfriend, Eric Clapton.
2. Yes, you read right, she dated Eric Clapton
Rock and blues guitarist Eric Clapton was a friend of McCall’s family, and they dated in her late teens. Not only did Clapton help McCall get started on the road to stardom but he was around for Davina’s dark years when she suffered from a drink and drug problem. Clapton helped her get clean. McCall told The Guardian in 2014 that the drugs had helped her feel less insecure about what people thought of her. She has now been sober for 22 years, and she assured Go Social that she is adamant it’s not a lifestyle she’ll be returning to.
3. Her mother was not the best role model
When McCall was just three years old, her parents divorced, and she went to live with her grandparents. It wasn’t until she was 13 that she went to live with her dad and step-mum in London (where she had to put on a pretend cockney accent because she thought she’d get beaten up for sounding too posh). After her parents’ divorce, her French-born mother returned to France to live and lead a somewhat alcoholic life. Davina only saw her mother on the odd holiday she took to France, though she can speak French fluently - so there’s a silver lining. McCall’s mother reported to the Daily Mail that Davina had been attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings which McCall told The Times “you just don’t do”.
4. Her hair has a number
For 11 years McCall has been a proud spokesperson for Garnier and specifically represents the hair colour Nutrisse number 43 (Dark Golden Brown) as it’s her perfect shade. Speaking of numbers, McCall has property worth a combined £8 million. That’s a lot of zeros!
5. Davina’s tattoos are interestingly placed
Some of Davina’s tattoos can be seen on her social media posts, but not all of them would be appropriate to show. She sports a rose on her wrist and two devil horns (one on each hip). The third and final tattoo McCall has is an alien on her bum cheek! Psst, she also has a nipple piercing.
6. Fitness is her thing
Back in 2004, McCall released her first fitness video - Davina: Power of 3. McCall keeps her diet sugar-free and is the first to admit that she doesn’t like diets. She wrote a book around her lifestyle “5 Weeks to Sugar Free” to help others in the same situation at her. No wonder she is in such incredible shape.
7. She has a good heart
During a 2018 snowstorm, McCall was driving home when she saw a very cold and wet looking woman. McCall pulled over and asked her if she would like a lift. The woman accepted, got into the car, and settled in for the journey. Only when they had been driving for five minutes, did the woman actually look up and say "hey, you're my fitness lady!" Davina told TVovermind that she was really happy that it was fitness that she was recognised for.
8. Her charity work is admirable
Davina has worked with a lot of charities over the years but has been an active member of the Pudsey Bear and Red Nose Day Teams. In 2014 McCall held her own televised fundraising challenge: Davina - Beyond Breaking Point for Sports Relief. The challenge was to run, swim and cycle across the UK for seven days. During the triathlon, which was being filmed live, it was announced that Davina had raised over £2.2 million for the charity. Five hours in, Davina was pulled from the water in a hypothermic state and didn’t think she could continue. Needless to say, she completed the seven days brilliantly.
9. She’s been married twice
Back in 1997, McCall married Andrew Leggett, but their relationship ended within months, and they divorced two years later. Later, in June 2000, she was married to Matthew Robertson, and they had three children together: Holly; Tilly; and Chester (who were all born at home). Unfortunately, in November 2017, the couple separated and filed for divorce, which Davina later told Women and Home magazine was a very traumatic experience for her.
10. She’s just a child at heart
Davina still has a soft spot for Enid Blyton Famous Five novels. Growing up, she would read them all the time with her grandparents. She once recalled, “I’d go out with a quiver and arrows I’d made out of kitchen roll and sticks, sit on the gate, and wait for them to come and take me on an adventure.”
Image Credit: Gary Meulemans at Unsplash
