Watch emotional moment Davina McCall breaks down and says ‘I’m still here’ in first interview after brain surgery
DAVINA McCall broke down in tears as she opened up in her first interview since having brain surgery.
The 57-year-old TV presenter underwent the invasive operation in November for a benign brain tumour.
Joined by Dragon's Den star Steven Bartlett, an emotional Davina said: "I felt like this thing had taken control of me."
She added: "They said, 'You've got a benign cyst in your brain...'."
When Steven, 32, asked how Davina felt following the operation, she said: "I don't really remember where I was... you realise that your personality is your short-term memory."
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Another clip from the podcast shows Davina breaking down and saying: "I was like, 'I'm still here'. I began again."
Davina was diagnosed with a benign but very rare tumour purely by chance after being offered a scan last year.
She later showed off the scar from her operation as her hairdresser partner Michael Douglas cut her hair.
Davina explained that she’d “lost a big chunk” of hair after her surgery while showing her followers the scar.
The presenter previously opened up about her experience as she attended an event at All Saints Church, Fulham to support her neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill.
She said: "I know lots of you here are on your own brain tumour journey and many of you have lost loved ones to a brain tumour.
"I lost my sister to a brain tumour in 2012 and my ex-father-in-law a year ago."
‘3 in 1m’ colloid cyst is benign
By Sam Blanchard, Health Correspondent
DAVINA’S brain tumour is a rare type of growth called a colloid cyst and is benign, meaning it is not cancerous.
It will not spread to other parts of her body so it is less dangerous than a malignant tumour.
Benign tumours often need removing because as they grow, they put pressure on important parts of the brain — potentially crushing nerves or cutting off the flow of blood.
Colloid cysts only affect about three in every one million people. They are thought to be present from birth and grow slowly over time.
The cysts may only be found once they cause symptoms — such as headaches and memory trouble — or during tests for other conditions.
Doctors often choose to watch and wait if the tumour is small or they may remove larger ones.