Davina McCall says she will work four days a week: My latest project is me

Broadcaster Davina McCall has said her latest “project” is working on herself as she rolls back her working schedule to four days a week.

The former Big Brother presenter, 58, underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumour nearly a year ago and most recently revealed that she had breast cancer removed in October, after she found a lump.

On the change that this brought to her life, McCall said she has decided to prioritise taking care of herself more and “de-stress” her life.

Speaking on the Miss Me? podcast, she said: “Change was something that really frightened me. I always loved the status quo, knowing what I was doing and feeling safe in that.

“What has happened, actually is that I have realised that all my really big growth has come from change, and often quite painful change.

“I had an amazing breakthrough when I got clean in the early 90s. I had another huge breakthrough after I had my brain tumour removed, I realised that I needed to de-stress my life.

“Interestingly, I realised that, but then the breast cancer, which I thought was a very, very frightening thing, made me realise that I really had to put that into place, and I have now.

“I’m going to work a four-day week.

“I feel so much better now about my life and trying to get it more balanced.

“As I hit this stage of my life, I want to take more care of myself. That is my latest project, me, because I can’t take care of anyone else if I’m not OK.”

According to the NHS, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer for women in the UK.

Although anyone can get it, those at higher risk include people over the age of 50, if you have dense breast tissue or have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, or have higher levels of the hormones oestrogen, progesterone or testosterone.

McCall is a panellist on ITV’s The Masked Singer and is also the host on the podcast Begin Again.

She is also known for hosting Big Brother between 2000 and 2010 during its Channel 4 run, and has long advocated on women’s health issues, including presenting documentaries on contraception and the menopause.