Davina McCall admits she could still be happy in a ‘sexless marriage’

Since undergoing a life-altering brain operation last year, Davina McCall has spoken openly about the toll it has taken on her relationship with boyfriend Michael Douglas. 

But the presenter has now hinted that she could still be happy with someone even if their marriage was without sexual intimacy, insisting there are other ways to be close to someone.

Michael and Davina became a couple in 2019 and publicly confirmed their relationship the same year, after she split from her husband of 17 years, Matthew Robertson, in 2017.

And Michael was a firm figure of support for Davina while she recovered from surgery last year to remove a benign colloid cyst from her brain.

Asked to share her thoughts on whether a marriage can still work without sexual intimacy, Davina, 57, said: ‘I believe, having talked to lots of experts, that it can.

‘As long as both people want a sexless relationship. The problem is, is if you want a sexless relationship and the other person doesn’t, then the other person is being asked to sacrifice something that they will miss and then potentially go and look for somewhere else. That won’t work in the end.’

Davina went on to tell Good Housekeeping that the key is ensuring that there is some form of intimacy still present, even if it isn’t sexual.

She added: ‘You can have beautiful intimacy together without the act of sex itself.

‘You can hug naked and both know that it’s not going to lead to sex. I think sometimes people don’t want to be touched or hugged naked because they think, ”Oh, then they’re going to want to have sex with me.” That’s when you’re not in the same place.’

Following her brain surgery, Davina admitted that she and Michael have a policy of ‘radical honesty’ between them, leading him to admit he’s grown to find her ‘annoying’ due to her memory issues.

Last November, the Long Lost Family presenter underwent an operation to remove a benign colloid cyst from her brain after it was found during a routine check-up while she was advocating for menopause health.

A scan revealed she had a rare type of tumour that ‘very, very rarely’ can ’cause sudden death’. She underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour via a craniotomy.

But a side effect was temporary short-term memory loss, which she said was ‘improving every day’. 

In April 2025, following a final MRI scan, she announced the brain tumour ‘is not coming back’.

For Davina, it was a terrifying ordeal and she is incredibly grateful – and relieved – to have got through it.

Michael was at her bedside as she recovered and took to social media at the time to keep her fans updated with her progress.

As a self-confessed workaholic, Davina needed little encouragement to get back in front of the cameras as soon as possible.

And so after three months convalescing, she returned to film the ITV series, Long Lost Family. It was, she said, ‘like coming home’.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘Michael knew it would help me, so he supported me in going back. It was a terrifying thing to go through, but Michael knew it would be what would make me happiest. He was absolutely right. I had three months off, but that was it.’ 

‘My outlook has changed since the operation, in a mega, mega way, like in a whole outlook on life way. Now I’m going to do everything. Sometimes I think that in three or four years I’m going to go and do this but now I’m like, ‘No, I’m going to do it this year or even next week.’ 

Davina and Michael met when he styled her hair during her stint on Big Brother. 

With so much in common, the pair stayed good friends until they realised they had romantic feelings for each other.

She went on to share that despite being brought closer together by her health scare, she and Michael are in no rush to tie the knot.

She added: ‘We’re in no rush,’ she smiles. ‘We’re really happy.’