Davina McCall is one of the nation’s favourite presenters and she was back on our screens on Monday night with a new episode of Long Lost Family.
The 53-year-old TV star and co-presenter Nicky Campell have reunited separated families across the country in the emotional and heartwarming ITV show that has aired since 2011.
However, some fans might not know that Davina herself, who is a mum of three, has suffered heartbreaking family conflicts over the years.
While Nicky has spoken openly about his painful past as an adopted child, Davina has also had a difficult relationship with her mother.
On one occasion, she was left in a nightclub in Paris by her mum when she was just 12 years old.
(Image: Getty Images Europe)
Davina was born in Wimbledon to her French mother Florence and English father Andrew.
When the former Big Brother host was three-years-old, she went to live with her paternal grandparents in Surrey after the break-up of her parents’ marriage.
After this, Davina’s mother moved back to France.
Over the years, Davina was constantly disappointed by her socialite mother, who failed to show up to their occasional meetings.
(Image: ITV)
When the 53-year-old appeared on BBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? in 2009, she said the situation was “just very sad”.
“She probably shouldn’t have had kids because she was still a big kid herself,” she said.
“Obviously she drank a lot, and from a really early age – a bit too young. I know she smoked magic cigarettes. She called them magic cigarettes but I kind of knew what they were from about eight. Just not appropriate behaviour.”
The mother-of-three once recalled being left in a nightclub in Paris at just 12-years-old by Florence who she described as an “alcoholic”.
(Image: Getty Images)
“I worshipped her. I had no boundaries. When I was a teenager, it was cool, but half of the time, I wanted a hug or for her to pick me up from the airport,” she said.
The pair had a final argument in 2000 when Florence sold a story claiming Davina had relapsed into a drug addiction a week before her wedding to Matthew Robertson.
When Florence passed away in 2008 in South Africa, Davina admitted she felt “relief” and made the decision to not attend the funeral.
However, Davina has often spoken about her love for stepmother Gaby.
On Mother’s Day this year, Davina wished her a happy mother’s day, writing on Twitter: “Best stepmother ever, she has been a rock since I was six! Hugs to all who have a difficult relationship with their mother as I did or have lost their mother.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
