Davina McCall offers rare insight to the early days of romance with boyfriend Michael Douglas as she describes ‘lightning bolt’ moment – after sharing her views on ‘sexless marriages’

Davina McCall has shared a rare insight to the beginning of her relationship with Michael Douglas after being friends for 20 years while married to other people.

The TV presenter, 57, split from her ex-husband Matthew Robertson in 2017 and began dating her hairdresser Michael, 51, two years later.

Davina and Michael had shared a close bond and classed themselves as ‘family friends’, with Michael bringing his children over to her house while he did her hair. 

Despite knowing the ins and outs of each others’ lives over the years as ‘hairdresser and client’, Davina described the ‘lightning bolt moment’ she knew it was more.  

When asked if their relationship ‘evolved’, she told the Guardian: ‘It was more of a coup de foudre (a sudden unforeseen event). A lightning bolt. I probably don’t want to talk about this because I have to think about Matthew. Michael and I were really good friends because we were hairdresser and client. 

‘I told him all of my secrets, about how I was feeling, and he was a brilliant sounding board. He would share his experiences; I would share my experiences. We would help each other navigate things. And he was in love with his wife and I was in love with my husband, so it was us trying to help each other through our lives. That’s what’s so mad about it. And then coup de foudre. Mad. Like I’d put on a different pair of glasses.’

Davina McCall has shared a rare insight to the beginning of her relationship with Michael Douglas (pictured) after being friends for 20 years while married to other people

Davina and Michael had shared a close bond and classed themselves as ‘family friends’, with Michael bringing his children over to her house while he did her hair

She says she had to make sure she was over Robertson before thinking about a new relationship. She added: ‘If I’m with somebody I’m with them. I don’t look at other people. I like being monogamous.’

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

She recently 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 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 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.

The TV presenter, 57, split from her ex-husband Matthew Robertson in 2017 and began dating her hairdresser Michael, 51, two years later (pictured with Matthew in 2013)

‘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.

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

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.’