BALANCE_WINTER_2024 - 29

THE BIG INTERVIEW
" I KEPT HASSLING ITV...
I WOULDN'T HAVE
DONE THAT BEFORE.
YOU GET CONFIDENCE
AS YOU GET OLDER "
thing. We called it a dating show, but now we're calling it a
relationship show because it's looking at relationships with
parents and the friendships in the house. It's heartwarming,
and those are the kinds of shows I want to do now. "
A PROACTIVE APPROACH
TO CAREER AND CONFIDENCE
After decades in front of the camera, Davina has become
her own best advocate. " I'm more proactive. I emailed
ITV about doing a midlife dating show, and they said 'no,
but we're looking at another format, we'll keep you in
mind,' and I kept hassling them. I wouldn't have done
that before, but you get confidence as you get older.
I think, 'I know what I'm doing, I'm a safe pair of hands,
I'd be good at this job'. "
Her proactive approach is a far cry from her earlier days
as the host of Big Brother. " I felt a bit like a prisoner then.
It was very intense in terms of the level of interest in me.
Now I'm part of the furniture. I was talking to somebody
the other day, and they were like, 'God, you go on the
Tube?' I do that all the time. People nod and smile, and
sometimes have a chat. That's it. "
EMBRACING SELF-ACCEPTANCE
AND LETTING GO
Davina has been candid about the challenges she's
overcome, including her battles with addiction, the loss of
her sister and a complex relationship with her late
mother. Her openness extends to the journey of
self-acceptance, as reflected in her Instagram bio,
where she describes herself as a " work in progress " .
" I have this weird thing of wanting to be the teacher's
pet. If I'm being taught something, I'll be in the front
row as close to the teacher as possible, and try to do
everything she tells me perfectly. Seriously, I've got my
nose implanted so far up there because I'm desperate
for her to go 'Oh, that's a good downward dog. Well
done'. I've got work to do on that, " she laughs.
Therapy has also played a role in helping Davina find
peace. " I've got an amazing therapist I saw for a year
before my marriage ended, and she knows me well.
She helps me unpick things, and she'll go 'Davina,
you've done this before'. And I'll go, 'Have I?' It's
helpful when somebody holds a mirror up to you, " she
says. Yet, she insists, she doesn't need therapy to care
less about others' opinions.
" That comes with age, and letting go of where your
body's going. I've got a bit of saggy skin that won't go
anywhere, no matter how much I build up my arms.
When I walk, my legs go a bit crepey. But you've got to
make peace with it, or you're f***ing miserable. "
ON FAMILY, EMPTY NESTING
AND LIVING FULLY
With daughters, Holly and Tilly, now grown, and her
son Chester, reaching the milestone age of 18, Davina
is adjusting to the idea of an empty nest.
" I honestly believed I'd be excited for them when
they left home. My idea was to give my kids wings
so they could fly away, but then they fly away, and
oh my God. I'm surprised by how I feel. "
As a parent, she's learning to let go and trust that
her children will forge their own paths.
" I don't worry in the same way I used to. The
mortgage isn't suddenly paid off, but I've learned not
to worry about my kids. They're on their own path,
they've got their own lives, and I'll be there for them
if they need my help. I learned from making mistakes,
so I've got to stop trying to helicopter-parent them
from ever making their own. "
Davina's BALANCE equation
Letting go
Strength
training
Processed
sugar
Deep
sleep
HAPPY
DAVINA
29
DAVINA WEARS, PREVIOUS PAGE: Suit by Pangia, shoes by Sole Bliss. THIS PAGE: Wool jacket and skirt by Tommy Hilfiger, socks by Calzedonia, shoes by Grenson

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