Davina McCall says living with her ex-husband after they split was ‘awkward’

The couple announced their separation in 2017 after 17 years of marriage

Davina McCall attends the ITV Palooza 2019 at the Royal Festival Hall (Getty Images)

TV presenter Davina McCall has recalled the awkwardness of living with her ex-husband Matthew Robertson after they split up.

McCall announced they had parted ways after 17 years of marriage in a statement shortly after her 50^th birthday in 2017, saying that the couple’s three children, Holly, Chester and Tilly, were their “number one priority”.

In a new interview with Good Housekeeping, McCall described the year that followed as a “transitional phase” of her life where it felt like she was in a “weird no-man’s land” because she was still living with Robertson.

“The summer after my [50^th] birthday, Matthew and I had split up, and I was in a real transitional phase of my life. We’d still been living in our house together, which was awkward. I hadn’t moved on and I was in this weird no-man’s land.”

She said moving out felt like the “first step in a new phase”.

“I thought, ‘Okay, we can look forward now’. It was transformative. And since then, I’ve really tried to simplify my life and scale it down, which has been a very positive thing,” she continued.

Offering advice for those who have friends or family going through a divorce, she urged people to check in on their loved ones, even if they seem to be handling it well.

“My advice to friends of anyone going through it is: even if someone looks fine, support them.”

She added: “No one gets divorced without really thinking about it – this idea that people rush into it, that just doesn’t happen. It’s an enormous deal and it really is hard, so be there.” 

In the full interview, which will be published in the magazine’s July issue, McCall also discussed her relationship with her appearance, and the wisdom she has imparted on her daughters.

She recalled being extremely critical of her younger self, despite being “so slim and toned”.

“Now I have wrinkly skin on my tummy, I have a little varicose vein down one leg, I have flabby bits on my arms, and there’s nothing I can do about it – but I think I look fierce!

“I see the same thing happening with my girls, and I think, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll love yourself in the end, you just have to get through this bit,”  she said.