Davina McCall admits infamous Big Brother scene was ‘tough to experience’

‘I love that show,’ Davina McCall says with fondness, her eyes lighting up when talk turns to her iconic stint as the host of Big Brother.

As a millennial who grew up in the 90s and early 00s, Davina was a seminal part of my childhood. I was glued to the groundbreaking reality show when I probably had no business watching it at my age, and quoting her signature ‘Fancy another one?’ still never gets old.

Fast forward 26 years, and I’m sitting next to the legendary presenter at the Edinburgh TV Festival. She’s beaming ear to ear minutes before accepting her outstanding achievement award at the star-studded event.

Shortly before speaking to her, I attended a talk about the dark side of reality TV with Vicky Pattison on the panel. It was fascinating thinking about some moments from reality shows that we used to find entertaining, that now feel deeply uncomfortable. 

I was curious, and wanted to know from Davina if there were any dubious moments during her time on Big Brother that she doesn’t think would happen now. One scene came to mind.

‘There was one moment in my entire time on Big Brother, and I think we’ll all remember it, and that was Kinga in the garden, and I was like, “Oh man, do we have to show that?”’ the 58-year-old shares.

She was referencing the scene in which housemate Kinga Karolczak simulated masturbating with a wine bottle in the garden on series six in 2005.

‘But I think what happened was everybody in the house was talking to Kinga about it afterwards and trying to check in on her or make sure she was okay, and that’s all they discussed for the next day. It was like, we’re going to watch it kind of emotionally play out. But I think all of us in the end were like, that was a tough, tough thing to experience. I don’t think that would happen now.’

Following Kinga’s unforgettable wine bottle moment, which happened when she was 20, she told Davina during her exit from the House: ‘I was very drunk. I knew immediately I would regret this moment, and the thing is, I had a lot to drink.’

After 83 complaints were made to Ofcom, a Channel 4 spokesperson said at the time: ‘Kinga’s antics went out post-watershed and, as always with Big Brother, there was a voice-over before the programme alerting viewers to the nature of some scenes.

‘In tonight’s show, viewers will see an embarrassed Kinga apologise to her fellow housemates, explaining she was just having a laugh and nothing happened.’

Davina might not be a part of the recently rebooted Big Brother, which is hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best, but you can sense how protective she still is of the show.

‘The duty of care on that show was really good,’ she stresses. ‘They did get followed up afterwards. 

‘In terms of other shows that I know that happen, I know that Big Brother, we learnt on the job because we were the first reality TV show, but we did really and do care about our housemates.’

As reality TV fans prepare to meet a new cohort of housemates as the show returns on ITV this year, Davina emphasises how, in her opinion, everyone who participates is a ‘total legend’.

‘What is so good about Big Brother is that good housemates equal great telly, and that is the end of it. I can’t tell you how hard it is being in the Big Brother house. I’ve spoken to so many people about that journey. It is really difficult,’ she says.

‘Everybody that goes in that house is a total legend for doing it. Whenever I was interviewing someone, it didn’t matter what they’d done or how they’d behaved. I was always in my head, “Remember to be grateful,” because whatever they did, they still entertained us. Even if it was being angry, we put them in there, and we should treat them with respect. 

‘We need to get them to answer why they did certain things or whatever. But at the end of the day, you will never know how hard it is until you do it.’

Big Brother might be the show that fans associate Davina with the most, but she’s also made her mark in hugely entertaining programmes including The Masked Singer UK, Long Lost Family and on her podcast, Begin Again.

As we approach the second season of Celebrity Traitors on the BBC, she admits that her children were ‘p***ed’ that she wasn’t in the cast, not believing her until the last possible moment when she told them that she wasn’t entering the castle with Claudia Winkleman.

‘I would never say never, but I’m really busy. It’s mental life at the moment,’ she says. Busy is a huge understatement. I remark that she’d be fab on her own chat show – but Davina feels she’s ‘scratched that itch’ with Begin Again, which has seen her interview the likes of Alexandra Burke, Patsy Kensit and Gillian Anderson.

‘When I started it, it was because I was having an operation on my brain, and I really thought about dying and looking at my life, and would I be okay with dying? And I came up with a resounding yes, because I wouldn’t change anything, even the bad bits. The bad bits got me to where I am today,’ she says candidly.

‘I have laughed a lot. I’ve had big disappointments, but I’ve had huge successes. I have loved. I have been loved. I’ve had a lovely family, which I always wanted. I just thought, my side of the street is clean. I apologise when needed. I was like, I’m ready to go. I have no burning things that I need to do. 

‘But I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to help other people get to that place,’ she continues. ‘Recently, I’ve been looking at the world and thinking, if we spread enough love, we could literally help the world begin again, and that’s what I want to do.’

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Davina’s propensity for spreading love is abundantly clear when I mention Alexandra being on her podcast, and she immediately insists that I go see the singer in the Chaka Khan musical, I’m Every Woman, before it closes in mid-September. 

‘I’m going to have to see it again. She blew my f***ing mind. She is incredible in it,’ she declares. 

‘I was worried for her sanity in halftime. I thought, “This is too much for someone to play. You are going to be traumatised.” She said she wears a different perfume when she’s on stage, and then she washes it off. She washes Chaka off. Chaka’s life was so tough and brilliant and epic and huge. Everybody in the cast is amazing.’

As for TV, Davina is currently obsessed with the second season of Beef, starring Carey Mulligan and Oscar Isaac.

‘Every episode, at the end, you’re like, it’s so White Lotus, isn’t it? It’s dark. It’s brilliant. It’s a really interesting look inside everybody’s soul. You think you are a lovely person, but f*** me, when people are up against it, they will do some terrible stuff.’

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