Davina McCall opened up about her sister during a podcast this week, leaving the presenter emotional.
The star, 58, sadly lost her sister, Caroline, back in 2012. Caroline died just seven weeks after receiving her lung cancer diagnosis. She was just 50 years old.
Davina opened up on her Begin Again podcast during a moving chat with Ben Cohen. Ben has also faced devastating loss after his wife, Hannah, died from cancer three years ago.
Caroline was Davina McCall’s older half-sister from their mother Florence’s first marriage.
- She lived in Paris with their mother.
- Davina grew up in England with her paternal grandparents.
- Caroline died in August 2012 aged 50.
- She was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer seven weeks before her death.
The Davina McCall sister moment that still breaks her heart
Davina shared the intimate memory that has stayed with her ever since. She said: “I never saw her naked except for two days before she died. And she let me wash her whole body.
“She had the smoothest, softest skin, like moisturise her whole body. She gifted me that.”
She then added: “It was the saddest, but most beautiful thing.”
Ben tried to comfort her during the conversation. He told Davina: “If you can find a way to keep the memory of that person alive, I know it’s not an easy thing to do, but if they saw me here with you, they would be like ‘Wow. Look what you did’.”
How Caroline’s final seven weeks changed everything
Caroline was Davina’s older half-sister from their mother Florence’s first marriage. Caroline lived in Paris with their mother, while Davina grew up in England with her paternal grandparents.
Florence died in 2008. In the years before that, both daughters had cut her out of their lives.
Davina has spoken before about Caroline’s illness. On Steven Bartlett’s Diary Of A CEO podcast, she recalled finding her sister paralysed on the floor after a period of ill health.
She took Caroline to hospital. Doctors then told them she had primary lung cancer in both lungs, two tumours on her brain, and possibly bone cancer too.
- Davina said she found Caroline paralysed on the floor after a period of ill health.
- Hospital tests found primary lung cancer in both lungs, two brain tumours and possible bone cancer.
- Davina cared for Caroline at home after time in hospital.
- She said the last seven weeks of Caroline’s life brought them closer and included long conversations and plans they hoped to make.
- Caroline died in August 2012, with Davina by her side.
Davina said Caroline looked at her and said: “It’s all my fault” after all the smoking.
After that, Davina cared for her sister at home until she died. She later said: “I wish she was here so I could tell her how great life is. I never thought she would die at 50; she was a great person, she still had so much more to give.
“It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”
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Davina also said Caroline taught her a huge amount in those final weeks. She said: “She taught me so much in her death, she tried to look after me, she was so brave, she never cried, and she never complained.”
The presenter said their bond deepened because she refused to let her sister shut her out. She explained: “I wouldn’t let her shut me out. We had the most amazing talks when she was dying; the best seven weeks with my sister were the last seven weeks of her life.”
They spent a month in hospital before returning to the cottage. Davina said they also made plans, including going to France one more time and seeing friends, while Caroline’s first chemotherapy session had been booked for two days after her death.
Davina also recalled being with Caroline at the very end. She said: “That night she was so distressed and she was calling me mummy, then she slept for three days, and I was with her when she passed, and it was really lovely – I kept on talking to her the whole time as your hearing is the last thing that goes.”
Davina said she kept repeating one message to her sister in those final moments. She wanted Caroline to know she would be fine.