Davina McCall’s latest job revealed after cutting work over health battles

The Masked Singer panellist said she was taking the foot off the pedal when it came to work commitments, but she is reportedly set to host a major BBC show

Davina McCall has revealed her next TV project.

The TV star is reportedly hosting this year’s BBC Red Nose Day, after hinting she plans to ease back from full-time work following her secret wedding and health issues. The 58-year-old telly favourite has been involved in the charity show since 2005, but recently revealed she planned to cut her work down to a four-day week, leaving a question mark over some of her future TV commitments.

Masked Singer panellist Davina revealed earlier this month that her “very, very frightening” breast cancer diagnosis, which she announced in November, “put everything into place” for her and she planned to re-evaluate her work-life balance. It came after she previously underwent brain surgery to remove a colloid cyst, which is a form of benign brain tumour.

READ MORE: Warm and fluffy bedding set that’s ‘perfect for freezing nights’ plummets to under £20

Chatting to Miquita Oliver and Jordan Stephens on the Miss Me? podcast, Davina revealed that on the back of her battling addiction in her 20s, having her brain rumour removed the year before her cancer diagnosis led to a “huge breakthrough” about the way she lived. “I realised that I needed to de-stress my life,” she said.

“Interestingly, I realised that – but then the breast cancer, which I thought was a very, very frightening thing, made me realise that I really, really had to put that into place. And I have now.”

According to a report in The Sun, the BBC’s Red Nose Day is a “non-negotiable” commitment for the My Mum, Your Dad host, and she “has a long-standing affiliation with the charity and jumped at the chance to be this year’s main presenter”. The Mirror has contacted Davina’s representatives for comment.

Davina returned to the Red Nose Day special, which is part of the Comic Relief appeal, just four months after her neurosurgery, and spoke passionately about her experience during the 2024 40th anniversary show in March that year.

She appeared during the Comic Relief: Funny for Money segment, which also included a performance from the Sugababes and a selection of 80s icons, as well as sketches from the Strictly Come Dancing professionals and the Gladiators.

Addressing her own personal battle, Davina told viewers: “I had a pretty mad year this year. Doctors found a benign brain tumour, by chance, and after a lot of deliberating, I had it removed.

“And it’s been, quite possibly, the hardest thing I’ve ever been through and this whole experience, weirdly, kind of weighing up all the risks and all the positive things about having this tumour removed made me think deeply about what life is all about, and what really, really matters when things get tough.”

In December 2025, Davina married hairdresser Michael Douglas – the man she called her “absolute lifesaver” during her ill health – in a low-key ceremony near to their shared home in Kent.

Article continues below

On the Miss Me? podcast, which was initially launched by Miquita and Lily Allen, Davina revealed she planned to make the most of her time away from work, and live a more “balanced” life.

“I’m going to work a four-day week. I feel so much better now about my life and trying to get it more balanced. So now, really, as I hit this stage of my life, I want to take more care of myself. That is my latest project: me, because I can’t take care of anyone else if I’m not okay.”

Sunrisers Leeds retain Brook and Carse for Hundred

Getty Images

Sunrisers Leeds have retained England players Harry Brook and Brydon Carse for the 2026 edition of The Hundred, with Daniel Vettori named as the franchise’s new men’s head coach.

Multi-format internationals Brook and Carse have been with the team, known as Northern Superchargers until a recent takeover, since the tournament’s 2021 inaugural season.

The Sun Group, owners of Indian Premier League side Sunrisers Hyderabad, last year paid just over £100m for a 100% stake in the franchise who are based at Yorkshire’s Headingley home.

Brook, 26, and Carse, 30, were both part of England’s recent Ashes campaign and are in their provisional squad for the forthcoming T20 World Cup.

Test vice-captain and white-ball England skipper Brook came under scrutiny for his off-field behaviour before and during the Ashes, which Australia won 4-1.

Batter Brook played nine of the Superchargers’ matches in the 2025 edition of The Hundred, scoring 227 runs at an average of 37.83 and is reportedly set to earn in the region of £500,000 for his participation with Sunrisers.

Fast bowler Carse did not feature at all last year in the competition, having been rested by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in order to manage his workload.

This summer’s edition of The Hundred will run from 21 July to 16 August, taking place in a gap in the schedule between England’s white-ball series against India and a Test series against Pakistan.

Sunrisers Leeds have also announced all-rounder Mitch Marsh and seamer Nathan Ellis as their direct signings, with the experienced Australian duo set to be available for the whole tournament.

Teams in The Hundred are allowed to make up to four pre-auction retentions or direct signings with the first-ever auction set to take place in March.

Former New Zealand spinner Vettori, 46, takes over from ex-England captain Andrew Flintoff as head coach of the men’s franchise team.

Flintoff, 48, had been in charge of the Superchargers for the past two seasons but said he was “worth more” than what the Sunrisers offered him.

Vettori has been head coach of IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad since 2023.

Key women’s trio stay as Birrell replaces coach Keightley

For their women’s side, Sunrisers Leeds have retained Australia all-rounder Annabel Sutherland and batter Phoebe Litchfield along with England seamer Kate Cross.

The trio were a key part of the Northern Superchargers team who won the women’s edition of The Hundred last year.

Litchfield was the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 292 runs in 10 innings at an average of 41.71 while compatriot Sutherland made 206 runs at 51.50.

Sutherland finished as second-highest wicket taker with 16 at 14.43, one wicket ahead of Cross who averaged 14.06.

The franchise have changed their women’s coach, with Lisa Keightley replaced by South African Adrian Birrell.

Related topics

  • England Men’s Cricket Team
  • The Hundred
  • Cricket

More on this story

    • 16 August 2025
    BBC Sport microphone and phone

Egypt vs Senegal: AFCON semifinal – team news, start time and lineups

Who: Egypt vs Senegal
What: CAF Africa Cup of Nations
Where: Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier, Morocco
When: Wednesday at 6pm (17:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 14:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream.

Superstar Mohamed Salah is one step closer to realising his long-held dream of winning the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Egypt as the Pharaohs chase a record-extending eighth continental title in Morocco.

Recommended Stories

list of 4 itemsend of list

The 33-year-old forward has lifted major honours with Liverpool – including the Premier League and Champions League titles – but Africa’s most coveted prize has eluded him. A two-time AFCON runner-up, Salah is aiming to finally go one step further with pre-tournament favourites Senegal his next hurdle in the first semifinal on Wednesday.

Senegal, Africa’s second highest ranked nation at 19th in the world, feature in the AFCON semifinals for the third time in the last four editions. Boasting the likes of Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, the Teranga Lions have no dearth of talent or depth across their squad.

Here’s all to know before the Senegal vs Egypt showdown:

How did Senegal reach the AFCON semifinals?

Senegal ended their group campaign unbeaten, registering two wins and a draw to finish top of Group D with seven points, edging the Democratic Republic of the Congo on goal difference.

In the round of 16, they overcame an early scare to beat lowly Sudan 3-1. In the quarterfinals, Senegal became the first team to reach the final four with a narrow 1-0 win over West African neighbours Mali.

How did Egypt reach the semifinals?

Egypt enjoyed a similar record in the group stage, finishing top of Group B with seven points.

They defeated Benin 3-1 in the round of 16 before knocking out the title holders Ivory Coast 3-2 in a thrilling quarterfinal.

Who will the winner face in Sunday’s AFCON final?

The winner of this match will face the victor of the second semifinal between Nigeria and host nation Morocco.

Who are Senegal’s best players?

Striker Nicolas Jackson and central midfielder Pape Gueye have both delivered match-winning performances, scoring two goals apiece, while Cherif Ndiaye has also found the net twice with both goals coming off the bench.

Veteran winger Mane remains a linchpin for Senegal alongside midfielder Iliman Ndiaye, whose decisive contribution sealed their semifinal qualification, and 17-year-old sensation Ibrahim Mbaye continues to play with a maturity well beyond his years.

Who are Egypt’s best players?

Salah, arguably the biggest African football star of his generation, is Egypt’s highest scorer at the tournament with four goals, tied for second on the AFCON top scorers list behind Morocco’s Brahim Diaz.

The Liverpool attacking winger arrived in Morocco short of his usual world class standards, but Salah has swiftly returned to the red-hot form that earned him the nickname “the Egyptian King”.

Sublimely talented Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush (two goals) leads the Egyptian attacking line while centre back Rami Rabia and midfielder Hamdi Fathi are key contributors in defence.

Senegal and Egypt form guides

(All competitions, latest result first)

Senegal: W-D-W-W-L

Egypt: W-W-D-W-W

Head-to-head

Senegal and Egypt have met in 15 previous encounters across friendly and competitive matches.

Egypt have a slight edge in the head-to-head record with seven wins while Senegal have won six times. Two games ended in a draw.

When did Senegal and Egypt last meet?

The teams last met in a FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff in March 2022. It was the second leg of the playoff tie, in which Senegal won 3-1 on penalties as Egypt failed to qualify for the global showpiece.

Salah missed a penalty in that decisive fixture.

The AFCON first semifinal will reunite Salah, left, with Mane, his former Liverpool teammate [File: Jon Super/AP]

Have Senegal ever won an AFCON title?

This is Senegal’s 18th appearance at the tournament with their best result a maiden championship title at AFCON 2021 in Cameroon.

They were also runners-up twice, in 2002 and 2019.

Have Egypt ever won an AFCON title?

Yes. Egypt are record seven-time AFCON winners with title victories in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

They were also runners-up three times, in 1962, 2017 and 2021.

Senegal team news

Senegal coach Pape Thiaw has no new injury concerns.

Senegal’s predicted lineup

Edouard Mendy (goalkeeper); Krepin Diatta, Kalidou Koulibaly, Moussa Niakhate, Malick Diouf; Lamine Camara, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Pape Gueye; Iliman Ndiaye, Habibou Mouhamadou Diallo, Sadio Mane

Senegal's forward Iliman Ndiaye celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match between Mali and Senegal
Iliman Ndiaye, who was benched in the round of 16, was the hero of Senegal’s quarterfinal win over Mali [File: Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP]

Egypt team news

Midfielder Mohamed Hamdi, who picked up an injury in the round of 16, is unavailable. Otherwise, coach Hossam Hassan has a fit squad.

Egypt’s predicted lineup

UFC wants to make Pimblett champion – Tsarukyan

Getty Images

Arman Tsarukyan says he was overlooked for an interim lightweight title shot because the UFC “wants to make” Paddy Pimblett champion.

Liverpool’s Pimblett will face American Justin Gaethje for the interim belt on 24 January, with number one contender Tsarukyan snubbed.

The match-up was a surprise, considering Gaethje is ranked fourth with Pimblett at number five.

Tsarukyan suggested Pimblett’s star power secured him the fight.

“They know if they’re going to put me against him, he’s going to lose and the star is going to be gone,” said Tsarukyan after he returned to action in a wrestling match over the weekend.

“Gaethje is easy money for him. He’s old, he has maybe one or two fights left.

“So that’s why they give him the interim title shot because he’s not going to be a real champion, because there’s Ilia Topuria, and I never think he can beat Ilia Topuria.”

UFC president Dana White has been coy about why he overlooked Tsarukyan for the interim title fight, but did admit the 29-year-old headbutting Dan Hooker at a weigh-in before his last win contributed to the decision.

Tsarukyan also pulled out of a title fight with Islam Makhachev in January 2025 in fight week.

Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, 28, is currently taking a break from fighting due to personal reasons surrounding his family.

The UFC decided to do an interim bout in his absence and fans would expect Tsarukyan to fight the winner of Gaethje v Pimblett if the interim title holder is upgraded to full champion or if Topuria’s return was further delayed.

Tsarukyan, however, is pessimistic about 31-year-old Pimblett ever agreeing to fight him.

“I’m a nightmare for him and he knows that if we’re going to fight, he’s going to lose. He’s going to try not to fight me his whole life,” he said.

Related topics

  • Mixed Martial Arts
    • 28 November 2025
    Paddy Pimblett celebrates beating Michael Chandler in April
    • 3 September 2021
    • 6 days ago
    Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett face off with the UFC belt in between them
    • 28 April 2024
    Split image of Claressa Shields, Paddy Pimblett and Chris Eubank Jr

More MMA from the BBC

    • 16 August 2025
    BBC Sport microphone and phone

Should Meghan Markle join Prince Harry on a trip back to UK? Have your say

It has been claimed that Meghan Markle could make her first trip to the UK in four years this summer with Prince Harry – and now we want to know if she should join him on the trip

It had long been thought that Meghan Markle would never want to return to visit the UK. But it appears she could be planning a visit to Britain later this year alongside husband Prince Harry – but it all depends on one big call.

It is said that Meghan could come to the UK this summer with Harry, with the pair potentially attending an event to mark one year to go until the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham. However, it is understood that Meghan will only make the trip if Harry’s automatic police protection when in the UK is restored – with a decision on this said to be imminent following a new review by the Home Office.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle ‘plans to return to UK with Harry this summer’READ MORE: Meghan Markle’s ‘true motive’ for bombshell UK return that hinges on huge call

The issue of security has seemingly long been a stumbling block for Harry bringing Meghan and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to the UK to potentially see their grandfather, the King.

It has been thought that Meghan would be less keen to visit, given her popularity in the UK. But now a source close to the Sussexes has dismissed the idea she will never come back to Britain – and revealed the reason why she would return.

They told the Sunday Times: “I think she would come back with him [and the children]. They love to do stuff as a family whenever they can, and when they do things as a couple philanthropically, they often do take the kids along privately. I can’t see a reason why he’d come over with the kids without her.”

It comes after former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond believes Harry could be quick to bring his children over to visit his home country. If you can’t see the poll below, click here.

She told the Mirror: “Harry says the security issue has been the biggest obstacle in any reconciliation with his family, and the primary reason that he has not brought his family to see their grandfather and experience their heritage.

“So, if that obstacle is removed, it seems reasonable to presume that he will bring Archie and Lilibet over here. And I think most people would be glad to see our old King reunited with the son he called his “darling boy“ and with the grandchildren he barely knows. But I’m less convinced that the public is ready for Meghan Part Two.

“She’s clearly happy at home in California, and I can’t see why she would want to come to the UK and face possible hostility. So, perhaps in future we will see more of Harry and possibly the children.”

If Harry does see a favourable outcome from his review, it has been speculated he could spend more and more time in the UK – and could potentially even help out the ever small band of working royals with some royal engagements on behalf of the King.

But Jennie isn’t so sure, and explained: “I don’t think that he will be taking on any royal duties here. The decision was made that you cannot be half in and half out. Personally, I think that was pretty harsh, however it is the way things are.

Article continues below

“And I think it would be a smack in the face to William, who has remained so completely loyal to his father and his duty, to allow Harry back as a working royal, even a part-time one.”