Being Davina

Book excerpt: Davina McCall is the nation's favourite TV celebrity. Over the last few years, her warmth, humour and charm have endeared her to millions of viewers and made her the first lady of reality television. Now embarking on her 7th series of "Big Brother", the much-loved Davina is here to stay. Yet behind this amazing woman is an incredible story of triumph over personal mountains that for years were impossible to climb. A tragic and turbulent past, beginning with a fractured childhood and difficult teens, meant Davina had to grow up fast, but the adult world did not sit easily with her. The price of this was a retreat into drugs and alcohol, as well as a string of difficult relationships that threatened to ruin her. Facing crisis, Davina took control and bounced back in style, facing her demons and moving on to achieve incredible successes that made her the envy and role model of many a would-be TV presenter. A happy marriage, children, amazing weight loss and a high-profile celebrity lifestyle followed. Davina has never looked back. This is the first biography of an incredible woman and a true survivor