Davina McCall 'angry' about state of contraception after daughter's 'terrible time'

Davina McCall says that she is “sad and angry” about the state of contraception, with data showing that 77% of Pill users suffer side effects.

The TV host, who is passionate about menopause issues and made award-winning films about the subject, is turning her attention to women’s contraception.

In her new Channel 4 documentary this week, Davina, 55, busts myths about the Pill – launched in the US in 1960 – and has her coil changed on camera to show how easy it is.

The mother-of-three says: “Making this film has left me feeling quite sad that we are still struggling 60 years after the Pill was invented.

“It makes me kind of feel angry too, because we deserve better. Better research. Better knowledge. Better quality of care. More funding. And why should we compromise our quality of life to prevent pregnancy?

Davina McCall

Davina with daughter Tilly Robertson

“This is a conversation we have to have. So let’s start the contraception revolution, right now.”

She adds: “Both my daughters [Holly, 21, and Tilly, 19] took the Pill, and one got on fine with it.

“But my younger one had a terrible time with her mental health and has often won­­dered whether her Pill contributed to that.”

Davina McCall

The show tells how many women suffer debilitating side effects such as mental health issues and unwanted preg­nancies.

A Channel 4 survey of 4,000 women reveals that 77% of those taking the Pill experience side effects. A third have stopped taking it because of the effects, and 57% are worried about its effects on mental health.

Davina, whose partner is celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas, started taking it aged 15. She explains: “I didn’t ask questions, I was terrified.”

She now uses the Mirena coil as part of her HRT but Women’s Health Ambassador Professor Dame Lesley Regan says in much of the UK “there are lots of women who are waiting to have a coil fitted”.

Davina adds: “If you’re not happy with the contraceptive you’re on, watch this documentary, inform yourself, then look at your options. Because you do have options.”

• Davina McCall’s Pill Revolution is on Thursday at 9pm on Channel 4.