Davina McCall on The Killing, Big Brother and an embarrassing TV moment
The Got To Dance host reveals her media pleasures, including Chris Moyles and medical horrors
What makes you turn on your TV?
The Killing, although I must get the boxed set of series two because I missed it and want to devour it, three episodes a night! I love Sarah Lund and her jumpers. I’ve just bought one, actually – I’m channelling Lund. I’m obsessed by her and I also think I can speak Danish. There’s something about watching Danish all the time, and the way that they speak. I think I could get by in Denmark!
Which TV show would you like to bring back?
Saturday evenings were TV heaven when The Generation Game was on. My whole family would sit down to watch it. Years later my dad and I were on Generation Fame on BBC1 with Rupert Grint from Harry Potter and his dad. We won – not that I’m competitive or anything. I’d love to bring it back. I think there’s still amazing mileage in real people… watching a novice try to make something on a potter’s wheel is absolutely hilarious.
Which would you throw out of your bedroom window – your television, radio or computer?
My TV. I’m attached to my computer, social networking queen that I am, and I have to wake up to my radio. I’m not an incessant tweeter, but on a journey I’ll be tweeting for Britain.
Who do you wake up to?
Obviously Moylesy! I’m part of the Chris Moyles breakfast show family. If you say to my kids, “You say pub”, they’ll go, “We say quiz!” We’ve all been brainwashed!
Have you ever presented a radio show?
I did a week on London station Capital FM and had the time of my life. I also did a week on Radio 2, but I’ve never been asked back. I was helping a guy who couldn’t get a boyfriend with some chat-up lines, and told him one I’d heard on God’s Gift, a TV programme I did years ago: “Your eyes are like spanners – every time I look at them, my nuts…” They didn’t like it, but it was quite funny.
What’s your guilty TV pleasure?
Embarrassing Bodies. I admire it, but I’m also shocked at how brave and honest people are. The thing that made me scream was when the presenter had a smear test! I was like, “Oh my God!” That was too real even for me. But I think it’s brilliant and I still watch it.
What has been your most embarrassing TV moment?
I was just about to go live on air on Big Brother, and I ran up the stairs and tripped. I punched the floor, which was like sandpaper, and my hands and knees were all cut up. They were screaming, “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six…” and I had blood dripping off my fist. I said, “Just in case you’re wondering why I’ve got a bleeding fist, I’ve just fallen over running up the stairs.” On live TV there’s nowhere to hide.
Did you watch Big Brother when it came back on Channel 5?
I didn’t. I was away for the celebrity version, so I watched maybe three episodes. When I did, it was good, but if you’re not presenting it’s like a busman’s holiday. I kept thinking, “Gosh, I should be there, what’s going on?” But I’d said goodbye and it would have been too weird to go back.
Davina McCall hosts Got to Dance: Live Semi-Finals tonight on Sky1 at 6:00pm
