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Davina McCall reveals how being late for her daughter triggered childhood trauma

A simple delay picking up her daughter unearthed deep wounds for Davina McCall. Decades later, she's still learning to love the child she once was—and the mother she's become.

The image shows a paper with a drawing of a man and two children, with the text "Thompson had no...
The image shows a paper with a drawing of a man and two children, with the text "Thompson had no victims to leave the children, and they were all crying at the time" written underneath. The man and children appear to be in a state of distress, with one of them crying and the other looking up at him with a concerned expression.

Davina McCall reveals how being late for her daughter triggered childhood trauma

Davina McCall recently opened up about a difficult moment when she was an hour late picking up her youngest daughter, Tilly, from nursery. The incident brought back painful memories of her own childhood, when her mother left and never returned after promising to come back from a skiing trip. McCall, a mother of three—Holly, Tilly, and Chester—broke down in tears when she realised she was late. Though she knew Tilly was safe with another parent, the situation triggered deep emotions linked to her past. As a child, her French mother, Florence, had told her she was going skiing but never came home.

In her early 20s, McCall struggled with heroin addiction, which she believes stemmed from unresolved trauma. During her recovery, she was given a pocket mirror and encouraged to look into it each night, saying, *'I love you'* to herself. At first, she found this impossible, but over time, she learned to accept self-love unconditionally. Now, five years on, McCall says she finally understands what it means to truly love herself. The recent incident with Tilly reminded her of how she once felt as a child—abandoned and uncertain.

The experience has reinforced McCall’s journey toward healing and self-acceptance. While she acknowledges the pain of her past, she continues to focus on her relationship with her children and her own emotional growth. Her story highlights the lasting impact of childhood trauma and the importance of self-love in recovery.

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