How Eric Clapton made Davina McCall a "stronger person" during their romance

9 February 2024, 12:32

They were an unlikely match in retrospect.

Eric Clapton, the guitar god, was one of the most famous and influential musicians to originate from Britain.

Nowadays, Davina McCall MBE is considered to be one of the nation's sweethearts, having appeared on our television screens for over three decades.

But that wasn't the case when Davina first met Clapton. Whilst his fame was at his peak, she was still a young and hopeful presenter who nobody knew.

Long before she made her fame having hosted pop cultural sensations like Big Brother and more recently appearing as a judge on The Masked Singer, Davina had her demons.

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She's most known for being a fitness fanatic these days, but that's likely down to her dark days struggling with heroin addiction.

Eric was also in the throes of his own heroin addiction, which worsened after the tragic death of his son, Conor.

Whilst you think they might've driven each other further down into drug addiction, that wasn't the case at all.

In the years since their brief relationship ended, Davina opened up about Eric helping her overcome her problems, saying she became a "stronger person" after their romance.

Davina was just 25 when she first met Eric, whilst the legendary guitarist was nearing his fifties, aged 47.

Whilst she eventually became a famous television personality, as a budding talent she wanted to pursue a career in music instead.

In a 2021 interview, Davina revealed: "I didn't go to university, I worked in a restaurant, I loved music, I knew I wanted to do something in the music business."

"I was a failed singer, I hadn't got a record deal, I made a demo tape with Eric Clapton, how did I not get a record deal? He played guitar on my demo and I still didn't get a record deal!"

After her chosen career wasn't going to plan, even with Eric Clapton on her side, her addiction worsened to the point where she overdosed.

Admitting that she was a "mess", she sought professional help, with Eric by her side she enrolled into Narcotics Anonymous.

Davina credited Eric for helping her overcome the dark period in her life, and he was instrumental in her landing her first major role as a presenter on MTV in 1992.

She continued during the interview: "Challenges should be embraced now run away from. I dealt with a very difficult alcoholic drug addict mother and in turn became a drug addict myself."

"But it's just made me a much stronger person and a person that doesn't take no as the end of line, but sees no as the yes that hasn't happened yet."

"I just feel like when you've been that low, when I got clean, I was a heroin addict, I loved heroin more than my family more than myself, I hated myself, but I loved heroin more than anything."

"I would have stolen, got myself into terrible mixes to try and get it to have it. A really horrible drug, but getting through that and going to NA meetings which is how I got clean has made me realise that if I can get through that I can get through anything."