While we all know and love her for her energetic presenting style, Davina McCall's two documentaries all about understanding the menopause and the challenges facing women in later life, have received widespread praise for how it has raised awareness of how women's health is handled.
Davina McCall's menopause documentaries
Although menopause is something all women experience as they reach a certain stage of their reproductive life, the subject is still considered taboo.
To date, Davina has presented two menopause documentaries, Davina McCall: Sex, Mind and the Menopause and Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and the Menopause.
In the latter, Davina opened up about her own menopause journey and how it impacted her aged 44.
“I got such a bad hot flush in a make-chair one day that I asked the make-up lady if the chair was heated, they looked at me as if I was really weird.”
As the menopause began before she reached her fifties, she felt embarrassment and shame when seeking help and advice.
During the show, Davina spoke to a number of medical experts as well as other famous women who have been through the menopause to gain more understanding of their experiences.
The programme really struck a chord with viewers who were also tired of being unable to speak openly about the menopause as well as the lack of research and valuable information surrounding the menopause.
We were also shocked to hear some of the facts surrounding the menopause which we were not aware of, one being that health professionals don't have to have any extensive training in dealing with the menopause, which is why many women are mistreated and misdiagnosed when they go through the menopause.
In addition to this, another stigma surrounding the menopause is the topic of sex in later life, with 51 per cent of women admitting that the menopause had affected their sex lives due to vaginal dryness and even osteoporosis.
And it's not just the obvious physical impact of the menopause that is affecting women. Women are doubly at risk from developing Alzheimer’s later in life than men due to the fall in oestrogen levels, despite this, only one in 10 women are on HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy).
There is hope for the future thanks to Davina's two documentaries, and the #MakeMenopauseMatter campaign petition is now close to its target of 150,000 signatures. The hope is that the government will make it compulsory for GP's to be educated further on menopause and that workplace policies will be introduced.
Already, over half of the 10,000 GP practices in the UK have now signed up for The Menopause Charity’s offer of the Confidence in the Menopause course for doctors.
Davina McCall's Pill Revolution
After experiencing her youngest daughter struggling to find the right contraception, in Davina's latest documentary, she is exploring the contraception pill. From its side effects to her own personal experience on the pill, she'll also be researching alternative forms of contraception.
Amongst them is the coil, which Davina chooses to have fitted during the filming of the documentary to try and show the positive side of the coil.
"I ran it past my kids and they gave me the green light," Davina explained. "But this was my idea. I suggested it, because it’s the one thing that so many people contact me and say they’d never get a coil fitted because of all the horror stories. So I thought ‘Why not show a positive experience?’"
Davina McCall's Pill Revolution will air on Channel 4 at 9pm on June 8.