Davina McCall has revealed she has secretly got engaged to hair stylist partner Michael DouglasCredit: Getty
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He has been a rock during her recovery from a life-saving brain op, and a friend said: “Everyone is so thrilled for them.”
The couple, together seven years, then flew to the Burning Man festival in Nevada, US, three weeks ago to celebrate.
They have revealed the happy news only to their innermost circle.
Davina is recovering from an op to remove a benign brain cyst last November and a friend said: “To say it has been a rollercoaster year for her is an understatement.
“Whilst surgery was, of course, traumatic, she made peace with a lot in the days and weeks leading up to it.
“Then, having survived, she had a new lease of life — as so many do who have been in similar situations.
“Michael was her absolute rock throughout her recovery.
“If you see them together, genuinely they are like lovesick teenagers.
“Their chemistry is insane.
“Basically Davina thought ‘f*** it, life is short’, and decided it was time to, as the kids say, lock in the love of her life.”
Davina McCall hosts new reality show Stranded on Honeymoon Island
The pair met on Big Brother in the early 2000s when he styled her hair.
They stayed friends for years but only began dating after she finalised her divorce from Matthew Robertson in early 2018.
It is not known when Davina and Michael will but is unlikely to be until after May next year when Davina is expected to be fully recovered from her brain op.
The pal added: “She has a ring but is only wearing it in private.
“It is wonderful news and everyone who knows them is just so thrilled.
“They really do make the most gorgeous couple.”
Yesterday mum-of-three Davina detailed her post-op journey to Radio 2’s Scott Mills, and, without mentioning her engagement, said she had never been happier.
She said: “After my operation they said it will take a year to 18 months to get as good as you’re going to get.
“I keep thinking that next May I’m going to go out for dinner with Michael and say, ‘I hope this version of me is all right as this is what you’re going to get’.
“I don’t know if you think I see any difference but I am so happy.
“It is mad. I guess I am just super-grateful to be here, alive.
“I can’t believe the sliding doors that happened to get me here are magical.
“It’s been a massive journey and some has been incredibly hard.”
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Davina has been recovering from brain surgery, and praised Michael for his incredible supportCredit: Instagram
Michael has styled her locks for years and created a glam beehive hairdo for her appearance at Wednesday night’s NTAs at the O2 in London.
He runs his own award-winning brand, MD London and co-hosts popular podcast Making The Cut.
Davina, who once hosted dating show Streetmate, last month insisted they’d never tie the knot.
She said: “We go on honeymoons all the time but without getting married.
“We’re in the honeymoon period even after all these years.
“I couldn’t be more happy. And sometimes there’s an idea of, why change anything?’”
But in another recent interview she praised Michael for his support.
She said: “I want to just big up Michael for a minute, because you and I have been through something mega, and I want to say out loud, just thank you.
“It’s been really difficult for both of us, and I love you with all of my heart.
“You are everything to me, you’re my soulmate.
“We are more than married!”
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Davina’s marriage to first husband Andrew Leggett lasted for only two yearsCredit: TillenDove
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Davina’s marriage to second husband Matthew Robertson lasted for 17 yearsCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Davina was married to TV adventurer Matthew Robertson for 17 years, and the couple have children Holly, Chester, and Tilly.
Davina wed then-shop manager Andrew Leggett in 1997.
But they fell out after a few months and the marriage ended in 1999.
After realising their feelings for one another, Davina and Michael went public with their relationship in 2018, and by January 2023 had moved in together.
Last autumn doctors discovered a 14mm tumour after Davina had a scan as part of a deal with One Welbeck, a private healthcare facility for whom she had given a talk on the menopause for.
The presenter explained: “In my head, I was literally the healthiest person in the world.
“I had this head-to-toe scan.
“And they came back and they went, ‘Okay, we’ve got your results. Um… we’d like to talk to you’.
“They said, ‘You’ve got a benign cyst in your brain.’
“The doctor explained it’s called a colloid cyst.
“And a colloid cyst is a three in a million thing, and it can also cause… very, very rarely, but it can also cause sudden death.”
Speaking to podcaster Steven Bartlett, Davina said she faced the diagnosis head on with Michael, with the pair discussing what might happen if something went wrong during the surgery.
She added: “I said, ‘Look, I’ve got to plan for it if it doesn’t go according to plan.’
“When I’d spoken to the doctors, they talked about things like stroke, epilepsy, these being risks.
“Nicking an artery or a blood vessel in the brain and having a bleed… so there were a lot of things that could be a risk.
“And obviously, because of my age, you know, I’m 57. That was another thing that mattered to me. I was thinking, you know.
“Would you rather have brain surgery now, or if it grew in eight years’ time, would you want to have it in your mid-to-late 60s?
“Would it not be better to get it done now while you’re fit and healthy in every other way?”
After speaking to her children and closest family, Davina said she immediately set about sorting her affairs — including updating her will.
Following the surgery, Michael updated Davina’s followers and said she was recovering well.
Seeing them in the flesh is like witnessing teenagers in the first flush of intoxicating, all-consuming, hormonal-heavy love. Minus the angst.
News of their engagement is the bit of cheer we all needed at a time when so much else in the world is unrelentingly grim.
Davina is one of the kindest, most genuine celebrities in Britain.
Michael is a bundle of high energy fun.
He is as deeply in love with his fiancée as he is rightly proud of her.
Whilst their public lives are deeply entwined thanks to a successful podcast and his artful rendering of her locks, they are also deeply successful, and independent, in their own right.
A few years ago I bumped into Michael at London’s Soho House.
He came over to say hi; he drinks (moderately, not in a lush way) whereas six-packed, uber-fit Davina is famously teetotal.
He was lovely, unguarded and deeply complimentary of his then-girlfriend.
Michael invariably accompanies her on set and, granted, they’re not snogging unprofessionally between takes, but their chemistry is palpable.
Their decision to marry, having insisted they would never want to rock the boat, will give dog-obsessed spinsters like me hope.
Evidently Davina’s recent trauma, which she so powerfully documented to help others experiencing similar, has given her fresh perspective. Life is short; celebrate those you love.
For a woman so synonymous with menopause awareness, how lovely another M word “marriage” is now what we are all talking about.
Stranded On Honeymoon Island returned to our screens tonight and BBC viewers were totally perplexed by one couple.
Newlyweds Helen and Abby had everyone talking as they are already showing cracks in their marriage. (Image: BBC)
Stranded On Honeymoon Island were left scratching their heads as they questioned if they had “missed something” after one couple appeared to already be on the rocks.
Thenew BBC series, fronted by Davina McCall, follows a group of single people who end up speed dating and, after just five minutes, have to pick their favourite person.
Shortly after, the singletons are paired up by a matchmaker, marry one another and then are left stranded on an island and have to live with the basics.
Last night, the show kicked off with a speed dating event where the singles, following five minutes of chat, are asked to select their favourites. The final couplings are then settled on by professional matchmakers. Viewers saw Sam, 30, married Hannah, 29, Helen, 35, married Abby, 32, while Moray, 28, married Mae, 30.
Now that the first three couples have wed, during tonight’s episode it’s the turn of the remaining pairs to get hitched.
Abby is already struggling with her new life on the deserted island.(Image: BBC)
However it was newlyweds Helen and Abby who had everyone talking as they are already showing cracks in their marriage.
Waking up together for the first time on the Island it was clear that Abby is already struggling with her new life on the deserted island.
While making breakfast, Helen went on to say: “Yesterday was, like, such a little dream bubble. And then overnight, and today, it’s like OK, this is reality.”
The new bride admitted: “Abby is struggling with this and I think it’s getting her a bit grouchy, it’s getting her a bit moany but it’s day one. So I don’t know; I don’t know if she’s going to stick this out.”
Turning to her new wife, Helen asked: “Do you think that you would struggle, like in this experience? Did you think that… Because last night was a lot.”
Opening up, Abby admitted: “Yes, it’s hard. I think for me I’m missing my family and I’m missing my friends. I’m definitely learning more things about myself even just from last night’s experience.”
Helen reassured wife Abby that she she will support her (Image: BBC)
Helen jumped in: “I feel like that is you, right? So it did kind of shock me this morning when you were like, ‘Oh I don’t know, like if I can do this.’
“You’re making me feel like… like can you?”
Abby explained: “No, I do feel like I can. I think I just needed a minute.”
The tension was palpable as a frosty Helen replied: “Sure. But it’s day one so, let’s see.”
Attempted to shift the mood, Abby confirmed: “Yeah, it is day one. You’ve been great, it’s nothing on you. It’s just me.. You know.. adjusting.”
Helen said: “I want to be there for you and I will be.” Abby added: Yeah, I know. I appreciate that.”
It didn’t take long for fans to rush straight to social media to share their reaction as they questioned how their relationship had shifted in just one day.
One fan wrote on X, formally known as Twitter: “#StrandedOnHoneymoonIsland What went on last night then between the two women? Did we miss something? Sure they were happy on last night’s ep.”
Another commented: “She’s only been there a f****** day!” A third said: “She’s only been there a b****** day #StrandedOnHoneymoonIsland.”
Stranded on Honeymoon Island airs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night at 9pm on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer
The BBC’s latest dating series is set to air but it’s thought bosses have been so impressed that they have already signed off a second run
20:58, 02 Sep 2025Updated 21:03, 02 Sep 2025
Davina McCall is presenting the show(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/CPL Productions)
A brand new dating show is set for a second series even though the first is yet to air. The new BBC show is set to rival ITV’s Love Island and bosses are so sure it will be a hit that they have reportedly authorised another series.
Stranded On Honeymoon Island kicks off tomorrow on BBC, with Davina McCall taking on hosting duties. But even before the show airs it’s maiden episode, it’s claimed it has been sanctioned for another series that could be filmed later this year before being aired in 2026.
“The Beeb has long wanted some kind of dating show that can begin to challenge the dominance of Love Island,” a source said.
Stranded On Honeymoon Island could already be set for a second series(Image: CREDIT LINE:BBC/CPL Productions)
Speaking to The Sun, the source added: “It doesn’t want the exact same format, just something that can provide a similar kind of tropical, steamy vibe — and bosses think that’s what they’ve got on their hands here.
“Of course, they’ll wait to see what the audience reaction is, but execs have already cast their eye over early versions of the series and are feeling confident.”
And the source claimed bosses are keen to “renew their vows” with another series of the show.
The series sees total strangers marry. After the 12 singles meet for the first time during a speed-dating event, the matchmakers then assign them a spouse.
Later that day, the assigned couples tie the knot and head straight to a remote island with nothing but the clothes they wed in, an outdoor loo, and three weeks to test their connection.
Prior to it airing, Davina admitted of her role and her own romance: “I like to think I’m not too high-maintenance.” But she said one thing on the show is something she would struggle with. “The loo.
“I’d have a whopper problem with the poo! I don’t want to hear farting and pooing – I still want to be fancied!”
Explaining why she chose to be a part of the show, Davina said: “These couples are taking a massive leap of faith – literally off a boat. It’s such an extreme way to fast-track a relationship.
“You see who someone really is when things get tough – how they handle problems, whether they’re resourceful. That’s attractive! Confidence is key in this experiment.”
EXCLUSIVE: Jean, 85, can still vividly remember the moment her newborn baby girl was taken from her when she was 16. A Long Lost Family special tracks down Jean’s daughter and highlights a UK-wide scandal
Jean finally finds her daughter Cathy, who she hasn’t seen for nearly 70 years(Image: ITV)
Nearly 70 years after she held her baby in her arms for the last time, elderly Jean’s eyes fill with tears as she remembers her newborn’s blue eyes and blonde hair. Her baby girl, who she named Maria, was snatched away for adoption without even time for a kiss goodbye – and Jean never saw her again, until now.
In heartbreaking scenes to be screened in a Long Lost Family: Mother and Baby Home Scandal special on ITV, the 85-year-old finally gets to meet the child who was taken away from her so brutally, leaving her traumatised for decades. Jean was just 16 in the summer of 1956 when she discovered she was pregnant by Tony, her first ever boyfriend. They wanted to marry, but having brought shame to her family, Jean was sent to the Home of the Good Shepherd Mother and Baby Home in Haslemere, Surrey, a home established by a moral welfare association connected to the Church of England, and a baptism and adoption were arranged.
Davina McCall with Jean, who has been looking for answers for decades(Image: ITV)
Jean, from Chertsey, Surrey, recalls: “It was a big house and we had to scrub all that clean. We had to go to chapel every morning and evening to ask forgiveness for what we’d done. I didn’t know I was pregnant at first because I wasn’t sure how you had a baby. I was terrified, I didn’t know what to do. My dad was a bully. I remember him saying to my mother, ‘I told you she’d be no good didn’t I?’ He called me the biggest whore under the sun when he found out I was pregnant. I couldn’t stay there because ‘What about my father’s job?’. You’d think he was the Prime Minister, instead of the caretaker of a school.” Jean adds: “I’ve always felt inferior, I’m not good enough for people.”
With no option, Jean and Tony reluctantly took their 10-week-old baby to the London offices of the Southwark Catholic Rescue society. Jean says: “I gave her to this woman who’d said we’d go and show her off, so I thought she was bringing her back to let us kiss her goodbye, but she didn’t. When she was 18, I wrote to the society to ask if they had any news of her. He wrote back and said ‘No’ and maybe we’ll be reunited in heaven one day. I thought that was a horrible thing to say to me.”
Cathy aged around two, after she had been taken from Jean and adopted(Image: ITV)
Jean’s story is just one of many distressing accounts from a period between the 1940s and the 1970s, when an estimated 200,000 unmarried women, many just teenagers, were placed in homes, run often by religious organisations – and thousands of their babies were taken for adoption. Lyn, who was in a Cornish mother and baby home, says: “No matter how far pregnant you were, you had to wait on the staff and scrub the floors. It was all draconian and very cruel. You’d walk down the middle of the church, and you’d hear, ‘Sl*g, prostitute, whore, slapper. ’ I mean what had we done wrong? Nothing. It was hell.”
The two-part ITV special, hosted by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, delves into this scandal, following three emotive searches. Davina says: “You’ve probably walked past a mother and baby home on a quiet suburban street and have no idea of its secret history or what happened to young unmarried mothers.”
Fortunately for Jean, there is a huge breakthrough as the Long Lost Family team tracks down her daughter, now named Cathy, with the middle name Maria. Mother-of-two Cathy, 68, who lives with Gary, her husband of 51 years, in Ilford, London, had a wonderful adoption and is thrilled to hear from her birth mother. She says: “I feel very sorry for what she had to go through – I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. My own daughter is unmarried and has a daughter who lives with us and she’s a delight. I think it was an absolute disgrace the way women were treated in those days.”
Jean with daughter Cathy (to Jean’s right) together with family at their reunion(Image: ITV)
Tearful as she reads a letter from Jean asking for her forgiveness, she adds: “I never ever blamed her. I’m sad that she’s been looking for so long.” When Jean hears the news that Cathy has been found and wants to meet her, she is completely overwhelmed. Jean, who went on to have four other children and split from her husband, says: “I just hope she likes me and I don’t let her down.” There is a clear narrative that many of the women affected blamed themselves, with adoptions often forced on vulnerable young women.
Campaigners are now lobbying the UK government to join the Welsh, Scottish and Irish governments in apologising to those affected. But time is running out for these women to find any adopted children. Jean and Cathy are among the luckier ones. Both are nervous and emotional as they prepare to reunite, but immediately they hug and are clutching each other’s hands. “I didn’t think this day would ever come,” says Cathy. “We’ve been waiting nearly 69 years since she was last able to hug me.” Jean tells her: “We had nobody to help us and I had no choice. I had nowhere to go. I knew I couldn’t keep you so I tried not to love you too much.” Cathy replies: “I had a hole in my life, you had a hole in your life. We’ve now managed to fill the hole.”
Jean says afterwards: “I kept looking at my arms because last time she was in my arms. It will probably sink in a lot more as time goes by. But I’ve also got to try to forgive myself.” As the mother and daughter introduce each other to their extended families, Jean says: “Now I know why I’ve lived so long. This is the reason.” She adds: “I’m feeling quite happy inside. I still can’t believe it. I won’t need to worry about her anymore because she’s got a family and they seem very kind.” Cathy says: “This is going to change my life. That void has been filled.”
Viv and Julie’s mother Margaret (right) meeting Sian, her firstborn daughter, for the first time after 68 years apart(Image: ITV)
Also in the show, sisters Viv and Julie are looking for their lost older sibling on behalf of their mum Margaret, who gave birth in a Baptist Union-run mother and baby home called The Haven, in Yateley, Hampshire, in the late 1950s. Margaret was in the Royal Navy in Cornwall when she fell pregnant aged 20. The father hadn’t revealed he was married with a family and abandoned her. In a poignant moment, Margaret, now 89 and suffering from moderate dementia, recalls singing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ to her baby Helen, and sings the chorus, which ends ‘Please don’t take my sunshine away’.
Margaret adds: “I’d love to see her and know she’s had a good life. I want her to know I loved her and haven’t forgotten her.” Julie says: “I don’t think mum was given any choice. We had an older brother who died in a motorbike accident just before he was 30. So mum feels that she’s lost two children.”
Davina McCall with Ann, who wants to know what happened to her brother(Image: ITV)
Ann also wants to solve the mystery of what happened to her brother Martin, after their mother Cora gave birth in the Catholic mother and baby home, St Pelagia’s in Highgate, North London in 1962. Ann, from London, says: “I had no idea that there was an elder brother. And then one day, one of my younger sisters came across a death certificate which said, ‘Martin, son of Cora’. My mum promptly whipped it from her hands, tore it up, and said, ‘Give me that. Don’t worry about that. Just forget you ever saw it’.”
After her mother Cora’s death in 2008, Ann discovered that Martin’s father was a Sri Lankan man who Cora had fallen in love with at work. Ann says: “My mum had not only had a child out of wedlock, but to have had a mixed-race child then, she would have been doubly frowned upon.” Ann has since discovered racist descriptions of her brother in his file and proof he was rejected for adoption and taken in at a children’s home run by nuns. After handing Martin over fit and well at eight-weeks-old, Cora was told within 48 hours that he had died – but Ann wants to know the truth.
For Ann, closure appears to be hard reach, as the team investigates an alleged scandal in Ireland of babies being illegally adopted, with parents told the babies had died. Could this have happened in England too? With varying testimony, it’s tough to know for sure, but it is believed most likely that Martin would have died.
There is better news for Margaret as her 68-year-old daughter, now called Sian, is finally found after months of scouring the records. Sian has cerebral palsy, which was diagnosed after the adoption, which means she is non-verbal and has been a wheelchair user since childhood. She’s delighted that her birth mum has been looking for. Sian says: “I know that my mother had difficulties while I was being delivered, because the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck, so oxygen didn’t get to me.”
Davina reveals to Viv and Julie that Sian has been found, and that when her condition was discovered, the adoptive family were asked if they wanted to give Sian back. Davina says: “They were offered the opportunity to swap her for another child without a disability. But they’d completely fallen in love with her.” Having shared the news with their mum, Viv says: “Mum said to us that now we’ve found Sian, she can die happy.”
Nicky Campbell with Sian, who was finally found by her long lost mother(Image: ITV)
A government spokesperson says: “This abhorrent practice should never have taken place and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.” A spokesperson for the Church of England said: “It is horrifying to hear first-hand accounts of pain and distress experienced by women and their children connected to mother and baby homes, including any which were affiliated with the Church of England. There is no doubt that attitudes towards unmarried mothers in society at the time, including by many within the Church, often put immense pressure on young women to give up their babies for adoption. We all now recognise the profound and lasting impact some of these decisions have clearly had on so many lives and we express our heartfelt sorrow and regret for those who have been hurt.”
A spokesperson for the Diocese of Guildford said: “We feel immense sadness and regret for the emotional pain experienced by Jean and other women who were separated from their children. We are grateful to this programme for reuniting Jean with her daughter Cathy, but we are also aware that many like her would have sadly died without being reunited or having a sense of closure. While attitudes within the church and society have significantly changed since that time, it does not erase the lasting damage that these adoptions had on the women.” The Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary reflected and declined to comment and said that the allegation related to the “actions and decisions of sisters who are no longer with us”.
*Long Lost Family: The Mother And Baby Home Scandal airs across two nights on ITV1: September 3rd and 4th at 9pm
At Primavera Sound Barcelona, Rhian Teasdale, 32, emerges from smoke, stained the color orange by stage lights, gallantly flexing her arms in the air. She hovers over the mic, revealing bleached eyebrows and hair that fades from brown roots to pink. Her outfit is highlighted by a trimmed white shirt and neon fishnet leggings — a clear departure from the bohemian style that proved prevalent amid the release of “Wet Leg” in 2022.
Anyone who has seen the five-piece rock ensemble in 2025 will know that this is a visually different band than that of three years ago.
“It was five years ago that we made the ‘Chaise Longue’ video,” Teasdale says. “People have seen your image as a certain way, and then you grow, you change.
“It’s funny how much people expect you to stay the same, and it’s somehow this big statement to grow and change.”
Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers of the rock quintet.
(Alice Backham)
She also notes that “subconsciously,” she had chosen her former attire out of discomfort. Now, feeling more at home in her own skin, she can take a more authentic approach to herself.
“I did not want to be sexualized by men,” she reflects. “The thought of showing any skin and anyone maybe thinking that it was for the male gaze made me want to cover up and not be noticed.
“It wasn’t a conscious gear shift kind of thing, but there are a few things that I can look back on and pinpoint why I’m able to have so much more self-expression.”
Still, their self-titled debut — as kitschy and cottagecore as it was in appearance and sound — certainly warranted the reception that it received, featuring tantalizing tracks such as “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream.” In the latter’s music video, Teasdale and Chambers unforgettably prance around in long, blue dresses while sporting lobster claw gloves. But it would be “Chaise Longue” that snatched up a Grammy award in the alternative music performance category; the band also won for alternative music album.
For being stuck within the confines of an island populated by just 140,000 people, Wet Leg’s rise was meteoric. Teasdale mentions that the lives of the Isle of Wight natives were “completely changed”; she was a stylist assistant for commercials in London, bassist Ellis Durand was putting up scaffolding, drummer Henry Holmes was a surf instructor, guitarist Joshua Mobaraki worked in a café and Chambers had taken up a position making jewelry in the family business.
Indeed, the “very sleepy and small-minded” island off the coast of England, known for its beautiful coasts, isaltogether a grain of sand in the Channel, hidden underneath the mainland’s shadow.
“You have to take a boat over there,” Teasdale says of the island. “There’s no bridge, there’s no tunnel.”
Though she’s since moved to London, leaving it in the rearview at 18, she notes that Chambers, Mobaraki and Durand still call it home. Holmes also made the mad dash to the city.
“We’re all just living our little lives and all of a sudden you’re touring the world,” Teasdale says. “It’s crazy going to the Grammys and looking at all the famous people off the telly and just feeling very odd.”
Though, it now seems that the group are well adjusted to fame, as they return for their sophomore album, “Moisturizer.” It’s a far more sonically expressive, authentic and raw record than that of its predecessor. Though no one can deny the hypnotic nature of hits like “Chaise Longue” and “Wet Dream,” the group has undeniably evolved and it shows across the entire 12-track project.
Wet Leg has experienced a change of appearance since their debut three years ago.
(Iris Luiz)
It opens up with the oh-so-smooth “CPR,” the second single released off the album, which Teasdale describes as “walking up to a great height [and] jumping into the abyss that is love.” This proves to be a consistent theme across “Moisturizer,” which often feels like Teasdale’s ode to an aching heart. “CPR” is just the “launchpad” for the “rest of the tunes to spawn from.”
This pours into “liquidize,” which teems with a sense of yearning, questioning in heartache , “So many creatures in the f— world / How could I be your one?” On the rougher “jennifer’s body,” Teasdale’s soft delivery shines through to say “Every day starts and ends with you / Hold me down I get high on you” before taking a backseat and letting Chambers’ guitar wail away.
“I think before falling in love this time around with my current partner, I just had no interest in writing love songs,” Teasdale confesses. “I’d only dated men up until my partner… I feel like the world is so saturated with love songs from a very heteronormative perspective and I felt no interest in it at all.”
As for the change of heart: “I think love just hit me really heavy this time… I’m just so very, very, very, in love.”
Hilariously, she also compares the album rollout process this time around to a fairly obscure occupation she was thrown into prior to the band’s rise. Teasdale, who once worked as a baker, says their debut was like “when you start a new job and you’ve been told you have to make doughnuts.”
“You don’t know where any of the stuff is, so someone has to teach you… where the cookie cutters are, and where the box of sugar is,” she says, laughing. “You know, just like rolling out an album, rolling out the doughnut, rolling out that dough.”
A highlight of the album comes in their third single, “davina mccall,” a mellow and dreamy song that references the famed British “national treasure” known for her work as a TV presenter on “Big Brother.” Teasdale says she watched the show as a kid in the 2000s and was always fascinated when McCall would turn to the camera and say, “This is Davina, I’m coming to get you” when a contestant was eliminated.
“It was a very dramatic moment when Davina McCall was coming to get you,” she says. “It’s kind of a little joke that I’ll come and pick you up wherever you are.”
Teasdale says McCall even recently came to a Wet Leg show after the band had told her they’d written a song using her name. Thankfully, she was “so cool” and gave “the best hugs ever.”
But fans will also be pleased to notice that the group has still maintained their signature, bold tongue-in-cheek style of lyrics. On “mangetout,” Teasdale sings “You wanna f— me? / I know, most people do” over a smooth riff and declares on “pillow talk” that “Every night I f— my pillow / I wish I was f— you.”
“The more muscular sound that is on this album is just the result of five people that have been touring together for something shy of three years,” she says. “I think my sense of humor will always be the same… it’s kind of impossible to leave that behind.”
In the last few tracks, the album noticeably slows down. “11:21” is a beautiful song that finds strength in its simplicity. The title is a call back to the day Teasdale met her partner: “Time goes by / But I feel the same about you since the day we first met,” she sings.
(Top to Bottom) Hester Chambers, Joshua Mobaraki, Ellis Durand, Henry Holmes and Rhian Teasdale of Wet Leg.
(Alice Backham)
It’s sandwiched between “don’t speak,” which falls short of capturing the same essence that the rest of “Moisturizer” is peppered with, and “u and me at home.” The latter is the album’s closer and features some of Chambers’ best performances on the album; it’s a befitting farewell to an excellent project.
“I think when you’re really close with someone, it just means that you don’t have to use words,” Teasdale says of working with Chambers. “It’s just easy and joyful and the most natural thing.”
“Moisturizer” hits streaming services and music store shelves on July 11, with all the potential of outperforming their debut, even with it being as successful as it was. Together, the band sounds more refined than three years ago and — if their recent performances are anything to go off of — looks to light up the stage on their North American tour, which starts in September and makes a stop in Los Angeles on Oct. 17.
“I’m just excited for people to hear the rest of the album, because it’s just a fun album,” Teasdale says. “We made it to be played live, so I’m excited for when it’s not a secret thing anymore.”
In another emotional instalment, two people who are foundlings, tell Davina and Nicky their stories and hope to trace family
06:00, 18 Jun 2025Updated 06:08, 18 Jun 2025
Davina McCall and searcher Simon Prothero in Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace(Image: ITV)
Every single story from Long Lost Family could be turned into a daytime sobathon movie in its own right. Pretty much every episode leaves viewers weeping into their wine, and this show is the perfect example of a cast-iron format that nails it every time. Davina McCall is walking along a coastline in a coat we all want to buy immediately.
She tells us the sad story of someone searching for their relative. Cut to said person’s kitchen and Davina has news. Pause. She produces a photo. Maybe even a letter. Everyone is in floods of tears, and that’s before the reunion even happens. Kleenex anyone?
Elsewhere, Nicky Campbell is providing a shoulder to cry on, while someone spits into a test tube. The spin-off series, Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace (tonight June 18, ITV, 9pm) focuses on foundlings, people left as babies, often in the most extraordinary places and in the first hours or days of life. We’ve heard about babies left in cardboard boxes, on doorsteps, at churches, in hospital car parks, and in one case a London phone box and even under a hedge.
Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell help people find loved ones
In tonight’s emotional episode, Simon Prothero tells how he was found as a newborn in the summer of 1966 in the outside toilet block of a children’s home in Neath, Wales. Simon, who was adopted and grew up 10 miles away, says: “I don’t know where I was born, when I was born, what the circumstances were. I don’t know who my mother is.” As the team cracks into action, it’s especially sad as we learn that Simon’s adoptive parents and his wife Helen have died, but a DNA search connects to a large family from North Wales. Watch out for the moment Simon discovers his birth mother is alive and in her 80s, though she’s not yet ready for contact.
In another story, Lisa Dyke tells how she was discovered as a newborn in May 1969, just a few hours old, outside a health clinic in Christchurch, Dorset. She’d been put into another baby’s pram. She says: “Why was I left in another child’s pram? Who left me? I just want to know the truth.”
Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace is airing on ITV tonight at 9pm.
There’s plenty more on TV tonight – here’s the best of the rest..
RACE ACROSS THE WORLD, BBC1, 9pm
It’s been emotional, as five intrepid pairs have taken on the 14,000km race of a lifetime, from the Great Wall of China to the southern tip of India. In the end, mother and son Caroline and Tom took first place in a hard-fought win. Six months later, the contestants meet for the first time in this reunion episode, sharing their greatest highs and agonising lows. The teams reminisce about being forced out of their comfort zones and traversing the two most populated countries on earth.
For former married couple, Yin and Gaz, it’s a chance to learn who has won the race. Brothers Brian and Melvyn look back at how the race enabled them to make up for lost time, while sisters Elizabeth and Letitia tell how the adventure changed them. Teenage couple Fin and Sioned, who were catapulted into the deep end for their first backpacking experience together, share their future plans. An intimate insight with behind-the-scenes insights and unseen moments. “I wish we were starting it all again,” says Caroline.
THE BUCCANEERS, APPLE TV+
For anyone not familiar with ‘The Buccaneers’, they are a group of fun-loving young American girls, who exploded into the tightly corseted London of the 1870s, setting hearts racing. Now, the Buccaneers are no longer the invaders – England is their home. In fact, they’re practically running the place.
Nan (Kristine Froseth) is the Duchess of Tintagel, the most influential woman in the country. Conchita (Alisha Boe) is Lady Brightlingsea, heroine to a wave of young American heiresses. And Jinny (Imogen Waterhouse) is on every front page, wanted for the kidnapping of her unborn child.
All of the girls have been forced to grow up and now have to fight to be heard, as they wrestle with romance, lust, jealousy, births and deaths. Last time we got a taste of England. This time we’re in for a veritable feast. Also starring Christina Hendricks as Nan’s mum Patti, this is an addictive culture-clash historical romp.
EMMERDALE, ITV1, 7.30pm
Getting increasingly frustrated with his motorbike, Bear snaps and threatens Kammy. Paddy sees this from a distance and puts a stop to it. Paddy and Mandy are dumbfounded when Bear later acts as if nothing has happened. Bear becomes irritated by their questioning and heads away upstairs, leaving Paddy and Mandy to fear that things are getting worse. Vinny continues to give Kammy the cold shoulder. Vanessa tries to get through to Tracy, but Tracy’s not interested in her excuses.
EASTENDERS, BBC1, 7.30pm
Kat doesn’t feel any better following her conversation with Alfie and feels that he isn’t being completely honest with her. The drinks start flowing at Elaine’s divorce party. As the night gets steadily messier, Elaine shocks Linda by declaring that the Prosecco is on the house all night. Later, a tipsy Elaine offers to book Priya a singles cruise, saying she can pay her back later. Linda is then horrified to see £5k leave the business account and confronts Elaine.
CORONATION STREET, ITV1, 8pm
Glenda and Sean hand out leaflets advertising the Rovers’ Drag Night. Todd suggests to Theo they should go. When Debbie admits to Bernie that she finds it hard being in the same room as Ronnie, Bernie suggests they head to her hotel. Dee-Dee opens a letter stating that Laila is due for her vaccinations but when Michael tells her that James is in Leeds, she realises that she’ll have to take Laila herself. Kevin gets ready to leave for his chemo session.
While new shows are set to air this week, Soccer Aid also makes comeback to ITV with a multitude of familiar faces – from Tyson Fury to Jill Scott – taking part in the challenge.
Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell will host the newest series of Long Lost Family(Image: ITV)
Another week of TV lies ahead, with plenty of shows to keep everybody happy – from nail-biting dramas and hard-hitting documentaries to long-awaited favourites.
For Channel 4, on the other hand, Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox leaves no stone unturned as she explores some of Britain’s unresolved cases alongside Professor David Wilson in the third series of true crime show, In The Footsteps of Killers.
Ryan Reynolds narrates a light-hearted documentary about nature’s benchwarmers – from insects to amphibians(Image: National Geographic)
Underdogs
Monday, Disney+
Ryan Reynolds flips the script and pays tribute to the bottom of the food chain in this light-hearted documentary. Teaming up with National Geographic, the Deadpool star lifts the lid on the secret lives of nature’s benchwarmers, from slugs and insects to amphibians and fish.
Featuring a range of never-before-filmed scenes, each episode of this five-part series shines alight on their bizarre mating strategies, dubious parenting skills and even their most nauseating behaviours as it finally gives these overlooked superstars their well-deserved glory.
Old Trafford plays host to the world’s biggest celebrity charity match with Tyson Fury and Wayne Rooney set to co-manage England(Image: PA)
Soccer Aid for UNICEF
Sunday, ITV1
Old Trafford plays host to the world’s biggest celebrity charity match once again, as Soccer Aid for UNICEF returns for its 2025 showdown.
This year’s star-studded line-up sees the England team face off against the Soccer Aid XI FC in a match that’s as much about heart as it is about goals.
This chilling new crime thriller plunges us into Bolzano, Southern Tyrol, where Italian detective Paolo (played by Matteo Martari) is forced to face his past when a serial killer he once hunted – costing him a leg and his girlfriend – resurfaces after years in hiding, targeting German-speaking victims.
Caught up in a cold case that turns into an obsession, Paolo teams up with the sharp and ambitious assistant DA Eva Kofler (Elena Radonicich) as the pair navigate cultural divides, buried trauma and grisly secrets in this stylish, slow-burn nail-biter.
My Life is Murder
Tuesday, 9pm, U&Alibi
Lucy Lawless reprises her role as PI Alexa Crowe in the fourth season of this loveable crime drama from Down Under. When a wealthy socialite dies in suspicious circumstances, leaving her entire fortune to her cat, Alexa investigates a heady world of high society gossip.
Aided by tech guru Madison (Ebony Vagulans), cafe owner Reuben (Joe Naufahu), brother Will (Martin Henderson) and detective Harry (Rawiri Jobe), Alexa also comes face to face with new potential enemies with Bill Bailey and Rodger Corser making guest appearances.
Professor David Wilson and Emilia Fox return to screens to front the third season of In the Footsteps of Killers(Image: Channel 4)
In the Footsteps of Killers
Tuesday, C4
Emilia Fox (Silent Witness) returns alongside leading criminologist Professor David Wilson for the gripping third season of In the Footsteps of Killers. Each episode sees the pair reopen Britain’s most baffling unsolved murders – cold cases left gathering dust for decades.
Armed with cutting-edge forensic science and razor-sharp criminological insight, they retrace the victim’s final moments, challenge old assumptions, and uncover fresh leads the original investigations missed. It’s real-time justice in motion.
The Buccaneers return for a second season on Apple TV+(Image: Copyrighted)
The Buccaneers
Wednesday, Apple TV+
After invading the tightly corseted London of the 1870s, the American Buccaneers are fully settled in the second season of the eponymous show – in fact, they’re practically running the place.
Kristine Froseth, Josie Totah, Alisha Boe, Aubri Ibrag and Imogen Waterhouse all reprise their roles as the fun-loving American girls alongside Matthew Broome, Christina Hendricks and Guy Remmers.
Nan now has to navigate influence and power, while Jinny is thrown into the spotlight when she’s wanted for the kidnap of her unborn child. The girls wrestle everything from romance, jealousy and even death as they fight to be heard.
Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell meet new people to help them reconnect with their Long Lost Family(Image: ITV)
Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace
Wednesday, ITV
Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell return for the deeply moving seventh series of Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace. Across three captivating episodes, the team helps individuals who were abandoned as babies discover their biological roots using advanced DNA testing and archival detective work.
With the steady hand of social worker Ariel Bruce, stories unfold that span continents and decades. Heartbreaking yet hopeful, this series remains a tribute to resilience, identity and the enduring human need to belong.
Outrageous is a thrilling look at the lives of the Mitford sisters(Image: KEVIN BAKER)
Outrageous
Thursday, 9pm, U&Drama
Scandal and ideology explode in Outrageous, a darkly-elegant period drama based on the real-life Mitford sisters. At the centre is Susan (Bessie Carter), a whip-smart journalist whose literary voice clashes with the rising fascism of 1930s Britain.
Meanwhile, her sisters fall under the spell of dangerous men: Diana (Joanna Vanderham) is seduced by Oswald Mosley while Unity (Shannon Watson) becomes shockingly smitten with Adolf Hitler. As the world teeters on war, family bonds are pushed to their limits in this gripping tale of loyalty, betrayal and legacy.
Prost
Thursday, BBC4
Four-time World Champion, winner of 51 Grands Prix and F1 legend Alain Prost looks back on his lifelong career, spanning throughout more than four decades in this enlightening six-part series.
From his childhood passion for karting and the ranks to Formula 3 to his triumphs and losses, this show also delves deep into Alain’s iconic rivalry with teammate Ayrton Senna – who eventually became an unexpected friend.
Phyllis Logan stars as Cora Felton in Murder Most Puzzling
Murder Most Puzzling
Thursday, C5
Downton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan swaps stately homes for sleuthing in this charming new six-part crime drama. As Cora Felton, a sassy, wine-loving crossword columnist with a sharp tongue and even sharper mind, she’s unexpectedly drawn into a murder investigation when a teenage girl is found dead – and a bizarre crossword clue is left by the body.
Teaming up with the reluctant DCI Hooper (Adam Best), Cora becomes the police’s wildcard, solving puzzles and crossing lines in equal measure. Think Miss Marple and Ludwig – but with extra sass.
Corsica: Jewel of the Med
Friday, 5
With 600 miles of stunning coastline, Corsica is known as the island of beauty. Now, for 5, this show delves deep into the nation’s lush green forests and majestic mountains and its rich history blending both Italian and French heritage.
The journey takes viewers from Bastia, a foodie paradise on the northeast coast of the island, to its capital, Ajaccio, among the west coast’s thriving hillsides – the birthplace of one of the world’s most famous military leaders, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Isle of Wight Festival
Friday, Sky
The party kicks off at Seaclose Park with an access-all-areas backstage pass to the summer’s hottest ticket, The Isle of Wight festival 2025.
From the incomparable Sting to the legendary Stereophonics, household names take to the main stage – but that’s not all viewers can expect.
From Deal or No Deal to rural New Zealand, Noel Edmonds has made the ultimate career pivot – and now, he’s inviting viewers along for the ride.
Having ditched UK fame for a new life in the remote village of Ngatimoti, Noel’s now embarking on a bold eco-project: creating the country’s first ever energy garden.
But with unrelenting weather, cultural clashes and a community slow to warm up, it’s no easy ride. Can he make his Kiwi dream grow – or will it wilt?
