Everything Davina McCall does for glossy hair - by the man who styles it

She’s known for her sleek, shoulder-length brunette locks, which have been a style staple on our screens for years - so it might surprise you that Davina McCall's hair doesn't always behave. It actually has a fuzzy, coarse texture - and she's been grey since her mid-20s. Indeed, it takes some clever tricks to keep 56-year-old TV presenter's hair looking so glossy.

And who better to know her hair secrets, than her long-time stylist - and now partner - Michael Douglas, 48. The pair got together in 2019, following her divorce from Matthew Robertson, with whom she has three children, and they also run a weekly podcast together called Making The Cut which they describe as being like Trip Advisor for your life.

But Michael has been styling her hair for more than two decades, ever since her days presenting Big Brother. “Now we’re together, she always says I don’t have to do her hair, because I do it all day for other people - but I love it!”, laughs Michael, who I meet at his studio in Soho. “If she’s filming, I’ll blow-dry her hair before I go to work because it’s a nice thing to do”. He says there isn’t always budget for hair and make-up on certain TV shows, so he enjoys helping her out at home.

The celebrity hairdresser has been in the industry for 35 years, styling the likes of Sienna Miller, to Dawn French, Holly Willoughby and Kate Moss, as well as Davina. But his big passion is helping people feel their best, through their hair. This inspired him to launch MD London, after lockdown: a range of DIY styling tools, including a revolutionary lightweight hairdryer, and handy tips, to empower people to get salon-style hair at home. His MD London  Strait straighteners, £108.99, impressed our judges so much they won gold in our 2023 GTG Beauty Awards. Now, he’s working with OGX on its new, affordable Rescue Fusions collection, and of course Davina's a fan too. 

So, onto the burning questions, Does Davina McCall really dye her own hair? What colour hair dye does she use? And how often does she do it? We find out what really goes on behind closed doors…

5 midlife haircare hacks Davina McCall swears by:

1. She dyes her own hair

Davina has been dying her own hair at home, ever since she started going grey at 25. “People don’t believe it, but I know it’s true because I’ve been doing her hair for so long - she doesn’t let me do it!”, says Michael. She swears by Garnier Nutrisse 5 Brown Permanent Hair Dye, £8, and tops up her roots every four to five weeks. According to him, she likes the speediness of it: it only takes her 20 minutes and she puts it on while she’s getting on with work. He adds, “It’s actually very easy to do a block colour like this at home: a low-maintenance way of dying your hair when you start going grey”. (If you do decide to embrace the grey, though, he recommends keeping your hair longer, for a more youthful look.)

2. She only washes her hair every 5 days

Michael describes Davina’s hair as “very coarse and naturally wavy underneath, but straighter on top.” As a result, he’s constantly trying to encourage her to wash her hair less often, because it produces more natural oil, which can help fight frizziness. “She washes her hair every four to five days where possible. I struggled to convince her at first, but we find that it moves through to a more oily and hydrated phase, by day five”, he explains.

When she does wash her hair, she uses OGX Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner, £13.98 for both, as they’re super moisturising, helping to keep her hair shiny and prolong the colour.

In between washes, he likes to style her hair into a soft braid or a messy beehive - really, anything that can show off her fringe. And, in general, he recommends a five-day regime to prolong the look: get your blow-dry on Monday, loosely tong it on Tuesday, try a loose up-do on Wednesday, a braid or ponytail by Thursday, and a bun on Fridays. If it needs reviving, he prefers to use a dry shampoo powder on Davina’s hair, as it tends to be less harsh than a spray.

3. She takes HRT and drinks protein shakes to help with hair thinning

Since going through menopause, Davina has suffered from hair thinning - which Michael explains is all to do with the decline of oestrogen, which reduces hair growth and shrinks the hair follicles. So, she takes HRT, which he says is one of the best ways to tackle the root causes of thinning. You can read more about her exact HRT hormone replacement regime here. (He recommends taking topical Minoxidil if you’re struggling, too: an over-the-counter ingredient, it helps to reactivate follicles with proven results).

Davina also takes protein powder, to help with hair growth (as hair is made up of proteins) - her favourite is her own Protein+ Focus and Protein+ Relax, both £34.99, a collaboration which she released with Foodspring last year. Michael also suggests collagen supplements, and getting plenty of protein into your diet - we need about 55g a day, for healthy hair: chicken and egg are great sources, but Davina also loves a protein-packed and smart carb salmon recipe.

Michael advises doing a regular scalp mask, too, like Centred En Root Scalp Oil, £36: he says that ingredients like salicylic acid can do wonders to reduce product build-up, keep the skin healthy and stimulate hair growth.

4. She has an anti-ageing (concave) fringe

For the last ten years, Davina has also had a fringe: he explains, “a concave fringe [like hers] is a good all-rounder as it suits most people - and is especially flattering if you have crow’s feet!” He trims it every fortnight. (And he has plenty of video tutorials on Instagram, which you can use to do the same at home.) 

“She’ll say, you haven’t cut my hair for ages!” Which reminds him to do it, and he trims it properly every three months. She likes to keep it longer, but it thickens the ends by giving it a regular cut.

5. She has a frizz-fighting blow-dry

Before blow-drying Davina’s hair, he applies a hydrating OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Hair Mask, £9.95, to “get rid of the fuzzy texture”. Then he spritzes on Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, £27, which helps to create that trademark shiny, glossy finish to Davina’s hair. He also uses Arkive Blow Dry Spray, £13, for adding extra hold. She loves his own hairdryer, MDLondon Blow, £195, and the Radial 2 Brush, £19, which he uses for her blow-dry. The key he says, is always to keep the brush in for ten seconds before removing, to make sure it cools and sets the shape properly.

Recently, though, Davina’s been learning how to blow-dry her own hair, so she can do it when he’s not around - check out their step-by-step blow-dry video tutorial.

OGX’s Rescue Fusions collection is available now in Boots, from £12.