Begin Again with Davina McCall
How To Date Again (Without Losing Yourself): Begin Again Moments
15 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What emotional challenges do people face when dating in midlife?
What I'm interested in is like dating in midlife is really, really hard, I think. Because men don't stay single. I think for about three minutes, the really good ones, you think, oh my God, where have they all gone? Whereas women are so happy to stay on their own for ages. And also as someone famous, how do you do that?
How do you date? I try to not worry about being famous just in life in general because I don't think it's that healthy. Do you? No, but like, isn't it, can you go on dating apps? I did. Did you? Yeah, I don't like them. I've written an article about it if anyone's more interested in the deep of thoughts. But I, yeah, with the fame thing, I just, it's not good for me or healthy for anyone if I
get worried about it or become paranoid or whatever. Like, I can't do that. It's good for my kids or anything. So I just sort of go, everyone else who's worried about it, that's their thing, but I'm not. So I just carry on. I get on the bus sometimes. Oh, yeah, I do that. I go to the supermarket, whatever.
I do all of that.
I'm not bothered. And the same, I went on a date.
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Chapter 2: How can dating apps affect your dating experience?
It makes you quite vulnerable. Yeah, I mean, that's amazing. But I don't really, I didn't look at anyone's messages that directly messaged me. I just looked at people that I'd liked so it was a match. I didn't like read anything, appeals. Right. Because they all start with, I'm a big fan of your music. What? Definitely don't want to date someone who's a fan of my music.
I only like people who think it's rubbish. But, yeah, so I did that. And I don't think my experience of dating apps is much different to anybody else's because I'm famous. But I think it's a melting pot of damaged and, you know, resolved people. And I also think that a lot of men on there go on there for like an ego boost.
Yeah.
and use it like a really free way to get sex without attachment. So you've got to be careful on there. And I think maybe I was a bit naive when I did it at first. How long ago did you do it? Well, I've done it a couple of times, gone on and off, like people I go love-hate relationship with it. It started when I was just feeling like I was in that baby jail phase.
Because when I broke up with my ex, the baby was quite young. So when they were about one... I went on it because you're always at home with the baby and they're putting them to bed and sitting next to the cot and all of that stuff. And you're just like, what am I going to do? I'll just... Yes, okay, like just scrolling.
Ironically, I'd done that in a music video before I'd even broke up with my ex. I did a scene with a baby sat next to me. Oh, my God. Swiping. And it was like a prophecy. Oh, my God. It was a kind of joke at the time and then I was like, the joke's become real. The joke's on me. Yeah. But yeah, I just did it as kind of to fill the time waiting for the kids to go to sleep sort of thing.
But I didn't do it in a serious way. But then I met some people and... Everyone's really damaged and I don't know. I don't have any answers. I don't think I would go on it again. I have deleted them all. I don't think they're of interest to me. I think that I've got too much depth for the people I met on there.
I do have this feeling to sort of be beginning again, but I have this feeling that now I'm having another life
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Chapter 3: What should you consider before using dating apps in your 40s?
And I've started it. And that's scary and all those things. But what I love about the person I am today that I wasn't when I was 21, starting adulthood, is that I know what I like. I know how to say no to things I don't like. And I'm really kind of...
empowered by it like I feel sexier than I ever was I feel like you know more silly I feel more immature almost like in a but then I've got all the important practical things covered in a really mature way like you know the house is in order the kids have dropped at the right time they're albeit a bit late sometimes
But like, yeah, I, you know, I feel that's all taken care of, but now it's the beginning of a new life.
Typically in our 20s and 30s, we have a lower priority list because you're trying to work things out. As we go up to our 40s, kind of mid 40s, at this point, we begin to have the highest checklist.
Right, the longest. The longest checklist.
But then as we get older, the checklist goes down and down and down.
So you said something earlier about guys looking for somebody half their age plus seven and women looking for somebody older. How are we ever going to meet each other in our 50s, if that's the case? Oh, 40s, 40s, 50s, in midlife.
Yeah. Well, one is, that's the old, slowly going away. Has it gone away? No. But that's one. That's one. Secondly, on an upside, is there are more people in the 50-plus dating market looking for partners than ever before. Ever before.
I mean, half of me is quite sad about that. But half of me is quite happy because for the 50 and 40-year-olds, like, well done.
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