Davina McCall says she was 'frightened' by her 'hard-nosed' TV co-host

Davina McCall has opened up about initially feeling "frightened" of her "knowledgeable" co-host.

Speaking to My Weekly, the well-loved television figure admitted she found her Long Lost Family colleague quite intimidating at the start, describing him as "clever" and "hard-nosed".

At 56, having graced our screens on hits like Big Brother and The Million Pound Drop Live, Davina didn't hold back on her thoughts regarding her presenting partner.

She heaped praise on his knowledge: "Nicky Campbell (Long Lost Family co-presenter) is so clever, well-read and knowledgeable. He frightened me a bit when we met."

But it wasn't just his intellect that struck her; his dual nature captured her attention too: "There's something sweet and innocent about Nicky. He's this hard-nosed journalist but he's so soft."

A staple in British broadcasting, Campbell, 63, partners with Davina on the moving ITV programme, which has entered its heart-tugging 14th season.

In a conversation with Alex Jones and Lauren Laverne on The One Show back in July, Campbell got personal about how Long Lost Family moves him.

It left him an "emotional mess very often" post-filming, and he also said there were instances where he couldn't help but cry while speaking to people, reports the Mirror.

Davina McCall, who presents the show, "lets it all out" when she returns home, according to her co-star.

Campbell added that his own tearful moments had "thankfully" been cut from the show.

Fans praised the series on X, formerly Twitter, with one writing: "Long Lost Family has to be one of the most valuable programmes ever: its impact on families is enormous."

The opening episode followed the story of a birth mother who hadn't seen her daughter in more than six decades.

It saw Roslyn Webb, who had to give up her baby for adoption after becoming pregnant at 16, being reunited with her child.

Long Lost Family is available to watch on Mondays at 9pm on ITV and also on ITVX.