Davina McCall has been married for 17 years making her union with travel entrepreneur Matthew Robinson, 48, one of the steadiest in UK showbiz.
Now the presenter has revealed the simple trick that keeps her marriage alive and all it takes is half an hour with an egg timer once a month
According to Red magazine, Davina’s technique is a way for couples to talk to each other and feel heard without the interruptions that lead to arguments.
‘You get an egg timer and you each take three minutes to say how you’re feeling,’ she explained. ‘The other person is not allowed to interrupt, to shout, to argue, to get up.
‘They just have to sit and listen and try not to think only about what they’re going to come back with. Then they get to reply in their three minutes.’
This carries on back and forth until the 30 minutes is up. And if you run out of things to say during your three minute slot, the other person still has to sit in silence in case you think of something else you want to raise.
Davina McCall, 50, says and egg timer communication trick helps to keep her marriage to entrepreneur Matthew Robertson, 48, on track
‘What’s interesting about the egg timer trick is that you take the time to really understand how the other person is feeling,’ she said.
‘Then, the best place to get to, which we do usually get to with the egg timer, is where we’ll actually say, ‘I’m sorry about that.’ Mutual apology is amazing.’
Davina has openly admitted to attending marriage counselling with Matthew in the past, but says her egg timer trick is also an effective ‘relationship top up’.
Previously, she provoked controversy by suggesting that women should maintain an active sex life with their husbands if they don’t want them to stray, admitting she makes an effort to wear matching lingerie.
The presenter explained that each person gets a three minute slot to speak without interruption, which goes back and forth until the timer runs out
Matthew has strong views on underwear,’ she told The Telegraph, adding: ‘You must keep your husband satisfied in the bedroom department, even if you’re absolutely exhausted. Otherwise he will go somewhere else.’
After facing a Twitter backlash, she posted a response on her website.
She wrote: ‘Argggghhhhhh! I’ve got myself in a controversy!!!! In the paper this weekend I talked about a couple of things that I would like to explain further…
‘Firstly, I do like to wear matching underwear… no biggy… I don’t do it for Matthew… I do it for me.’
Davina openly admits that she and Matthew have had marriage counselling in the past
She added: ‘If I want to feel hot and sexy I wear nice undies… if I’m at work, and for practicality, I wear really boring ones… but always matching.
‘Right, next… my husband…I do not submit to my husband, nor does he submit to me. My mum said, to keep your man happy, stay intimate.
‘Sometimes, especially when the kids were very young and I was super tired, this was the last thing on my mind… has he ever coerced or pressured me? NO!!! But have I ever started feeling tired and finished feeling very happy? Yes!!’
The fitness fanatic previously said that keeping intimacy alive is crucial in a marriage
She previously told the Mail On Sunday that their relationship has been her greatest achievement.
She said: ‘For any man to be married to a famous woman, it doesn’t matter what you do or where you are in life, it’s a big ask.
‘And also for my husband to have endured quite a few years of being called Mr McCall when his name is Mr Robertson – that is a kick in the nuts.’