Yep - that is certainly one interpretation. Another is that she has become a key element to a format that has been a major success. Is the success her's or the format's?
Davina's work outside BB and CBB has been far less of a success - so is it the format, or her?
Personally I think it is a combination of the two (she's sort of symbiotic with the format - a bit like Ant'n'Dec with I'm a Celebrity and BGT/Pop Idol) - and you can't argue that she's done well to stay on-screen for such a long period. Both CBB and BB have long runs, so she has remained a presence in the consciousness of the viewing public (or a section of it) for a long time, in a way that other female presenters (Kate Thornton anybody?) have failed to do.
I do wonder what she'll do after BB/CBB - though she doesn't need to do much at all I guess?
The success of the show is probably not down to Davina but she has become a massive part of it so it would probably fail in its current form without her. But she has had lots of success outside of Big Brother- its just, as I said, that people dwell on the shows that have failed. Her only real failures have been her chat show, 'He's Having A Baby' and 'Love on a Saturday Night'.
She has her new show on Sky and she has moved to James Grant who is a good agent, so I guess she'll manage to get a few more shows. Probably nothing as prominent as Big Brother but it will probably be work non the less. If its true that she turned down This Morning then that was probably a bit of a silly idea.
There's clearly a couple of distinct BB "experiences" to be had.
The launch is just not enjoyable to me. The bullet-pointed housemate intro VTs make everyone look rather loathsome and one dimensional; not to mention the squirmy discomfort of seeing them all meet and make small-talk for the first time. I tend to read their bios on Digital Spy and wait til the next episode.
Davina, it seems, knows little or nothing about the housemates either - but adds her trademark gusto and excitement to the information on her crib-sheet. She loves every one of them, but I find myself sneering at the whole show.
Similarly, the eviction shows turn me off. The interviews are mostly glib and facile, with an obnoxious noisy audience booing or cheering accordingly - but Davina is the queen of being super-ingratiating - so its not bad telly - just not my cup of tea.
I prefer the daily show.
Putting aside Marcus' inane audio descriptions, for me its all about the housemates and the edit. What you hear in the diary room and see from select minutes of the day, that's where you learn if you really loath or like them.
And consider voting for them.
I get that the wider BB experience involves Davina and the spin offs, and for that I agree she's probably pivotal in making it event television for all these years.
I don't think people are tired of the event, just the participants being clone like in their "type" and lack of depth.
If you don't cast the house properly then you won't carry an audience for the huge run ahead.
That's why CBB is better - successful people in the entertainment industry are, largely, very personable, interesting and/or likeable. That's de rigueur when your job is selling yourself.
But people like that exist in all walks of life - BB just doesn't pick them.