ABSTRACT GW190814 was reported during LIGO’s and Virgo’s third observing run with the most asymmetric component masses (an ∼23 M⊙ black hole and an ∼2.6 M⊙ compact object). Under the assumption that this event is a binary black hole (BBH) merger formed through the isolated binary evolution channel, we reanalyse the publicly released data of GW190814 with the modified astrophysical priors on the effective spin χeff, and further explore its formation history using detailed binary modelling. We show that GW190814 is likely to have been formed through the classical common envelope channel. Our findings show that the properties inferred using the modified astrophysical priors are consistent with those inferred by the uniform priors. With the newly inferred properties of GW190814, we perform detailed binary evolution of the immediate progenitor of the BBH (namely a close binary system composed of a BH and a helium star) in a large parameter space, taking into account mass-loss, internal differential rotation, supernova kicks, and tidal interactions between the helium star and the BH companion. Our findings show that GW190814-like events could be formed in limited initial conditions just after the common envelope phase: an ∼23 M⊙ BH and a helium star of MZamsHe ∼ 8.5 M⊙ at solar metallicity (∼ 7.5 M⊙ at 10 per cent solar metallicity) with an initial orbital period at around 1.0 d. Additionally, the inferred low spin of the secondary indicates that the required metallicity for reproducing GW190814-like events should not be too low (e.g. Z ≳ 0.1 Z⊙).