Tess Daly and Vernon Kay’s split has been called “showbiz’s friendliest divorce” as they enter negotiations to divide their £6million fortune after 22 years of marriage
Tess Daly and Vernon Kay‘s divorce is said to be the “friendliest” in showbiz, as sources say that they have “kept it classy” amid preparations to split their £6million fortune.
The pair announced their split earlier this month. Having been married for 22 years, they shared a joint statement where they said that they “amicably” decided to divorce. The BBC stars, who have two daughters together, said: “After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably.
“This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire for what is best for both of us. We remain great friends and most importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.
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“There are no other parties involved in this decision. We kindly ask for privacy during this time as we navigate this transition together. We will not be making any further public comments. Tess and Vernon.”
Now, a source has told the Daily Mail that the couple “won’t need to battle” over their fortune and that their divorce will be “straight-forward”. They said both Vernon and Tess have been “clever” with their big BBC incomes and are individually well-off, meaning they don’t need to fight over who gets what.
“Compared to the majority of showbiz splits, this is rather straight-forward,” they said. Vernon is thought to be being paid £395,000 for his job on BBC Radio 2, making him one of the highest paid presenters there. Meanwhile, whilst she was the co-host of Strictly Come Dancing, Tess was said to be being paid around £400,000, which was added to by the income from her swimwear brand NAIA Beach.
The pair also share a five bedroom Buckinghamshire home, which is estimated to be worth £3million, after they bought it in 2004 for £1.18million. The property boasts a pool, gym, open plan conservatory kitchen and a dressing room, as well as room outdoors to house Tess’ Shetland ponies, Honey and Willow.
Vernon also owns a home in Bolton that he bought in 2001 for £110,000 and is thought to be worth £370,000 now. The former couple have shared business interests too, with both Vernon and Tess in control of 21TV Limited, which has over £730,000 in assets.
Also speaking to the Mail, David Lister, a divorce lawyer for Vardags, a firm that specialises in splits involving media stars, said that if their incomes were drastically different, it might cause a problem. But because they are both self-sufficient and earn similar amounts, that should “reduce acrimony” in the division of assets.
He added: “Cases like this are good to deal with because there is no imbalance and there is no real ability to hide assets because the paperwork should be readily available due to them having agents and their employer being the BBC.”
David, who has been a divorce lawyer for 39 years, also said he thought the divorce had “all the aspects of an elegant resolution” and would be a “good case to act on”.
Vernon and Tess started dating in 2001 and got engaged the following year. Speaking to the Telegraph about the first time they met, Vernon said: “She didn’t know anyone except me because we’d worked together that day – she spotted me in a crowd and we had a laugh. I was instantly attracted by how independent Tess was, and that’s not changed at all.”
Since getting married in September 2003, the pair have been seen as one of the strongest couples in showbiz, barring one instance where Vernon found to be “sexting” model Rhian Sugden in 2010 and his later admission that he’d been flirting with “four or five” women over the phone at the same time. He said on air at the time: “I’ve let down my wife Tess. I’m an idiot. I’ve been stupid and daft but I’m not a sex pest.”
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