As Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly announces her shock departure from the BBC show, we look at her life off-screen, and she’s got one of the longest marriages in showbiz
Behind the glitz and glamour that comes with being a well-known TV presenter, you may be forgiven for thinking Tess Daly and Vernon Kay enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
But while they have a nice lifestyle thanks to their hard work – Tess says she loves nothing more than spending time with the family at their sprawling six-bedroom Buckinghamshire property which they share with their two daughters and pet dogs.
Their impressive countryside home comes complete with a huge conservatory kitchen, a marble bathroom, a swimming pool, gym and a large garden where their two Shetland ponies Honey and Will live.
Tess and
Claudia Winkleman shockingly announced
they were both leaving Strictly Come Dancing this week, and in a past interview Tess said she loved being at home.
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She told Hello!: “It’s nice to have a bit of time to do ordinary things like the school run, baking with the kids after school, helping them with their homework. I live for that stuff, it’s my number one role as a mum. Vernon’s also a brilliant dad. He’s there at the netball matches, cheering on, and we never miss a concert. I’m very aware that you don’t get these precious times back.”
And the couple do their best to keep their daughters grounded. Back in 2022, Vernon told MailOnline: “We let them be independent when it comes to them and their futures because it’s important that you allow them to find themselves, which is character building and personality development.”
In 2021, Tess said she had done her best to shield her daughters from the spotlight. She said: “They are so grounded they know the value of everything. It is everything for us. They have good morals and respect others. It’s everything. They build their self-esteem via you. It is so important to us to keep them grounded. It has never been about us at home – it is about them and their lives and us at a family. Phoebe didn’t even know I worked on TV until she was about seven!”
“She had no idea until she saw me once and said “there’s my mum!” She just thought I went to work on a Saturday because to them it is work,” Tess added. “Of course they thoroughly enjoy it and they loved watching their dad on I’m A Celeb, they love Strictly – but it is part of what we do and it doesn’t define who we are to them.
“We’re just mum and dad. It’s really important for me that I don’t take away my children’s work ethic and their chance to find their own role in life by overshadowing them with your own. It is important they learn to find their own way. It is not about us and ego has no place in our house. They are good, hard-working girls and we’re really proud of them. They’re growing up!”
Tess and Vernon have been married for more than 20 years and say they try to “keep the fire burning” in order to ensure their marriage is a happy and successful one. The couple first set eyes on each other at a BBC Christmas party in 2001. They had both moved from modelling careers into TV presenting, and Tess once admitted that the initial spark was intense and immediate.
In 2002, Vernon proposed to Tess at her parents’ home in Stockport. Then in 2003 the pair tied the knot in Vernon’s home town of Horwich, Bolton. The pair welcomed their first daughter Phoebe into the world in 2004 and in 2009, Tess gave birth to Amber.
But their relationship hasn’t been without its challenges and in 2010 the couple faced a scandal that threatened to tear their marriage apart. With two young daughters at home, it was revealed that Vernon had been sending risqué messages to four women, including glamour model Rhian Sugden. Tess was understandably devastated by the shocking revelation, which led to numerous apologies from her husband as he fought to save their relationship.
In a candid interview with The Sun at the time, he admitted: “Tess is extremely upset about this and we’re working through it. I’ve been stupid and daft but I’m not a sex pest. I’ve only done this with four or five girls and I’ve known them all well – they’ve been friends or work colleagues. I know a single guy can get away with things like that but I’m married and I understand this is off limits.”
After the bombshell revelations, the pair managed to put the scandal behind them and rebuild their relationship. While Tess remained silent on the reports at the time, she later confessed in 2017 that marriages are a ‘work in progress’. In 2015, Vernon secretly organised for the couple to renew their vows during a getaway to the South of France. And during an interview with Women’s Health in 2020, Tess sweetly shared: “We’re soulmates, me and Vernon. It’s been a ride. And I love him more than ever.”
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