Tess Daly

Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 27 April 1969) is an English model and television presenter, best known for co-presenting the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing since 2004.

She is married to television and radio presenter Vernon Kay.

Early life

Daly was born on 27 April 1969 in Stockport, Cheshire, to Vivian (1932–2003), who died of emphysema, and Sylvia Daly and grew up in Birch Vale near New Mills, Derbyshire. She attended Hayfield Primary School and New Mills Secondary School, where she gained 9 O-levels. She has a younger sister, Karen.

Career

Modelling

Scouted outside a McDonald's restaurant while waiting for her sister in Manchester, six weeks after she turned 18 she undertook her first professional modelling job in Tokyo. After a series of work assignments across Asia and Europe while based in London, she was based in Paris for five years. She then returned to London for six months, before moving to New York for work for five years.

In 1990, Daly appeared in two Duran Duran videos for the songs "Serious" and "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)", both from the album Liberty. She also appeared nude in the video for The Beloved's 1993 song "Sweet Harmony".

She was later the face of lingerie company La Senza in the UK and appeared in their Steal the Show Christmas 2009 campaign.

Television

While living on the Lower East Side in New York City, a friend who arranged red carpet events suggested that she interview the celebrity attendees. After buying a video camera, Daly's first interview was with New York-based Quentin Crisp, author of The Naked Civil Servant, who became a lifelong friend until his death. After a few red carpet interviews, in 2000, she sent a showreel to the producers of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast, who immediately contracted her to host the Find Me a Model competition. Since then, she has presented shows including Get Your Kit Off, Singled Out, Smash Hits TV, SMTV Live, Back To Reality and the first series of Make Me a Supermodel with Dave Berry.

Daly has co-presented BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing since 2004. She initially co-hosted the programme with Bruce Forsyth; since 2014 she co-hosts with Claudia Winkleman. Daly missed a couple of episodes in the second series because she was pregnant with her first daughter. Natasha Kaplinsky took her place for these episodes.

In January 2007, Kay and Daly co-presented the second series of Just the Two of Us on BBC One.

Daly has also hosted This Time Tomorrow and the National Lottery show broadcast on BBC One. Since 2008, Daly has presented the BBC telethon Children in Need with Terry Wogan and Fearne Cotton. She also won the special Children in Need version of Strictly Come Dancing against Terry Wogan, where she was partnered with Anton du Beke. On 17 December 2008, Daly co-hosted the Royal Variety Performance.

In November 2013, Daly guest-presented an episode of The One Show alongside Matt Baker. In early 2015, she co-hosted Strictly Come Dancing charity spin-off The People's Strictly for Comic Relief for BBC One. In 2015, Daly co-hosted Being Mum, a new show for AOL alongside Rochelle Humes.

Writing

In 2011, Daly's first novel, The Camera Never Lies, a tale of love behind the scenes, was published by Coronet, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton. It's Up to You New York, Daly's second book, was published in 2013.

Other work

In 2013, she became the new face of L'Oréal.

Personal life

Daly married DJ and TV presenter Vernon Kay on 12 September 2003, at St Mary's Catholic Church in Horwich, near Bolton. The couple have two daughters, the first born in Westminster, London, on 17 October 2004, the second born on 30 May 2009, also in London. Daly and Kay live in Fulmer, Buckinghamshire.

Filmography

Television