Tess Daly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tess Daly MBE
Daly in 2009
Born	Helen Elizabeth Daly (1969-03-29) 29 March 1969 (age 56) Stockport, Cheshire, England
Education	New Mills School
Occupation	Television presenter model
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Vernon Kay ​ (m. 2003)​
Children	2

Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is a famous English television presenter and former model. She is best known for co-hosting the popular BBC One dancing show Strictly Come Dancing since 2004.

Early Life and Background

Tess Daly was born Helen Elizabeth Daly on 29 March 1969 in Stockport, Cheshire, England. Her parents worked in a textile factory. She grew up in a place called Birch Vale in Derbyshire.

Tess went to Hayfield Primary School and then New Mills Secondary School. She did very well in school, earning nine O-levels. She also has a younger sister named Karen. Tess has both English and Irish family roots.

Career Highlights

Becoming a Model

Tess Daly started her career as a model. She was discovered outside a McDonald's restaurant in Manchester when she was waiting for her sister. When she began modelling, there was already another model named Helen Daly. So, she was asked to pick a new name. Her agent suggested "Tess" after a film called Tess. Tess later said she was young and easily influenced at the time.

Just six weeks after her 18th birthday, Tess got her first professional modelling job in Tokyo, Japan. She worked in many places across Asia and Europe, living in London for a while. Then, she moved to Paris for five years, followed by five years in New York City.

In the 1990s, Tess appeared in music videos for famous bands. She was in two Duran Duran videos for their songs "Serious" and "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)". She also appeared in the video for The Beloved's song "Sweet Harmony". Later, she became the face of Danone Shape yogurt and also modelled for the lingerie company La Senza in the UK.

Moving to Television

Tess Daly at the 2008 BAFTA Awards

While Tess was living in New York City, a friend suggested she try interviewing celebrities at special events. She bought a video camera and her first interview was with an author named Quentin Crisp.

In 2000, Tess sent a video of her interviews to the producers of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. They quickly hired her to host a competition called Find Me a Model. After that, she presented many other TV shows. These included Get Your Kit Off, Singled Out, Smash Hits TV, SMTV Live, and Back To Reality.

In 2003, Tess took over from Ulrika Jonsson as the presenter of Home On Their Own on ITV. This show let children make changes to their house while their parents were away. Some kids created fun rooms like an Austin Powers themed room or a cinema living room.

Strictly Come Dancing

Tess Daly has been a co-presenter of BBC One's hugely popular show Strictly Come Dancing since 2004. She first hosted the show with Bruce Forsyth. When he left in 2013, Claudia Winkleman joined her as co-host in 2014. Tess missed the first part of the second series because she had just had her first daughter. Natasha Kaplinsky, who won the previous series, filled in for her.

Other TV Shows

In January 2007, Tess and her husband, Vernon Kay, co-presented the second series of Just the Two of Us on BBC One. Tess has also hosted This Time Tomorrow and the National Lottery show.

From 2008 to 2019, Tess co-presented the annual BBC charity event Children in Need. She even won a special Children in Need version of Strictly Come Dancing herself, dancing with Anton du Beke. In December 2008, Tess also co-hosted the Royal Variety Performance.

In November 2013, Tess was a guest presenter on an episode of The One Show. In 2015, she co-hosted The People's Strictly for Comic Relief, another charity spin-off of Strictly Come Dancing. She also co-hosted a show called Being Mum for AOL. In 2019, she appeared in the CBBC drama Almost Never, playing a TV show host.

Other Projects

In 2011, Tess Daly wrote her first novel, The Camera Never Lies. It was a story about love behind the scenes. Her second book, It's Up to You New York, was published in 2013.

In 2013, she became the new face of the beauty brand L'Oréal. In 2017, Tess became the face of Vitabiotics' Wellwoman supplement brand. She is also the co-founder of a swimwear brand called Naia Beach, which she started with former model Gayle Lawton.

Personal Life

Tess Daly married DJ and television presenter Vernon Kay on 12 September 2003. Their wedding took place at St Mary's Catholic Church in Horwich, near Bolton. They have two daughters, who were born in 2004 and 2008. The family lives in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

Tess Daly was recognized for her work in broadcasting and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours.

Television Appearances

Guest appearances

• Shooting Stars (2002, 2011)
• Bo' Selecta! (2002)
• Davina (2006)
• The Paul O'Grady Show (2007)
• Celebrity Juice (2012, 2014)
• Would I Lie to You? (2012)
• 8 Out of 10 Cats (2012, 2013)
• That Puppet Game Show (2013)
• Alan Carr: Chatty Man (2013)
• The Guess List (2014)
• Celebrity Squares (2015)
• Through the Keyhole (2015)
• Game of Talents (2021)
• RuPaul's Drag Race UK (2022)

See also

In Spanish: Tess Daly para niños