Tess Daly

Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is an English television presenter and former model. She is best known for co-presenting the BBC One dancing competition show Strictly Come Dancing (2004–2025). She announced on 23 October 2025, that she would be leaving the show after 21 years, at the end of the current series and the recording of the Christmas Special.

Early life Helen Elizabeth Daly was born on 29 March 1969 in Stockport, Cheshire to textile-factory workers Felix James "Vivian" Daly (1932–2003), who died of emphysema, and Sylvia ( Bradley). She grew up in Birch Vale near New Mills, Derbyshire and attended Hayfield Primary School followed by New Mills Secondary School, where she gained nine O-levels. She has a younger sister, Karen. Daly is of English and Irish descent.

Career Modelling Daly was scouted outside a McDonald's restaurant while waiting for her sister in Manchester. Her first agency already had a "Helen Daly", so she chose to professionally go by the first name of "Tess" rather than her real name.

Six weeks after she turned 18 she undertook her first professional modelling job in Tokyo.

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

Television

While Daly was 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 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.

In 2003, Daly replaced Ulrika Jonsson as presenter of ITV makeover show Home On Their Own, a show where children made their choice of alterations to their house during the course of a weekend, while their parents went on holiday. Some of the home improvements included an Austin Powers room, individual doorbells for the children and a cinema living room.

Daly co-presented BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2025. She initially co-hosted the programme with Bruce Forsyth until he left the show in 2013; from 2014 she co-hosted with Claudia Winkleman. Daly missed the first half of the second series because she had recently given birth to her first daughter. Natasha Kaplinsky, the winner of the previous series, took her place for these episodes. In October 2025, Daly and Winkleman announced that they would leave the show following the conclusion of the latest series and the 2025 Christmas special.

In January 2007, Daly and her husband Vernon Kay 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. From 2008 to 2019, Daly co-presented the BBC telethon Children in Need alongside 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 2019, she played an unnamed character who hosts fictional TV show The Spotlight, in the CBBC drama, Almost Never.

Other work 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.

In 2013, she became the new face of L'Oréal. In December 2017, Daly became the new face of Vitabiotics' Wellwoman supplement brand. She is the co-founder, with former swimwear model Gayle Lawton, of the swimwear brand Naia Beach.

Personal life Daly married DJ and television presenter Vernon Kay on 12 September 2003 at St Mary's Catholic Church in Horwich, near Bolton. They have two daughters, born in 2004 and 2009, and have lived in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. In May 2026, Daly and Kay announced on Instagram that they had separated.

Daly was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.

Filmography Television

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)