Vernon Kay has paid an emotional tribute to his wife Tess Daly ahead of her final live appearance on Strictly Come Dancing. The BBC Radio 2 presenter dedicated a portion of his Friday programme to Daly, who co-hosts the show with Claudia Winkleman, as they prepare for the final episode of the current series.
Speaking on air, Kay said: 'I've got to say this, it's Tess' last Strictly on Saturday. And, I can't say too much because I'm going to get really emotional, but it's been an amazing 21 years.' He reflected on Daly's tenure, noting she has been at the helm with Bruce Forsyth and Winkleman, and described the show as 'nothing but ruckus fun' and the nation's favourite.
Kay recalled how the show has been intertwined with their family life, including the arrival of their two daughters. 'Strictly Come Dancing, it's not just Tess, it's not just Claudia, it's not just Tess and Bruce, it's the whole team. The whole team have made it such a joy to work on,' he added.
He praised both Daly and Winkleman as 'two women at the helm of BBC's most successful entertainment show so far'. Kay confirmed he would be in the audience for the final, joking: 'Look out for me in the background, I will be pulling some funny faces as usual. I'll try and hide my tears, but I think that's going to be virtually impossible.'
The final will see the remaining three couples—Karen Carney and Carlos Gu, Amber Davies and Nikita Kuzmin, and George Clarke and Alexis Warr—compete for the Glitterball trophy. Each will perform a judges' pick, a show dance, and their favourite routine, with the winner decided by public vote. Strictly Come Dancing: The Final airs tonight at 7pm on BBC One.
