Tess Daly has announced she is leaving Strictly Come Dancing after this year's series, ending her 20-year tenure on the BBC show. The 56-year-old presenter, who has co-hosted the programme since 2004, made the announcement alongside Claudia Winkleman in an Instagram statement, saying they had always planned to leave together.
In a surprising revelation, Daly's birth name is not Tess but Helen Elizabeth Daly. The name change occurred when she was scouted by a modelling agency at age 17 outside a McDonald's while waiting for her sister. The agency already had a model named Helen Davies, so her agent suggested Tess, inspired by the Nastassja Kinski film of the same name. Daly has never legally changed her name, considering it disrespectful to her parents.
Daly married radio presenter Vernon Kay in 2003, and they have two daughters, Phoebe, 20, and Amber, 16. Earlier this year, she was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting, describing it as the greatest surprise of her life. She expressed regret that her late father, who loved ballroom dancing, never saw her on Strictly.
The couple met in 2001 and grew closer while recreating a Britney Spears video together. Daly has been a staple on Strictly since 2004, first alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth and later with Claudia Winkleman. Her departure marks the end of an era for the beloved dance competition.
