Vernon Kay Reveals Nerves During Television Comeback with Wife Tess Daly
BBC Radio 2 star Vernon Kay has openly admitted he was "on pins" during his recent television comeback alongside his wife, former Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly. The couple co-hosted The One Show on Wednesday evening, marking their first joint presenting role in almost twenty years.
Historic Reunion on The One Show
The husband-and-wife duo last presented together on the BBC singing competition Just the Two of Us between 2006 and 2007. Since then, Tess Daly, 56, has become a familiar face on television screens primarily through her long-running role on Strictly Come Dancing alongside Claudia Winkleman, though both presenters departed the show at the conclusion of the most recent series.
Vernon Kay, 51, who regularly presents on BBC Radio 2, stepped in for The One Show's usual host Roman Kemp. With both Kemp and co-host Alex Jones attending the BBC's 500 Words competition at Windsor Castle—an event spearheaded by Queen Camilla—the opportunity arose for Vernon and Tess to lead the programme together.
Admission of Anxiety and Domestic Concerns
Speaking candidly on his Radio 2 programme, Vernon Kay revealed the unexpected nature of the pairing, joking, "I didn't realise it was international take your partner to work day." Fellow presenter Scott Mills teased Vernon about watching the show and initially assuming he would be presenting solo after hearing Alex Jones announce her absence.
Vernon admitted that while he enjoyed the experience, he felt considerable anxiety beforehand. He explained, "I did enjoy it but I was on pins. You know when you're pottering about at home and you do something that slightly irks your partner—leave the dishwasher door open, leave plates in the sink even though the dishwasher is empty or still has dirty pots in it—I wondered if I should put my script down on the left side or the right side."
He elaborated on his specific concerns, saying, "If I put it down on the right side, it will be near her white trousers, and then I'm thinking, 'Will the print rub off on her trousers? She's going to be really angry if I do that.' Do you know what I mean? Just relationship stuff."
Professional Dynamics and Future Possibilities
Scott Mills observed that Vernon was clearly "on his best behaviour" during the broadcast. Vernon acknowledged this, noting, "I did joke she was there to keep me in check because I love The One Show because it's one of the most difficult easiest things you could do in television. It's live, it's very formatted because you've only got 30 minutes to talk to some of the world's greatest superstars. You want to sit for four days not five minutes, it flies by. I was giddy inside."
When questioned about the potential for future collaborations with his wife, Vernon responded optimistically, "Maybe, who knows? I'd like to, it was fun."
Nostalgic Reflections on Past Collaborations
The conversation turned nostalgic as Vernon reminisced about their previous work together on Just the Two of Us. The programme featured eight celebrities partnering with professional singers, judged by a panel including DJ Trevor Nelson, singer CeCe Sammy, The Police drummer Stewart Copeland, Scottish singer Lulu, and Jackson 5 star Tito Jackson.
Vernon shared an amusing anecdote about their time on the show, revealing, "For a period of time Tess and I became friends with Tito Jackson. We went to KFC, he loved a KFC. It'll be in the book. Tito had a bucket to himself, I ain't even lying. When we were in rehearsal you'd get the waft, the Colonel's secret recipe would fill the room as it always does and you get jealous."
He vividly described the sensory experience, saying, "It does this thing where it hits your tastebuds first and you start salivating. You just want to bow down to the Colonel. Tito would be like, 'Hey, I got chicken, do you want to come?' And you're like, 'Yeah, absolutely'. And he'd be like, 'Well we're going to have to order more because I only got one bucket'."
The television comeback has sparked considerable interest among viewers, highlighting both the professional chemistry and personal dynamics between the presenting couple as they navigate their first joint broadcast in nearly two decades.
