Friends of Tess Daly and Vernon Kay have reportedly challenged the couple's assertion that their split is 'amicable'. The former Strictly presenter, 57, and the Radio 2 DJ, 51, announced their separation earlier this month in a joint statement, saying they would remain 'great friends' and committed parents.
However, a source close to the couple told the Mail on Sunday that the idea they 'happily decided to call an end to their marriage' is 'crap'. According to the report, Daly is 'seething' and her friends are furious at Kay, with the 'ghost of Rhian'—referring to former Page 3 model Rhian Sugden, whom Kay was revealed to have been sexting in 2010—hanging over their marriage ever since.
'Tess isn't as chilled about the split as is being put out there,' a source said. 'She has gone along with the announcement and has publicly remained silent but in fact she isn't very happy at all with Vernon.' The source added that Sugden, 'through no fault of her own, has been a constant in their marriage'.
In 2010, Kay admitted sending explicit texts to around five women and apologised on his Radio 1 show. Daly later said their partnership was 'worth fighting for'. Meanwhile, friends of Kay have reportedly claimed Daly has 'changed' and has 'ideas of grandeur', with one friend saying 'Vernon's laddish ways have been a hindrance'.
The couple, who married in 2003 and share two daughters, stated in their announcement that no other parties were involved in the decision. Kay last week thanked BBC Radio 2 listeners for their support.
