Tess Daly reveals 'real reason' behind Strictly exit as she admits 'it's been hard'
Tess Daly stepped down from her role as host on the BBC show last month
Tess Daly shocked the nation when she dropped the bombshell that she will be stepping down as a Strictly Come Dancing host after 21 years on the show last month.
The 56-year-old's shock decision last month came just eight weeks after her husband of 22 years, Vernon Kay, sweetly revealed that he never misses an episode of the BBC to ensure that Tess is OK. Her co-host, Claudia Winkleman, has also announced she is leaving the role.
The BBC Radio 2 presenter, who shares daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16 with Tess, explained that he has the ballroom show on whenever he is, even if he is working, the Mirror reports.
He said: “I rarely go out when Strictly’s on because I want to make sure everything’s alright. If I’m working, I have it on at the side of the stage.”
However, insiders say Tess is now looking forward to spending some much needed family time after quitting the show.
A source said: “Strictly is a real whirlwind – it is chaotic and they don’t have much time together.
"Vernon has been understanding and knows this. Tess has been on Strictly forever but it’s been heartbreaking for her not to have as much time as she’s want with her family - it’s the juggle so many women have.
“They’re seeing her taking time away from work briefly as their fresh start - a chance for her and Vernon to have some space for their relationship.
"Once Strictly has stopped, she can have so much more family time, more holidays, more special time with the kids and for work opportunities. It’s going to be very positive for them as a couple.”
Tess, 56, and Vernon, 51, first met at a BBC Christmas party in 2001, hitting it off right away as they had plenty in common thanks to their previous modelling careers and TV presenting futures.
The former Strictly host said their initial spark was undeniable, with Vernon getting down on one knee just a year later. He asked her to marry him on Christmas Day while at her parents’ home in Stockport.
The pair wed in 2003 at Vernon’s local church, St Mary’s, in his birthplace of Horwich, Bolton.
Tess donned a white strapless A-line gown, while Vernon opted for a white suit which he matched with a pink shirt and patterned tie.
Seven years on and two children later, the couple faced a scandal that threatened to tear their marriage apart.
It was reported that Vernon had been sending risqué messages to four women, including glamour model Rhian Sugden.
Tess and Vernon survived the scandal but it resurfaced five years later amid claims that the presenter and Rhian had allegedly been messaging each other again.
Vernon insisted there had been nothing “inappropriate” in their exchanges and said he’d told Tess about everything.
The pair thankfully managed to put it all behind them and rebuilt their marriage with a secret vow renewal.
Tess remained silent on the reports at the time, but later confessed in 2017 that marriages are a “work in progress”.
The source claims, “They work hard on their marriage and they’ve got to because it’s tough. It’s tough being with someone in the showbiz world.
"It’s tough having that spotlight on you all the time. They need a little downtime without the cameras on.
“She’s had to learn to trust him again and once that trust is broken, it’s really hard and it has been hard for them.
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"Trust is earned, and he’s had to try and earn it. But they’re strong at the minute, and they’re going to have a lot more time together after Strictly.”
The insider adds: “It is in some ways a fresh start. She’s been on the show for so many decades, so it is going to be different for them, but it’s going to be for the better.
"They’ve got more time to spend together and grow as a couple, so it can only be a good thing.”
Both Tess and Vernon have enjoyed highly successful careers in the spotlight, but it has come at a cost.
The 56-year-old revealed earlier this year that she tirelessly works every day, even on family holidays.
Tess, who is also the co-owner of luxury swimwear brand Naia Beach, revealed her strong work ethic back in March when she said: “Recently, I took the girls on a trip to Dubai.
"Every single day, I was working on the brand. I’m the type of person who feels a bit guilty lying on a sunbed when there’s work to be done.”
She added: “It’s part of the juggle, but as women, we are busy trying to fit all those hats on, because that’s what we do. Hand on heart, I’ve been striving for that perfect balance in my entire career since becoming a mother. It’s not easy. Every mother I know is Wonder Woman because they are trying their hardest.”
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The source adds: “Tess loves the job, and that’s the crux of it, but I think this is going to be good for her and Vernon and they’re going to have more quality time together.”
Meanwhile their eldest daughter Phoebe has already flown the nest, splitting her time between London and Dubai as a film student.
Their younger child, Amber, is still deciding her next steps but sources say the family are looking forward to spending more time together now that Tess has left Strictly.