Everything Vernon Kay has said about daughters with Tess Daly – Phoebe, 19, and Amber, 14
It's been an emotional week for Vernon Kay, following the completion of his Children in Need ultra marathon. Throughout the gruelling process, the BBC Radio 2 star has had the support of his wife Tess Daly, and their two daughters,Phoebe, 19, and Amber, 14.
A doting girl dad, Vernon, 49, has spoken openly about his fatherhood journey, as well as life with Tess and their daughters in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. We're taking a look at the star's sweetest and most candid comments about his children.
Back in September 2022, Vernon revealed that he and Tess are conscious of raising Phoebe and Amber to be independent, telling Mail Online: "We let them be independent when it comes to their futures because it's important that you allow them to find themselves, which is character building and personality development.
"Sometimes I think that the old silver spoon and life on a plate in front of them… I think that's quite contradictory to how you want them to be. Tess and I grew up in hearty, wholesome Northern families and that's a huge trait that helped us in our personal development and I think that's really important."
While Vernon is determined to let his daughters carve their own paths in life, there is one career that he'd be particularly happy for them to pursue – and it's not showbiz.
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"I am golf crazy. My girls play as well, so it's really good to get out playing and you bond with them as well," he told the Sunday People in 2019.
"I'm a feminist. I am. I have to be. I would like it if they wanted to be a professional golfer. "If you can achieve it as a professional sportswoman I think it is a bigger achievement than achieving it as a professional sportsman."
Sharing a close bond with both of his daughters, Vernon can't help but be protective when it comes to Phoebe and Amber. During a 2021 appearance on Giovanna Fletcher's Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, he joked about the prospect of his daughters dating.
At the time Vernon admitted that he hadn't had to deal with boyfriends yet although "It's coming", however, he did share some requirements for their future boyfriends. "If he can swing a golf club, bonus. If he can throw an American football, double bonus. If he can build a rope swing, triple bonus," quipped Vernon.
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On a more serious note, the presenter told Giovanna that fatherhood is "100% better" than he could ever have imagined. "It's all a constant work in progress. No day is like yesterday," he said.
"It's always different, there's always something that crops up, there's always something that needs to be said and there's a lot of fun to be had as well."
More recently, Vernon celebrated a major milestone as his oldest daughter, Phoebe, turned 19. Posting an adorable throwback snap from a previous Christmas with the girls, he captioned it: "Happy 19th Phoebe!!! Enjoy…So proud of everything you've achieved so far in life. Can't wait for the next big step…(and of course another dance at the rave!)"
As Phoebe's gotten older, she's already begun making more public appearances alongside her famous parents, and it looked like she and Vernon had the best time at the premiere of John Wick 4 in March 2023. Vernon has previously shared that he taught Phoebe to drive, and he also took her on a whirlwind trip to Ibiza and celebrated the end of her A Levels.
As for Amber, the 14-year-old has not made many public appearances with her parents, most likely due to her age. But, it's clear that with both of his girls, Vernon couldn't be prouder.
