Exclusive: Tess Daly reveals how teenage daughter is following in her footsteps and talks 20 years of Strictly Come Dancing
On a sunlit evening in Ibiza, TV presenter Tess Daly returns to her glamorous modelling roots.
Speaking exclusively to HELLO!, Tess, who co-owns beachwear brand NAIA Beach with her best friend Gayle Lawton, reveals how her eldest daughter Phoebe, 19, is following in her footsteps.
The mother-of-two began modelling when she was a teenager and only has positive things to say about the industry.
Her model daughter Phoebe
"I had wonderful agents who mentored me and looked after me," says Tess. "Then, as I got older, I would mentor younger models. I would do a talk every Friday where I'd share advice with new faces. People still come up to me today and say: 'I remember when you did that talk.'
"Actually, my daughter [Phoebe, 19] is older now than when I started modelling. I do sometimes look at her and think: 'My goodness.'"
Tess's longevity in the industry is partly down to her keeping a sense of perspective – and that now means trying not to be glued to her phone.
"I like to forget that Instagram exists some days," says Tess, who has another daughter, Amber, 15, with her husband, BBC Radio 2 host Vernon Kay.
Tess' swimwear
Strictly's Tess Daly is mesmerising in ruched swimsuit and mermaid hair
Strictly's Tess Daly looks statuesque in strapless bikini and thigh-split mesh dress
Tess Daly, 55, is a bronzed beach babe in dazzling array of bikinis
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"The other day, my daughter was lamenting the fact that everything her generation does is documented on Instagram.
"She said: 'Mum, I would have loved to have been your age when you could hang out with your friends and people weren't filming everything.'
"I think as long as you're savvy with social media, it can be quite positive. I wouldn't dream of buying into anything negative because there's no point."
Working on Strictly for 20 years
Ever busy, the star juggles a packed schedule: in September, Tess will be running a business alongside returning to Strictly Come Dancing, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
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Tess, who was pregnant with Phoebe when she hosted the first series of Strictly, says: "My daughters haven't known anything other than their mum working Saturday nights across their autumn term. It's been ever-present for them, literally since they were in the womb."
Phoebe, who is now at university, has recently been spotted at red-carpet events with her parents.
"We made the decision to keep them out of the public eye when they were growing up, until they could decide for themselves," Tess says.
Phoebe doesn't tend to tell people who her parents are, and Vernon has said that he didn't want to raise their children "with a silver spoon".
"I'm grateful for the work ethic my parents instilled in me, because it gave me my drive," Tess says. "I think it's really important to encourage that in your children, so they're able to build from that and find their way.
"Phoebe and her friends went on holiday and it was really great – it was all paid for from their own work."
And how does it feel to do live television every Saturday night in the autumn, with her co-host of ten years, Claudia Winkleman?
"It's really special," she says. "I wouldn't be human if I didn't get the rush of adrenaline that comes from live television. But even after 20 years, it's still a buzz and I love the feeling of being in the flow. I'm fortunate that during my presenting career, I've been surrounded by wonderfully talented people."
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