Tess Daly has opened up about the emotional moment she said goodbye to her eldest daughter, Phoebe, 19, who left home last year to start university. The Strictly Come Dancing host, who also shares 15-year-old Amber with husband Vernon Kay, recalled “sobbing” while driving after waving goodbye to Phoebe ahead of her new life studying film and television for the next few years.
The presenter shared: “I remember silently sobbing all the way back down the motorway, because she’s my baby, my first born. I’m her best friend, really. It broke my heart.”
Tess continued to say that seeing Phoebe with all her bags and a plate and cutlery set just for one was also a sad sight to see, adding: “I was heartbroken just dropping her off and waving goodbye, but it was fine because she was back after a couple of weeks, visiting. She comes back quite regularly.”
When asked if she could see her daughters following in her and Vernon’s footsteps in the entertainment world, the 55-year-old went on to say she was unsure, as “they’re still discovering themselves as people”, but noted they both have an interest in creative arts.
“I’m proud of the fact that they’re very kind, humble, hard-working girls. We’ve kind of drummed that into them. There’s no place for ego in our home,” she told Hello! Magazine, reports the Express.
In a recent interview with her father, Vernon, Phoebe expressed her interest in working behind-the-scenes in the entertainment industry, but also said she liked the idea of acting.
“I like the production and editing side,” she shared with The Sun’s Fabulous Magazine.
“I’d love to act but I’ll leave presenting to my mum and dad. I’m just trying to understand what I want to do.”
Phoebe also revealed that she doesn’t disclose who her famous parents are, adding: “People don’t know and I love that. I want to create my own path,” she admitted.
Tess and Vernon have largely kept their family life out of the public eye, but occasionally share glimpses of their home life on Instagram.
Now that Phoebe is 19, Vernon said they’ve stepped back on this rule a little to allow her to freely make her own decisions.
He proudly stated: “We made a conscious decision that the girls should be able to choose whether they wanted to be in the spotlight or not. I think it’s worked in our favour.
“Amber is still young, so there’s no way she would do something like this, but Phoebe is an adult now,” he added. “It’s an interesting world with social media, so we said, ‘When you are at the right age to make your own decisions, whether you want to step into this world, be on the cover of Fabulous, then that’s up to you’.”
Quizzed on Strictly, the BBC Radio 2 host went on to say that he would “seriously consider” participating in the competition if the opportunity arose.
Tess has been the face of the show since its inception in 2004, and this year, they will be celebrating a special 20th series.
The celebrities bravely competing for this year’s Glitterball trophy have not yet been announced, but the professional line-up has been confirmed.
Returning to the dance floor are the show’s longest-serving female pro Karen Hauer, Dianne Buswell, Johannes Radebe, Gorka Marquez and Katya Jones. Tess and Claudia Winkleman will resume their hosting duties.
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