Tess Daly and Vernon Kay split after 22 years of marriage as statement released
Remaining 'great friends', Tess Daly and Vernon Kay have announced they are separating 'amicably'.
The TV presenting pair met in 2001 while they were both breaking into the business.
Kay proposed at Daly's family home on Christmas Day in 2002 and they tied the knot at the local church in his hometown of Horwich, near Bolton, in September 2003.
They share two daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16, and say in their statement that they will stay committed to being 'loving and supportive parents'.
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The former Strictly Come Dancing host and the BBC Radio 2 DJ shared a joint statement on their Instagram Stories this evening (8 May), as they said there are 'no other parties' involved in their decision to separate.
"After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably," they wrote.
Daly and Kay continued: "This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire for what is best for both of us.
"We remain great friends and most importantly, fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.
"There are no other parties involved in this decision. We kindly ask for privacy during this time as we navigate this transition together.
"We will not be making any further public comments."
A year after their marriage, Daly got her big break co-presenting Strictly Come Dancing with Bruce Forsyth until he left the show in 2013. She then presented alongside Claudia Winkleman, with the pair announcing last October that they would leave the show after the 2025 Christmas special.
Kay and Daly have also presented alongside one another, co-hosting Just the Two of Us on BBC One back in 2007.
In 2010, their marriage was in the spotlight due to a sexting scandal. There were claims Vernon had been exchanging messages with a number of women, including glamour model Rhian Sugden.
He told The Sun newspaper at the time: "Tess is extremely upset about this and we're working through it... I've been stupid and daft but I'm not a sex pest. I've only done this with four or five girls and I've known them all well – they've been friends or work colleagues.
"I know a single guy can get away with things like that but I'm married and I understand this is off limits."
Kay said he was 'very sorry' and had 'been an idiot' and 'let my family down'.
And Daly said a month later that their partnership was 'worth fighting for'.
She told The One Show: "Dealing with it in private is difficult enough, but dealing but with it in public is even harder," adding that she was touched by the amount of support she had received.
In 2016, it was alleged he was again exchanging messages with Sugden and he posted a statement to Facebook that explained Daly was aware.
"Regarding today's story: I was contacted by Rhian out of the blue back in December regarding the story in 2010 claiming she had information she wanted to pass on. I recognise how it may look when messages are pulled out of context but there was never inappropriate intent to our communication," he said.
Daly did not publicly address the reports, but in 2017 admitted to The Times that 'marriage is a work in progress'.
Topics: Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity
Jess Battison