Vernon Kay has reminded his radio fans that the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing will soon comes to an end, in what he anticipates will be an “emotional” time
Vernon Kay has announced “that’s it” as he delivered an “emotional” update regarding his wife, Tess Daly, with her Strictly Come Dancing journey nearing its conclusion. During a recent edition of his BBC Radio 2 programme, Vernon reminded his audience that the current Strictly series would shortly reach its finale, describing it as what he expects will be an “emotional” period.
In a surprising revelation last October, Tess Daly and presenting partner Claudia Winkleman (who also fronts The Traitors and became part of It Takes Two back in 2004) announced their departure from the beloved BBC programme. Their farewell will be this year’s festive special, bringing Tess’s remarkable 21-year journey to a close.
Accompanying the announcement, Claudia and Tess took to Instagram to reflect on their presenting partnership, expressing that they “loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream”, revealing they were “always going to leave together” and felt it was the “right time”.
The ex-Family Fortunes presenter wed Tess at St Mary’s Church in Horwich back in 2003, and the couple are parents to daughters Phoebe and Amber. His remarks came after the broadcast of Mary J. Blige’s 2001 hitFamily Affair, which he disclosed was amongst Tess’s most cherished tracks.
He revealed: “That is Strictly Come Dancing Tess Daly’s favourite tune – I’d say at least in the top three – or soon to be Tess Daly. Only two more shows to go; oh, and the Christmas special! So, three more shows to go – semi-final, final and then the Christmas special, and then, that’s it. Yeah, it’s gonna be emotional. It’s gonna be emosh.”
Claudia and Tess have shared presenting responsibilities since 2014, when Claudia stepped in to replace the late Sir Bruce Forsyth, who had co-hosted the original series alongside Tess from 2004. As part of the announcement, Tess shared a statement on Instagram which was met with support from pals and fans.
In an emotional post reflecting on her incredible two-decade journey with the massively popular BBC dance show, she penned: “After 21 unforgettable years, the time has come to say goodbye to Strictly Come Dancing. It’s hard to put into words what this show has meant to me, so here goes..
“Strictly has been more than just a television programme. It’s felt like having a third child, a second family, and a huge part of my life since that very first show back in 2004. I knew then it was something special, but I could never have imagined the magic it would bring.
“Strictly has always been about joy, celebration, and bringing people together – and I’m so proud to have played a small part in something that continues to mean so much to so many.”
Tess revealed she wasn’t bidding farewell to “glitter, sequins, or Saturday night sparkle”, emphasising that the programme would forever hold a “special place” in her heart.
Tess was also reportedly moved to tears whilst she and Claudia filmed the Strictly Christmas special – their final appearance as the show’s presenting duo. In an exclusive Mirror report, it emerged that Tess was offered the chance to perform her favourite dance alongside Slovenian Strictly professional Aljaž Škorjanec. This represented her first personal dance floor appearance since 2008.
An audience member, speaking after the recording, disclosed to the publication: “Tess and Claudia looked pretty choked as they grabbed hold of each other’s hands and said that this was the final time they were ever going to say ‘keeeeeep dancing’.” They further alleged that the duo were “fighting hard to hold it together”.
Providing additional insight about the recording, they continued: “Tess was wiping away tears afterwards. She managed to do it in between takes so on screen, she will look fine. But the audience knew – it all felt incredibly emotional. We were stamping and cheering and gave them a standing ovation at the end.”
