Tess Daly and Vernon Kay have split after 23 years of marriage, the Daily Mail can reveal.
In a heartbreaking statement, the couple – who wed in 2003 – told how they had agonised over the decision to go their separate ways.
They insist that the split is amicable and that they will continue to be supportive parents to their daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16.
In a heartbreaking statement, released today, the two revealed they had decided to split after ‘much consideration, and a deep sense of care and respect for one another’.
Tess and Vernon also confirmed that the decision to separate was made ‘amicably’ and that ‘no other parties’ had been involved in the move.
‘This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a place of mutual understanding and a shared desire of what is best for both of us,’ they said.
‘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. Tess and Vernon’
Tess Daly and Vernon Kay have split after 23 years of marriage, the Daily Mail can reveal
In a heartbreaking statement, the two revealed they had decided to split after ‘much consideration, and a deep sense of care and respect for one another’
The couple, who also have a joint deal as food ambassadors for Marks and Spencers, live together in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, regularly posting together on Instagram.
Last night friends of the couple expressed their shock at their split, with one remarking how they ‘did not see it coming’. They added: ‘It’s very, very sad.’
Their split will stun their fans as they have been regarded as one of the strongest marriages in show business despite Vernon cheating on Tess back in 2010 when he was caught ‘sexting’ Page 3 model Rhian Sugden.
Tess, 57, was left devastated after learning Vernon had been messaging Ms Sugden after meeting her in a nightclub in his home town of Bolton.
While they didn’t have a sexual relationship, the former Strictly presenter was left distraught.
However, she fought to save their relationship and was able to move on from his misdemeanour.
Ms Sugden later spoke out about the scandal in a Channel 4 documentary, Page Three: The Naked Truth, where she said: ‘He just got away with it. It ruined everything for me.
‘I felt like I was going up and up with my career, and then that came along. I wish I’d never met him.
‘He got to give an apology on the radio and just got to carry on, with Family Fortunes, ironically. It still makes me feel sick.’
Vernon, 52, was a regular at Strictly, the show that his wife had hosted since it launched in 2004, and was spotted at the Elstree Studios several times during last year’s series.
Their split comes after reports they were ‘entering a new chapter in their marriage’ after she quit her Strictly Come Dancing hosting job after 21 years
Tess ‘want[ed] to be a bit selfish’ as she felt like she had ‘missed out’ on travelling due to working since her teens, a source said: ‘She is desperate to have a grown-up gap year’
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Tess Daly and Vernon Kay ‘enter a new chapter in their marriage’ after she left Strictly
Their shock split comes just days after reports of the couple ‘entering a new chapter in their marriage’ after Daly quit her hosting job with Strictly Come Dancing after 21 years.
The 57-year-old and her now ex were said to be preparing to go on a ‘grown-up gap year’ before the former Strictly presenter turned 60.
At the time, it was reported Daly wanted to be ‘a bit selfish’ as she felt that she had ‘missed out’ on travelling opportunities because she had worked since her teens.
A source told Closer magazine: ‘She is desperate to have a grown-up gap year and see the world with Vernon as she wants to do it while they still can.
‘Vernon could take some time-off and they could just do everything they’ve ever wanted to do and enjoy what they’ve worked for.’
At the time, Vernon was understood to have a desire to ‘jet off for a few weeks at a time’ so he could return to host his mid-morning radio show.
‘It would be the first time in a long while that they will get to spend quality time together just the two of them with no responsibilities,’ the insider previously said.
‘It would be a new chapter in their marriage.
‘Tess always put Vernon and the girls first and now she wants to be a bit selfish and make the most of their situation and her new-found freedom.
‘She has been working since her teens and never really got to do all the travelling. She feels she’s missed out even though she knows how lucky she is.’
Just days before, Vernon shared a heart-warming photo of his and Tess’s oldest daughter Phoebe, as they enjoyed drinks watching the sunset at The Chancery Rosewood rooftop bar.
The 21-year-old, who looks the double of her mother Tess, is currently living in New York and seemed happier than ever to be reunited with her famous father.
Vernon wrote on Instagram: ‘Ahhhhh Summer nights in London on the @thechanceryrosewood rooftop with @phoebeekay The best view on a clear blue evening sky….’
Tess also took to Instagram as she stunned in an orange satin blouse and white trousers as she posed on the rooftop.
