After over a decade presenting the series, people are wondering what has Tess been up to since leaving Strictly?
Tess fronted Strictly since its debut 23 years ago(Image: Joe Maher, Getty Images)
Strictly Come Dancing has returned to our screens for its 24th season, but this year has seen some major changes. Following Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman’s decision to step down as presenters of the popular BBC dancing competition last year, the BBC revealed three new hosts to lead the show.
Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe have taken the reigns of this year’s Strictly, guiding audiences, celebs and the judges through each episode. Viewers were split over the new presenting team, after being familiar with Tess and Claudia after 11 years presenting together.
Tess fronted the programme since its debut 23 years ago alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth, with Claudia joining in 2014. After over a decade presenting the series, many people are wondering what has Tess been up to since leaving Strictly?
Here is everything you need to know. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter
Real reason for leaving Strictly
Fans of Strictly Come Dancing were left devastated when Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were both stepping down from the programme after 11 years of presenting together. The duo made their departure known during last year’s series of the beloved BBC show.
The Strictly Christmas special served as their final appearance on the programme, leaving viewers heartbroken to witness the partnership come to an end.
So what prompted Tess and Claudia to walk away from the BBC’s flagship entertainment show?
Both shared the surprising announcement via Instagram in October 2025, calling their Strictly journey “an absolute dream” while acknowledging it “feels like the right time” to move on.
They explained their decision to depart, saying: “We have loved working as a duo and hosting Strictly has been an absolute dream. We were always going to leave together and now feels like the right time.
“We will have the greatest rest of this amazing series and we just want to say an enormous thank you to the BBC and to every single person who works on the show. They’re the most brilliant team and we’ll miss them every day.
“We will cry when we say the last “keep dancing” but we will continue to say it to each other. Just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza.”
At the time, Tess spoke of looking forward to reclaiming her weekends, as her two daughters, whom she shares with her ex-husband Vernon Kay, have grown up. Speaking on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Tess said: “I’m not someone who goes for a day to the spa. I’m thinking, what do my kids need me to do today? Do you know what I mean?”.
“So I’m always making up for that. If I’ve worked for a day or two, then I’m like, now this time I need to do more for them because I was absent here.
“So I’m always trying to make up for that. So if I remove them from that picture… I don’t know. I mean, it could be quite lovely, it could be really great.
“I could be on weekend breaks with my girlfriends to Ibiza. How about that? I might be back dancing on podiums.”
Split from Vernon Kay
Tess and Vernon Kay were widely regarded as one of Britain’s most formidable television power couples, both in terms of their professional achievements and their financial standing.
The pair, who wed in 2003 and are parents to two daughters, Phoebe and Amber, have built remarkable careers spanning broadcasting, modelling and entertainment, accumulating a combined fortune that places them amongst the highest-earning households in television.
They announced their amicable separation in May 2026 after 23 years of marriage, just a few months after Tess stepped down from her role on Strictly.
In a statement posted on Instagram, they confirmed “no other parties involved,” and stressed they would concentrate on being committed co-parents.
They said: “After much consideration, and with a deep sense of care and respect for one another, we have made the decision to separate amicably. 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.”
It is said that the pair have kept things on friendly terms, as evidenced by their recent holiday to the South of France with their two daughters, although it is understood he has since moved out of the family home.
The former couple’s main concern had been locating an appropriate residence where their two daughters can conveniently visit their father.
A friend of Tess told The Mirror that while she recognises the timing is appropriate for them to part ways, the situation is still stirring conflicting feelings. The friend said: “It’s bittersweet. She’s sad her marriage didn’t work out – she wanted this to be for life, but she knows it’s the best thing.
“It feels so final with Vernon moving out, and even though it’s the right thing, it’s still the end of an era.”
Life after Strictly
Following her departure from Strictly and her split from Vernon, Tess is looking ahead to a fresh chapter in her career. She is rumoured to have a number of projects in the pipeline including her own programme on Magic Radio.
Her friend told The Mirror: “On one hand, it’s an upsetting time with her and Vernon moving on, but on the other, this is also a really exciting time which is all about new beginnings.”
Although, she hasn’t finished with television either, saying: “I’m looking forward to doing other projects and there are a couple in the pipeline. I love working in television because I genuinely love people. As a viewer, I love anything authentically emotive that brings a tear to the eye.”
Tess is also eager to expand her fashion labels NAIA Beach and NAIA Active, which she co-founded with close friend Gayle Lawton in 2021.
Earlier this year, she said: “This is a bona fide business. This is not an endorsement deal. This is my baby.”
Among Tess’ ambitions is broadening her presence in the health and beauty sector, her friend added: “She’s looking forward to working with some big brands, and with her daughter, Phoebe, who is like a best friend. She wants to do a YouTube show with her, especially as she thinks Phoebe will be more relatable to a younger audience.”
Last month on Instagram, Tess posted a photograph of herself alongside Phoebe in an undisclosed studio, with the caption, “No longer bring your daughter to work day, but working alongside her.”
Net worth
Having co-hosted Strictly for more than two decades, Tess was understood to earn between £350,000 and £399,000 per year from the BBC. Alongside her presenting commitments, she has bolstered her earnings through lucrative endorsement deals with prominent beauty and fashion brands, among them L’Oréal, Pandora, Christian Dior, and MAC Cosmetics.
She has also authored a novel entitled The Camera Never Lies, modelled for Benefit Cosmetics and Topshop, and lent her support to charitable occasions such as Children in Need.
According, as of 2025 KnowNetWorth.com believes Tess Daly’s net worth to be at approximately £4m.
Additionally, her shared business venture with ex-husband Vernon, 21 TV Limited, has played a substantial role in building the pair’s wealth, generating an estimated £1.3m in profits between 2016 and 2020. Company House records show they earned a further £1.4m from the television company during 2023 and 2024.
You can watch Strictly Come Dancing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer from 6.15pm on Saturday, September 26.
