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17 Feb 2026 9:38
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  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Tess Daly's eldest daughter didn't know she was famous until she was seven

    The 51-year-old television presenter - who has Phoebe, 16, and Amber, 11, with her husband Vernon Kay - feels it is important for her kids to be "grounded", despite their parents' success


    She said: "They are so grounded they know the value of everything. It is everything for us. They have good morals and respect others. It's everything. They build their self-esteem via you. It is so important to us to keep them grounded. It has never been about us at home – it is about them and their lives and us at a family. Phoebe didn't even know I worked on TV until she was about seven! She had no idea until she saw me once and said, 'There's my mum!' She just thought I went to work on a Saturday because to them it is work. Of course they thoroughly enjoy it and they loved watching their dad on I'm A Celeb, they love Strictly – but it is part of what we do and it doesn't define who we are to them. We're just mum and dad."

    And Tess wants her children to understand work ethic and would never want her and her husband Vernon's careers to "overshadow" her kids' own success.

    Speaking to the Mail Online, she added: "It's really important for me that I don't take away my children's work ethic and their chance to find their own role in life by overshadowing them with your own. It is important they learn to find their own way.

    "It is not about us and ego has no place in our house. They are good, hard-working girls and we're really proud of them. They're growing up!"

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

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