BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Daly's real name - and the reason she changed it

Tess Daly has been a staple on our screens since she was 17 - and there's a good reason why the Strictly Come Dancing presenter has a different name to the one on her birth certificate.

Tess Daly, the much-loved presenter of Strictly Come Dancing, has been in the public eye since she was 17.

The 55 year old television personality, who is married to Vernon Kay, began her career as a model after being discovered outside a McDonald's in Manchester while waiting for her sister. However, Tess wasn't always known by that name. In fact, 'Tess' is not her real name but a stage name, a revelation that has left Strictly fans stunned, reports the Mirror.

Born in 1969 as Helen Elizabeth Daly, she adopted the name Tess when she started her modelling career, but never legally changed it out of respect for her parents, Vivian and Sylvia. She disclosed the reason behind her name change, explaining that when she started modelling at 17, there was already a Helen Davies at her agency.

As such, she was advised to drop 'Helen Daly' due to its similarity. The name Tess was suggested by her agent who was "obsessed" with actress Nastassja Kinski, star of the 1979 film Tess.

Tess remembered: "So Tess it was. I was gullible and impressionable. Mind you, two weeks later, I was in Japan, then I travelled the world Paris, Milan, New York," according to OK!

. The television darling has admitted that only one person stubbornly sticks to her real name, revealing: "My mum's really the only person who still calls me Helen, and that's not often. She tends to call me 'love', so when she does say 'Helen' it can take me a while to respond."

Tess honestly shared: "I've never changed it by deed poll or anything because I think it would be disrespectful to my parents."

Despite not changing her name legally, she and husband Vernon Kay, famed for his work on T4 and T4 On The Beach, exchanged vows under her birth name in 2003. Tess, noted television star, and Vernon Kay, also recognized for his modelling endeavours, wed in a dreamy ceremony located in Vernon's hometown of Bolton on September 12, 2003, and proudly raised two daughters, Phoebe and Amber.

Offering a charming glimpse into their family life, the couple revealed a photo of eldest daughter Phoebe as she received her A-level results this summer. They celebrated the significant achievement with a ritzy bash at Manchester's plush Ivy Asia in Spinningfields, capturing the moments of their daughter's scholastic triumph with immense joy.

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This follows Tess's candid revelation about her "Oh my god" ageing moment. Although the TV stalwart dazzles at 55, she acknowledges she experienced a jolt regarding the realities of ageing.

Currently gracing our screens presenting the 2024 season of Strictly, she divulged her secrets to maintaining such a youthful appearance. Yet, she conceded having an instant where she observed "wrinkles galore".

Nevertheless, Tess accepts that there's no remedy but to embrace these changes as an inevitable part of ageing.

In a chat with Closer, Tess opened up about her "oh my god" moment. She confessed: "I've got wrinkles galore. You know when you look down at your iPhone and the camera is open, and you go, 'Oh my God! ' I'm at that point - but what's the alternative? " Tess revealed she follows a specific skincare routine to maintain her youthful glow.

She admitted to wearing less makeup now than in her younger years, even on television. Tess has never opted for cosmetic surgery but invests in skin treatments like Ultratherapy, which lifts and tightens the skin, starting from around £500.

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