BBC Radio Two presenter Vernon Kay has congratulated his wife, Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess Daly, for being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
The 56-year-old has been recognised alongside her Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman in the King’s Birthday Honours for her services to broadcasting.
Kay, who has two children with Daly who he married in 2003, also praised Winkleman and the Strictly team for “consistently producing the best show every year”.
Posting a series of photographs on Instagram, Kay said: “Well what can we say!!! Congratulations @tessdaly on your MBE.
“All the hard work and huge effort you put into everything you do has been recognised by the King.
“Being on Strictly from the start when our babies weren’t even born just proves how well you’ve done. Now they’re almost 21 and 16 and we’ve all enjoyed this journey together!!
“Also, bravo everyone at @bbcstrictly and @claudiawinkle for consistently producing the best show every year!! Time to pop a cork me thinks…”
Daly began working as a model and first appeared on screens in 1999 when she hosted The Big Breakfast’s Find Me A Model competition on Channel 4.
She reached new levels of fame as co-host of the BBC One Saturday night dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing, which she presented alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth until 2014, three years before his death at the age of 89.
Traitors presenter Winkleman joined Daly as Strictly co-host, with the pair picking up the best entertainment award at the 2024 Bafta TV ceremony.
On being made MBE, Daly told the PA News Agency: “I cried when I opened the letter, because I just I couldn’t believe it.
“It feels like the most wonderful honour, because when you work as a broadcaster, you’re part of people’s viewing habits.
“Broadcasting is without a doubt a collective effort. I’ve been really fortunate to work with some of the very best production teams that there are in the business. And so my biggest thanks is to them, because you’re only as good as your team.”
The broadcaster also presented the ITV makeover show, Home On Their Own in 2003, replacing Ulrika Jonsson, and in 2011 fronted the BBC Two documentary TV Greats: Our Favourites From The North where she took a look at Manchester’s broadcasting past as BBC North bid farewell to its studios in the city to move to Salford.
Across her career she has interviewed stars including Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, rock band No Doubt and US musician Lenny Kravitz.
