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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Frances Kindon & Zahna Eklund

Strictly star Kaye Adams' 'sick' lie about age left daughter heartbroken

Loose Women star Kaye Adams is taking to the dancefloor on this year's Strictly Come Dancing, after previously claiming she "didn't think she was young or glamorous enough" for the glitzy show.

And it isn't the first time age has been a problem for the 59-year-old presenter - as she once told her daughter she was 10 years younger than she actually is, and kept up the lie for more than a decade.

Kaye - who has Charley, 20, and Bonnie, 15, with her long-term partner Ian Campbell - invented a fake date of birth which she memorised just in case her eldest daughter questioned her, and only confessed the truth to Charley when she turned 12.

Speaking recently about the complex lie, the presenter, who turns 60 in December, admitted it was "pathetic" but said she "did it without thinking".

Kaye Adams with her daughters, Charley and Bonnie (UGC)
She has two children with her partner Ian Campbell (UGC)

She confessed: "It's pathetic but I lopped off 10 years and merrily lied away, including a fake date of birth which I had off pat. I'm generally an honest person but I've always been a good liar and parents lie all the time to little children.

"At the time I did it without thinking – it's just a stupid habit you get into and think it's funny. But now when I look back, I think, 'Oh my God, you were sick.' "

Kaye, who was 40 when her first daughter was born, said she began to feel "uncomfortable" with her lie by the time Charley was 12, and decided to come clean - but was baffled when the youngster failed to see the funny side.

Kaye is competing in this year's Strictly Come Dancing (PA)
Her dance partner is Kai Widdrington (PA)

She added: "By the time she got to around 12 I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. So I broke the truth to her in a coffee shop, which was a lot more traumatic than I thought it would be.

"I thought she'd think it was funny but she was genuinely disappointed in me. I'll never forget her little face, I feel terrible, she was so shocked. She had it in her head I was the same age as her friends' parents and suddenly I wasn't and that rocked her."

The presenter has even tried to hide her age from her Loose Women colleagues in the past.

Kaye even hid her age from her Loose Women co-stars (S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She will be turning 60 in December (S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

"They all think I’m absolutely pathetic," she admitted, "Nadia [Sawalha] stole my driving licence at one point. Inside I was thinking, 'I've got to be a good sport about this', but I struggled to smile."

Thankfully, Kaye's daughter has since forgiven her for her fib, and has even teamed up with her younger sister Bonnie to give her mum some advice on how to handle the Strictly judging panel.

Kaye - who is partnered with pro dancer Kai Widdrington - said her girls told her: "Don't have any of your smart comments for the judges. Just shut up!"

What do you think of this year's Strictly lineup? Have your say in the comments section below...

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