Are you a gadget fiend or a technophobe?
Somewhere in between. I couldn’t live without my iPad and iPhone and never leave home without them.
How has technology changed a TV presenter’s work?
Not hugely. I get scripts emailed to me, rather than biked, which saves trees. I hosted an awards ceremony recently and it was the first time that my script was on an iPad. Sports presenters are doing that more, as it enables them to wander around. I don’t do meetings over Skype, I prefer them in person. I like human contact.
Are you a phone junkie?
I am during working hours but I’m pretty militant at home. During my children’s bathtime, for example, I put my phone out of reach, on silent. Dinner is a no-phone zone too. I was once replying to a text when my five-year-old was in the bath and she said: “Mummy, would you rather be on your phone than listen to me?” It made me realise how distracted we are by technology.
Why did you get involved with the kids’ gaming system LeapTV?
There’s a five-year age gap between my girls but it’s something they can play together and have a brilliant time. I love that it’s educational, active and safe. It lets them practise spelling and maths, it gets them moving, and you can leave them to have screen time, knowing they’re not going to chance across anything dodgy.
Are they big gamers anyway?
They’re totally into it. They’re always hijacking my iPad, although they’re not allowed to take it into their bedrooms. They’ve got to keep it in the communal space – that’s one of the rules in our house.About 80% of the apps on my phone and iPad are theirs. My screens are always cracked from drops or covered in sticky fingerprints. I’m always having to delete stuff because they’ve filled up the memory.
Were you into gaming as a kid?
Only Snakes & Ladders (laughs).
Are you an Apple addict?
Yep, but my husband [fellow TV presenter Vernon Kay] is a big advocate of Samsung, so we’ve got a lot of that too.
What’s your most expensive gadget? A Samsung telly that is all bells and whistles. It’s gigantic. Vernon chose it, naturally. I might have picked a smaller one myself but you know what men are like with their sport. It takes up half the living room. It’s probably large as life – about the size of a football pitch (laughs).
Do you have flash kitchen gadgets?
I bought a posh coffee machine last month. Have I used it? Have I heck. It’s so much easier to pop the kettle on. And I shudder to think how many juicers I’ve bought and never used.
Do you love or loathe social media?
It’s ridiculous, I’m about the last person to get involved with Twitter but I finally have. I’ve only sent about 150 tweets – I need to get more active. I’m going to start Instagramming too.Get me! The whole over-sharing notion was a bit hard for me to get my head around but I’m slowly getting with the programme. Better late than never. I don’t want to become too much of a nanna (laughs).
Do you use textspeak or emojis?
I’m quite fond of the odd smiley face, occasionally a wink, but that’s as far as it goes.
What’s your favourite app?
I love Flixster. And I’m obsessed with WhatsApp – it’s changed my life. My sister lives in New Zealand, she’s a teacher, and texting all the time was expensive. Now with WhatsApp, I’ll wake up to photos and videos of her and my nephew. We’re in touch daily now, rather than once in a blue moon. We’re also into Video Star. It lets my girls make their own pop videos – choose a track, special effects, backdrops, then mime along and dance. Dead cool. You can edit them so easily, even my five-year-old can do it. I would’ve loved it when I was a kid.
Do you ever star in these masterpieces?
Occasionally. Reluctantly. Only when they put the iPad in front of my face and say, “Go on, Mum, do something! Dance!”
What gadget would you like to see invented?
The ultimate massage machine. Massages are a guilty pleasure but never as pleasurable as you hope. So I’d like something that you lie on and it feels like real hands massaging you. Maybe it can make me a cup of tea and rub my feet at the same time – for those occasions when my husband won’t do it for me.
Sounds like you need a robot husband.
Yes! That’s exactly what I need. (laughs)
Where would you go via time travel?
The Tudor period. My daughter’s studying Henry VIII at school, so the whole family have got into it. It’s all so barbaric and fascinating.
Do you ever Google yourself?
Never have, never will. There lies the road to destruction.
Do you have any trouble with trolls?
Not really. Everyone seems very friendly on Twitter. But you’ve got to let anything like that wash over you, get on with your job and enjoy your life.
Quick questions: alarm clock or mobile?
Mobile, but I want an alarm clock so I can turn my mobile off at night. Maybe I’ll ask Santa for an old-fashioned alarm clock with bells on.
Online banking or in the branch?
Neither. On the phone.
Kindle or paperback?
Paperback. I love to hold a book, gaze at the cover, flick through the pages. It’s relaxing.
Self-service supermarket checkouts or manned?
Manned. Self-service tills never work and you end up asking for help anyway. Besides, I quite like chatting to people in the supermarket. We talk about Strictly. Sad as I am, I genuinely enjoy talking about it at every opportunity.
You worked with Bruce Forsyth for a decade . How tech-savvy was he?
Surprisingly savvy, actually. I remember him getting his first iPad and he was thrilled with it. Until then, he hadn’t been doing email, he’d been doing fax (laughs).
How about your new co-host Claudia Winkleman?
Yeah, Claud’s pretty techie. We text each other all the time.
Has technology improved your life?
Definitely. It allows you to use your time more productively. If I’ve got an hour hanging around on-set, I can answer emails or pay bills. I find it convenient to work on the go and tailor-make my schedule, especially as a mother of young children. When they go to bed is when I do a lot of my work and technology makes all that possible. On the flipside, we’re available at all hours and our time is no longer ours. We get more done but we can’t turn off. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Would you like to try Google Glass?
It doesn’t really appeal to me. Not just aesthetically but it’d feel cumbersome. I’d rather touch than see. But you never know, I might try it and be a convert.
What’s the first thing you’d make on a 3D printer?
What? Tell me about this, I’ve never even heard of it. [We briefly explain 3D printing] Oh my God, it’s a revelation. I’m going to be a proper nanna if I’m not careful. Wow. Honestly, I’m going to Google it when you’ve gone and have a proper look. This is the future. The Fifth Element is coming! (Laughs)
Tess Daly is an ambassador for LeapTV, the first educational active video gaming system designed for children. Suitable for those aged 3-8.
