As she made her comeback on the hit BBC show she’s fronted for the last 18 years, Tess Daly wowed the 10 million Strictly viewers with her age-defying looks.
The start of Tess’ 13-week stint came shortly after her husband, Vernon Kay, 48 – who she shares daughters, Phoebe, 17, and Amber, 13, with – revealed what a huge impact the talent show has on their lives, dubbing it their “third child.”
In addition to the 53-year-old mum-of-two’s demanding filming schedule over the next three months, she’s also continuing to front her swimwear line, Naia, and last week announced the release of her new lifestyle and wellness book, 4 Steps To A Happier, Healthier You.
And while insiders say fellow presenter Vernon is supportive of his wife’s flourishing career, the increasing workload and hectic schedule have put an added strain on their almost 20-year marriage.
The source says, “Tess is busier and more in-demand than ever and while Vernon is incredibly proud of her, it’s naturally created some cracks in their relationship because it means they’ll be spending less time together and almost living separate lives.
“Vernon is also taking on more of the load at home and even though he is fully supportive of his wife, it’s difficult for him having her around less. There’s also the added stress of having an emptier nest since Phoebe left home for drama school a few weeks ago.
“He and Tess have clearly been under a lot of pressure both emotionally and physically with so much going on at one time and it’s led to tension, which they’ve both blamed on the stress of it all.”
The former model and Radio One presenter has had a successful career since his early days on teen entertainment show, T4 – going on to present a string of hit shows including Play Your Cards Right, All Star Family Fortunes and Game of Talents.
The source says, “There’s obviously a touch of rivalry between them given they’re both in the same industries."
While the couple have managed to sustain an almost 20-year-long marriage, it’s not been plain sailing.
In 2010, they were rocked by revelations Vernon had been secretly sexting glamour model, Rhian Sugden – with the former I’m A Celeb! star publicly apologising and vowing never to contact Rhian again.
And while the next few months are set to repeatedly put their marriage to the test, pals say after weathering two heartbreaking public storms, they have vowed to ensure they continue to put their relationship first.
The source adds, “Tess and Vernon have been through some incredibly tough times over the years and while this is a tough, testing time for them, it’s not a patch on what they’ve been through in the past. They’re adamant that as long as they do whatever it takes to keep making time for one another and supporting each other’s dreams, they’re only going to continue to get even stronger.”