NEWS
After Tess Daly opens up about her eldest daughter flying the nest, insiders say she’s struggling to accept how much her family life is about to change
An emotional Tess Dalyspoke last week about being “in denial” as she prepares for a huge upheaval in her family life.
Appearing on the Loose Women panel, the Strictly presenter confessed that she did not want to think about her eldest daughter, Phoebe, 18, fleeing the nest to go to drama school. And when panellist Jane Moore said she couldn’t believe how old Phoebe was, Tess confessed, “I know, same, I’m in denial. She’s not ever leaving, I can’t think about it.”
Now insiders reveal that while Tess is filled with pride that her daughter is moving onto the next chapter in her life, she can’t help but worry about how her absence will change things back home.
ANXIETY
A source tells Closer, “Tess is understandably feeling mixed emotions about Phoebe going off to drama school. She’s incredibly proud and excited for her to experience a new adventure, but still feels upset when she thinks about her leaving the nest and is worried over how the family dynamic at home is set to change.
“Tess is extremely close to Phoebe and, aside from missing her desperately, is feeling a bit anxious and tearful about losing her for good. She fears these will be her last few months at home as she’ll no doubt want to live with friends after drama school, so it feels more like a permanent split.”
Tess, 54, is mum to both Phoebe and younger daughter Amber, 13, with husband Vernon Kay, 48. The showbiz couple will celebrate 20 years of marriage come September, but have endured ups and downs after Vernon was embroiled in a “sexting” scandal when he admitted messaging a glamour model in 2010, seven years after tying the knot with Tess. He was alleged to have tried to make contact again with former Page Three girl, Rhian Sugden, in 2015, though claimed at the time he was “merely trying to find answers to questions that I’ve had since 2010”.
The couple moved on from the drama and have largely kept their daughters out of the limelight, but Phoebe made her red carpet debut last month when she attended the John Wick Chapter 4 UK premiere with her dad.
BBC Radio 2 DJ Vernon has also voiced how strange it feels preparing to send his eldest teenage daughter off to drama school, saying last year, “It’s weird that Phoebe will soon be leaving home because it only feels like two minutes they [she and Amber] were both in nappies.”
