Tess Daly and Vernon Kay were in high spirits this weekend during their first joint appearance since shocking the public with news of their separation. The former Strictly Come Dancing host, 57, and BBC Radio 2 presenter, 52, have been married for over two decades and share two daughters, Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16.
For years, they have been regarded as one of the nation's golden couples, often seen together on red carpets and supporting each other's careers. From Vernon sitting proudly in the audience of Tess's final Strictly show to co-hosting The One Show in February, their bond seemed unshakeable. So when they released a statement last week announcing their divorce, it caught the public off guard.
Despite swirling claims about the 'real reasons' for the breakup, Tess and Vernon are determined to maintain a united front. Photos captured them at Pub in the Park on Saturday afternoon at Higginson Park in Marlow. The food and music festival featured live cooking demos and Michelin-star dishes, with performances from Craig David, McFly, Jools Holland, Gabrielle, and more.
Onlookers reported that the former couple looked 'super happy and friendly.' The Family Fortunes star was seen drinking beers while Tess enjoyed 'English sparkling wine from Chapel Down.' 'They seemed super relaxed, chatty, and happy together,' an onlooker told the Daily Mail. 'They were seen strolling about, eating food from George & The Dragon and Tommy's Pie Shop. Both even stopped to pose with fans and then went to have a boogie to Craig David. Tess let her hair down and was seen dancing away. Vernon doing typical dad moves!'
They were more than happy to give their time to fans, taking selfies in the tents and posing alongside actor Will Mellor backstage. Vernon was even wearing his wedding ring, following claims that he and Tess decided to 'keep it classy' by raising a glass of champagne for a toast at their family mansion when dropping their split bombshell.
It is believed they are still living together at their sprawling Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, property while planning the next steps. Some sources say there has been 'no big fallout' and both parties 'only want the best for each other' after 'gradually growing apart.' However, other friends close to the couple paint a different picture.
'Tess isn't as chilled about the split as is being put out there,' revealed one insider. 'She has gone along with the announcement and has publicly remained silent, but in fact she isn't very happy at all with Vernon.' It is claimed that the ghost of Vernon's past infidelity still looms, with glamour model Rhian Sugden, whom he admitted to messaging for months behind his wife's back, remaining 'a constant in their marriage.'
'Tess tried so hard to get over it at the time. It took everything out of her to move on and forget about Rhian,' the insider added. This follows Vernon's own father's remarks that it is '100% rubbish' that his son is looking for love again already, shutting down the prospect that anyone else was 'involved' in the split.
In 2010, headlines erupted after Vernon was exposed for sending explicit messages to 'four or five women,' one being Rhian, whom he had met at a nightclub in Bolton, for four months. At the time, his representatives insisted his relationship with Rhian was not physical, but he still grovelled live on the Radio 1 show he hosted. Revealing that his wife was 'extremely upset,' Vernon apologised, declaring himself an 'idiot' and vowing to 'never do it again.'
'I've let down my wife, Tess. I'm an idiot,' he said live to thousands of listeners. 'I've been stupid and daft, but I'm not a sex pest.' He added: 'In some ways, I'm glad this story has come out. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders.'
In the aftermath, Tess stuck by him, telling The One Show a month later that they had 'two beautiful kids,' and while it was a hard thing to deal with publicly, they had already had '10 great years together.' In 2017, Tess referenced the scandal again and said their marriage was always 'a work in progress.'
Meanwhile, Rhian, now 39 and married with a son to former Coronation Street actor Oliver Mellor, made no secret of how the ordeal 'ruined' her life. 'I felt like I was going up and up with my career, and then that came along. I wish I'd never met him,' she expressed on a Channel 4 documentary, admitting it 'made [her] feel sick' to know Vernon 'just got to carry on.'
While Vernon told his I'm A Celebrity campmates in 2020 that the scandal was 'in the past' and that he and Tess had 'moved on,' latest whispers suggest perhaps it was not 'forgotten about' entirely after all.
