STRICTLY SECRET
‘Can’t look at her the same, I feel lied to’ Strictly Come Dancing fans gasp after discovering Tess Daly’s REAL name
Scroll down to find out how the TV host stays looking so young
TESS Daly fans have been left totally stunned after finding out the Strictly Come Dancing host’s real name.
The 55-year-old had fans gobsmacked, after discovering that she was actually born Helen but changed her name to Tess at the start of her modelling career.
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Romilly Jane, a 21-year-old from Manchester, took to social media to share her shock after discovering the star’s real name.
Whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing, the brunette beauty shook her head and covered her mouth in shock.
As she zoomed into her TV screen to give her followers a close-up look at the blonde TV host, Romilly wrote: “Me after finding out that Tess Daly’s real name is Helen.”
Clearly flabbergasted, she claimed: “Can't look at her the same now, I feel lied to.”
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Tess, who is famed for co-hosting the BBC dancing competition, Strictly, alongside Claudia Winkleman, 52, previously explained that when she started work as a model aged 17, there was a model called 'Helen Davies' on the books of her agency.
As a result, she was told to change her name because it was too similar.
But Tess shared that she has never officially changed her moniker because it would be "disrespectful" to her parents.
She also claimed that her mother Sylvia is the only person still using the old name.
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The presenter previously told : "My mum's really the only person who still calls me Helen, and that's not often.
"She tends to call me 'love', so when she does say 'Helen' it can take me a while to respond."
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She added: "My agent was obsessed with [the actress] Nastassja Kinski at the time, who was in the film Tess, and thought I looked like her.
"So Tess it was. I was gullible and impressionable. Mind you, two weeks later I was in Japan then travelled the world. Paris, Milan, New York."
How does Tess Daly stay looking young?
SHE shines every Saturday night as she takes to the BBC ballroom to host Strictly Come Dancing – a job she’s had since the very first series in 2004.
But almost two decades on, 55-year-old presenter Tess Daly has never looked better and has managed to not only keep ageing at bay, but somehow look years younger.
While Tess has a naturally slim physique – she’s a former teen model who worked in New York City – she’s also found exactly what works for her.
And that means that in the past twenty years, Tess, who also hosts other big BBC shows like Children in Need, has perfected the products in her make-up bag and skincare cupboard.
She’s also upped her fashion game further and steps out with her skin always glowing – something that’s not just down to the infamous Strictly tan.
But what does Tess. who has two daughters with fellow TV star husband Vernon Kay, swear by, and what is her skincare, diet and exercise regime really like?
WHAT SKINCARE PRODUCTS DOES TESS USE?
Tess credits her mum, Sylvia, with teaching her the importance of a good skincare routine from an early age.
She said in a previous interview: “When it comes to cleansing, I use micellar water with a cotton pad to take my make-up off.
“I also wouldn't dream of going to bed without moisturising and in the morning I moisturise after I cleanse because dry skin as we know looks a lot more aged than moisturised, luminous-looking skin.”
In the chat with Evoke, Tess also said that while her products change from time to time, she had started to use Clarins Super Restorative Day Cream, which can be bought from for £77.
Other products she’s raved about in the past include Estee Lauder's Instant Refinishing Facial Exfoliating Cream, which she revealed she used a couple of times a week.
The product, which costs around £44 promises to “softly buff dead skin and debris with micro-refined particles, refining texture and renewing clarity and radiance.”
They add: “[The] active extracts and nutrients work to boost moisture levels, visibly softening the look of pores and wrinkles.”
WHAT EXERCISE DOES TESS DO?
Despite presenting the most famous dancing show on TV, Tess’ exercise regime is less ballroom and latin and more yoga and skipping.
The star said she used to exercise on a more “ad-hoc” basis, before now doing it much more regularly.
Her favourite exercises include yoga – particularly a class she can do at home in between working and running a busy household.
She explained: “I love Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. I've tried others but I just keep going back to her because she has a solution for everything I'm feeling.
"If I skip it for, say, three days in a row, I start to feel twitchy – as though I've missed doing something that's good for me. I actually feel more flexible now.”
The mum-of-two has also revealed she works with a personal trainer called Sam Shaw.
Between the two of them they’ve come up with a tailored fitness plan for Tess, who prefers morning
Her trainer told Women’s Health: “We usually train in the morning to get her ready to take on her day with a winning mindset after smashing training.”
They get stuck into a varied line-up of workouts from intermittent skipping to get her heart rate up to jumping on a mini-trampoline. And Sam said her rest days are also important, as she usually has two a week.
WHAT DIET DOES TESS FOLLOW?
Tess has previously opened up about following a healthy, balanced diet, full of nutritious items.
After reading a book called The Food Pharmacy by Jean Carper which she picked up at a flea market in New York, Tess said she started to think about food differently.
She explained: “It was all about using food as an equivalent to medicine – for example, something as basic as rubbing half a garlic clove on a piece of sourdough bread and pouring olive oil on it.
“That kind of thing is brilliant for your bloodstream and your immune system.”
Since, she’s adapted this for her own busy lifestyle, and opened up about the dishes she likes to rustle up for both her and her family.
Speaking about what she typically has for breakfast, Tess previously told Getthegloss.com: “Sometimes I have a power smoothie or juice but mostly I like Greek yoghurt with a handful of frozen blueberries.
“I microwave them and make a puree to put on top of the yoghurt. It's like having pudding for breakfast – divine – or I'll have a banana on toast with honey.”
But she also revealed that the key is, you guessed it, enjoying everything in moderation. And she’ll never hold herself back if she fancies a treat.
Tess added: "At the weekend, I'll cook us all a nice big veggie breakfast with lots of eggs and grilled tomatoes. Lunch is usually a sandwich – I love bread, I would never ever give that up.”
Tess, who is married to Vernon Kay, 50, and mother to two teenage daughters - 19-year-old Phoebe and 14-year-old Amber, continued: "I've never changed it by deed poll or anything because I think it would be disrespectful to my parents."
FANS LEFT STUNNED
Romilly’s TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ just one day ago, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly amassed a jaw-dropping 229,800 views.
Tess Daly fans were left gobsmacked at the news and many were keen to express their confusion in the comments.
Feel a tad betrayed
TikTok user
One person said: “Been watching her since I was tiny and never knew.”
Another added: “I have so many questions.”
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A third commented: “What the actual heck. HUHHH??”
Whilst someone else posted: “When was this discovered?!”
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At the same time, another fan wrote: “Well I never, thanks for the info!!”
Not only this, but another Tess lover confessed: “Feel a tad betrayed.”
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