A Coffee With… Tess Daly

It’s a strong builder’s tea for me, please. I like getting up earlier than anyone else in my house to make sure I can squeeze in at least two cups before the day gets going. It gives me time to be calm and make some space in my head before anything kicks off.

Lovely thank you – but can you believe it’s February already?! For me, Christmas is a real opportunity to switch off. I switch off my work phone and don’t look at any emails. It was great to have our extended family over, especially after the events of 2020. My girls were delighted to have their grandparents there and their uncle from Dubai. Since Vernon [Kay – Tess’s husband] and I got together 20 years ago, we’ve all spent Christmas together, so it was fantastic to be able to do so again after so much time apart. It made it extra special.

I admit I kind of dread January – even though I know I shouldn’t wish the days away. But I’m just not a fan of the cold. I always picture doing the school run at dawn and chipping ice off the car windscreen. I don’t tend to make resolutions anymore, but I do find it helpful to focus on a few goals to get through January and February. For example, I've committed to two gym sessions with a personal trainer every week – that feels realistic for me nowadays – and I’ve also committed to carving out more time for relaxation as I get older. It’s so important to give ourselves some time out at the beginning and end of each day. Even if it’s just ten minutes with a book. Focusing your mind on something else instead of mentally going through the to-do list for the next day is a sure-fire way to relax.

Definitely – in fact, I’m busy trying to plan a holiday at the moment. Like everyone else, we haven’t been away to enjoy the sun together as a family since early 2020. It’s made us realise that those are the times and the memories that colour our lives. When that gets taken away, it really leaves a void. I love being able to be with Vernon and the girls discovering new places and cultures.

In many ways they’re more self-sufficient. I don’t have to lay their uniforms out anymore! But then, I’ve found that as children get older, they need you in different ways. My eldest, Phoebe, is learning to drive (she passed her theory test last week!) and my younger daughter is about to turn 13. All she wants is to get her ears pierced like her big sister did. Teens are a minefield, so it’s about navigating that period sensitively and tactfully. You don’t want to interfere too much – but you’re still omnipresent. It’s about giving them the advice they need – and I’ve found they’ve tended to ask for it more as they get older – without getting too involved. I’m very lucky, really; they’re great, kind girls.

Couldn’t agree more. By nature, as a mother and as a woman, it doesn’t always feel natural to put yourself first. But I've learnt over the years you can’t look after everyone else by ignoring your own needs. That way leads to burnout. I’m a big believer in nurturing yourself through food – you’ll also be able to encourage your children to develop good habits by providing nutritional meals – but my supplements are also really important to me. For example, I need my Vitabiotics Wellwoman gummies, and the energy drink every day. All those B vitamins… it’s about nurturing yourself form the inside out. What you’re putting in will inevitably show up on the outside – whether it’s lacklustre skin or tired eyes.