Tess Daly Returns to BBC Screens as Co‑Host of The One Show with Vernon Kay
tess daly made a surprise return to television on Wednesday, joining her husband Vernon Kay to present a live edition of The One Show. The appearance is notable because it is her first outing since stepping down from Strictly Come Dancing and the couple's first time hosting together in almost two decades.
Tess Daly Joins Vernon Kay on The One Show
Vernon Kay opened the Wednesday broadcast by welcoming viewers to the live edition on One and iPlayer and revealed he would be presenting alongside his wife. He introduced her as “TV royalty” and joked she would keep him “in check. ” Tess Daly responded that she was thrilled to be on the programme and described it as “such a special show, ” before helping to introduce the night’s guests.
February 25 live edition and altered line‑up
The broadcast took place on February 25, 2026. Kay explained that regular presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp were not on the programme because they were at Windsor Castle filming the 's 500 Words, and that is why he and Tess were in the studio together for the night.
Connection to Strictly Come Dancing and final appearance
The One Show appearance marks Tess Daly's first on the since her final appearance as host on Strictly Come Dancing during the programme’s Christmas special. Daly, 56, left the One dance show after what has been described as a remarkable 21‑year stint; she first began presenting the programme in 2004 alongside Sir Bruce Forsyth. Claudia Winkleman later stepped into the role after Forsyth’s exit in 2014. Daly and Winkleman had publicly confirmed their joint decision to step away from Strictly last October posted on Instagram that said they had loved working as a duo, that hosting Strictly had been “an absolute dream, ” and that they would leave together at the right time. Their statement thanked the and the production team, added that they expected to be moved when they said the last “keep dancing, ” and joked they might continue to say it to one another at home “just possibly in tracksuit bottoms at home while holding some pizza. ”
Guests and on‑air moments: Jessie Buckley, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha
During the episode the presenters were joined by a guest line‑up that included Jessie Buckley, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Bridgerton actors Luke Thompson and Yerin Ha. Tess mentioned her former role on Strictly when asking Buckley and Gyllenhaal about the dancing and choreography they had to learn for Buckley’s upcoming film The Bride. The One Show's social account noted the hosts were presenting together for the first time in nearly 20 years and flagged the evening’s stars.
Public reaction, social posts and memories of the couple
Viewers reacted strongly on social platforms. Tweets and posts ranged from admiration—“Tess Daly is looking so radiant on tonight's #TheOneShow. I refuse to believe she is 56. ”—to surprise: “Seeing Tess Daly on a TV show other then Strictly feels very weird. We'll have to get used to this now she's left. ” One post celebrated the pairing: “Loving @TessDaly and @vernonkay together on the One Show. ” Several viewers noted this was the first time the pair had presented together as a married couple in just under 20 years, and others described it as the first time in 20 years or nearly 20 years, language that was used across the reactions.
Personal history and additional context
The couple originally met when Kay was presenting Channel 4's T4 and Daly was fronting SMTV on ITV; their romance began shortly after meeting on T4. Vernon Kay has described his wife as his partner of more than two decades, introducing her as his wife of 22 years during the broadcast, and other coverage notes the pair tied the knot in 2003. Daly and Winkleman’s final Glitterball winners on Strictly were the footballer Karen Carney and Carlos Gu. At that final a message from Queen Camilla was read out by long‑time judge Craig Revel Horwood; the message praised the pair’s warmth, compassion and partnership and concluded with an exhortation to “Keeeeeep dancing!” The audience reaction included gasps when it emerged the message had come from Camilla.
Producers have not announced who will replace Daly and Winkleman on Strictly; Alex Jones has been named as a firm favourite to take on presenting duties. The One Show continues to air each weekday at 7pm on BBC1.
What makes this notable is the convergence of several timelines: Daly’s exit from a two‑decade association with Strictly, the couple’s return to joint broadcasting after nearly 20 years, and a live studio slot that coincided with Alex Jones and Roman Kemp’s absence for the ’s 500 Words assignment at Windsor Castle.
