BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Tess Daly real name - and why she changed it

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Tess Daly has been a much-loved addition to screens since she was 17 and a firm favourite on Strictly Come Dancing for 20 years.

She started co-hosting the show alongside the late great Bruce Forsyth until his death in 2017, and now Tess features alongside Claudia Winkleman.

As well as Strictly, she also fronted Smash Hits TV, SMTV Live and Make Me a Supermodel.

The 55-year-old, who is married to presenter Vernon Kay, first got her start in showbiz after being scouted for modelling while waiting for her sister outside McDonald's.

However, it may come as a surprise to fans that the TV icon wasn’t born as Tess, instead it was a moniker she adopted due to her career.

Tess has co-presented since its start in 2004 (Image: BBC)

She was, in fact, born in 1969 as Helen Elizabeth Daly but took on the name Tess to avoid confusion with another model.

However, she never legally changed it out of respect for her parents, Vivian and Sylvia Daly.

She disclosed the reason behind her name change, explaining that when she started modelling at 17, there was already a Helen Davies at her agency.

The name Tess was suggested by her agent who was “obsessed” with actress Nastassja Kinski, star of the 1979 film Tess.

Tess was born Helen Daly (Image: BBC)

The TV star reflected: “So Tess it was. I was gullible and impressionable. Mind you, two weeks later, I was in Japan, then I travelled the world Paris, Milan, New York.

According to OK! She admitted that only one person stubbornly sticks to her real name.

Tess shared: “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.”

She added: “I've never changed it by deed poll or anything because I think it would be disrespectful to my parents.”