Was this Tess and Vernon’s last chance to save their marriage? Stars jetted away to sunshine paradise (where they avoided sharing snaps of each other)… now their marriage is over

Could Tess Daly and Vernon Kay’s sunny Caribbean trip just three weeks ago be the last chance to save their 23-year marriage?

The couple announced their separation on Friday, admitting they were pained by the decision but determined to continue being supportive parents to their daughters Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16.

Despite both jetting off to the island paradise, Tess, 57, and Vernon, 52, have refrained from sharing photos of each other on their social media pages.

Instead, they opted to pose alongside their eldest daughter Phoebe, who joined them on the luxury trip to promote Tess’ Naia Beach swimwear brand.

Gone are the couple’s once-glamorous selfies, where Tess chose to show the back of Vernon’s head as he sat on the beach before heading to the sea.

Vernon captioned his update: ‘I’m so grateful to have had a wonderful sunny week…And proud to rock the men’s swimsuits.

The couple announced their separation on Friday, admitting they were pained by the decision but determined to continue supporting their daughter.

‘I’m biased because they’re a Tess Daly design, but these are the most comfortable shorts I’ve ever had while drinking rum!! (And swimming of course!!).’

But despite praising his wife for her design skills, he still failed to share any photos from his getaway.

The former Strictly Come Dancing presenter and Radio DJ said in a joint announcement that they had reached a mutual agreement to go their separate ways, but friends of the couple said they were both still at their marital home in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, yesterday.

The couple wrote: ‘After much consideration, we have decided to part amicably, with a deep sense of concern and respect for each other.

‘This has not been an easy choice, but it comes from a mutual understanding and shared desire for what is best for both of us. We remain great friends and most importantly, we are fully committed to our roles as loving and supportive parents, which will always be our priority.

‘There is no other party that agrees with this decision. We request confidentiality during this period. ‘We will be making no further public comment.’

But while it may have come as a surprise to outsiders, sources close to Tess and Vernon say they spent a “significant” time coming to the decision and their daughter was “fully involved” in the discussions.

‘Tess and Vernon are really happy right now,’ a friend told the Daily Mails’ Katie Hind.

Despite both jetting off to the island paradise, Tess, 57, and Vernon, 52, have refrained from sharing photos of each other on their social media pages.

Instead, they opted to pose alongside their eldest daughter Phoebe, who joined them on the luxury trip to promote Tess’ Naia Beach swimwear brand.

Gone are the couple’s once-glamorous selfies, in which Tess chose to show only the back of Vernon’s head as he sat on the beach.

Vernon and Phoebe then set off for the sea

In a heartbreaking statement, the pair announced that they had decided to separate after ‘much thought and a deep sense of care and respect for each other’.

‘For now they still live together but this will of course change in the near future. The girls were a big part of the decision. They had grown apart, as different as when they first met. They accepted this and decided that life would be better if they separated.’

They’re both in their 50s, they have a lot of time left, and they decided they’d be happier if they weren’t together, so they did. Everything is very, very friendly. They have been through so much together, so many happy moments.

‘They’ve been laughing for over twenty years and are immensely proud of their daughter, but they know it’s best to separate.’

Sources say it is understood there was no third party involved and divorce lawyers have not yet been instructed, but the plan is to address this in the future.

Tess previously claimed she wanted to be “selfish” and have an “adult year” just a day before her split from Vernon was confirmed.

The former Strictly Come Dancing presenter, who quit her coveted role on the BBC show after years of prioritizing work, is said to be ‘desperate to see the world’ after 21 years on the show.

But while it may have come as a surprise to outsiders, sources close to Tess and Vernon say they spent a ‘significant’ time coming to the decision.’ Image 2024

Sources said Tess had hoped to go away ‘for a year’ but Vernon would only be able to travel for a few weeks due to work commitments.

They said: ‘Tess has always put Vernon and the girls first and now she wants to be a bit selfish and make the most of their situation and her newfound freedom.’

Source added closer magazine: ‘He has been working since his teens and has never had the opportunity to travel. Even though he knows how lucky he is, he feels like he’s been kidnapped.

‘Vernon says they can’t do it all year long because it’s a Radio 2 show, but he likes the idea of ​​flying away for weeks and then coming home.’

The couple started dating in the early 2000s, when Tess was hosting the SMTV children’s show and Vernon was a model trying to become a television presenter.

They were widely seen as a cheerful, carefree couple; They had a VW camper van as their wedding car when they married at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Horwich, near Bolton, where Vernon grew up.

They were considered one of the strongest marriages in show business, despite Vernon being caught ‘having sex’ with model Rhian Sugden in 2010.

Tess was devastated to discover Vernon had been messaging Rhian, 39, after meeting her at a nightclub in Bolton.

Although they did not have a sexual relationship, a distraught Tess fought to save their marriage and eventually forgave him.

Rhian later spoke about the scandal in Channel 4 documentary Page Three: The Naked Truth. He said: ‘He just got over it. It ruined everything for me. I felt like I was moving up in my career and then this came along. I wish I had never met him. He had to apologize on the radio and ironically went on to do Family Fortunes. ‘This still makes me sick.’

Vernon also admitted sending flirty messages to ‘four or five girls’ during the same period.

‘I disappointed my wife Tess. ‘I’m an idiot,’ he admitted live. ‘I was stupid and stupid, but I’m not a sex pest.’ Vernon’s extramarital activities not only ruined Tess but also saw his career suffer. Once ITV’s golden boy, he lost his job hosting Family Fortunes and struggled to find high-profile, gainful employment.

Their departure comes just five months after Tess hosted her last Strictly, which she had run with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth since its inception in 2004.

Even in the final series, Vernon was a regular at Elstree Studios, where the show was held, to support his wife. A friend of Tess said: ‘Within six or seven months everything changed for her. He’s happy.’

Last month Vernon opened up about his family’s ‘changing’ dynamic as he insisted he and Tess’ daughters would never be spoiled with nepo babies.

He said he and his ex-wife always instilled a strong work ethic in their daughters and encouraged them to “go out and do corruption.”

‘Now that Phoebe is 21 and Amber is almost 17, our relationship with them is changing. ‘We talk about encouraging them to leave the nest and become independent, but we don’t actually want that.’

Phoebe explained that she feared for the couple’s children, recalling the horror of the increase in drinking when she was old enough to go clubbing.

‘You have to learn to enter their world, and this world has traps that don’t exist for us.’