Tess Daly previously opened up on her time as a model (Image: BBC/Matt Holyoak)Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxMore Newsletters SubscribePlease enter a valid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.More NewslettersWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More infoThank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow me See OurPrivacy Notice See OurPrivacy Notice×Group 28 Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inboxInvalid emailSomething went wrong, please try again later.Sign UpNo thanks, closeWe use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. More info×Group 28Thank you for subscribing!We have more newslettersShow MeNo thanks, closeSee our
Privacy NoticeLooking out at the breathtaking Tokyo skyline from a swanky bar, during an interview which took place in 2013, Tess Daly was far from her humble beginnings in a quiet Derbyshire village. During the interview, she reflected back to her younger years, when she was on the cusp of an exciting and lucrative modelling career. At the time her modelling career kicked off, the star was in her teens, and was much less confident than the Tess we know as the polished presenter of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. At a high-end fashion event, amidst a crowd of gorgeous and composed individuals, Tess sensed that something was amiss.
Tess has been hosting Strictly since 2004
(Image: BBC)
It was only when she noticed the empty stares and hollow expressions that she realised the extent of drug abuse in the industry she was passionate about, reports the Daily Record. In the interview which took place over a decade ago, Tess recalled: “I remember seeing supermodels hand-in-hand heading to the toilets all the time.” There were occasions, too, when I would go out to clubs and the models offered me drugs. I witnessed a lot of it.” Now a mother to two daughters Phoebe, (19), who was seven at the time the interview took place, and Amber (14), who was three at the time, Tess said she often thinks about the potential dangers they might face. She openly acknowledged the intense pressure she faced to indulge in drugs and her uncertainty about how to handle it. In those days, taking substances like cocaine seemed almost mandatory for blending in, especially with your model agent, who was pivotal in getting you work and essentially controlled your destiny. Tess revealed: “I was like, ‘Hang on a bit, what do we do here in this situation?’, because you need your agent on your side and to like you as a friend and not just another girl on their books. When they’re putting you up for the great jobs, you want to be at the forefront of their mind. You need to socialise with them because if you do, you get the work.” However, Tess stood firm and never considered going down that self-destructive path. She said: “I was never tempted to go through the bathroom door and do it. It wasn’t what I was about and, if I did, I knew it was a rocky road and would end in tears.” Some girls could get away with that but for me it would have spelled disaster.”
Tess got scouted just before starting her A-Levels
(Image: Rex)
Many other models fell prey to the pressures. Time and time again, Tess would arrive at early-morning shoots and be shocked by the gaunt faces. She said: “The girls didn’t look great on it. I couldn’t understand how they expected to turn up for work at 7am and look fresh-faced when they’d been up all night partying.” Anorexia was also a constant presence in the fitting-rooms and Tess was left heartbroken, but ultimately helpless, when some of her closest friends were struck by the eating disorder. She said: “I had a couple of flatmates who just simply wouldn’t eat and I had never come across that before. It was hugely upsetting to witness someone destroying themselves and not being able to change their mind. I felt so helpless. They were these level-headed, beautiful, down-to-earth, intelligent girls but they just wouldn’t eat. It just didn’t make sense as they were slowly killing themselves. I did what I could to help but there’s only so much you can do because it’s a disease that needs to be treated.”
Strictly Come Dancing is currently airing its 20th season
(Image: BBC)
Growing up in Birch Vale, a village in Derbyshire, Tess’s parents Vivian and Sylvia worked long hours at a textile factory and instilled strong values in their children. Tess revealed: “Just before I started A-levels, I got spotted and the seed was planted. The idea of foreign travel seemed exotic as I had only been abroad once in my life on a school skiing trip. My mum and dad were very against it at the beginning they were petrified and I fought them about it. But ultimately, and reluctantly, they allowed me to go.” Despite initial financial struggles particularly in pricey Japan she embraced the nomadic lifestyle and work opportunities came pouring in. Tess, who starred in music videos for 80s pop sensations Duran Duran and The Beloved’s 1993 hit Sweet Harmony, shared her experiences of the modelling industry. She said: “I suddenly got magazine covers, TV commercials and advertising campaigns. Finally, after two years, I could show my mum and dad that modelling was lucrative.” She continued: “I moved to Paris, London, then New York and met some incredible people.” She also revealed she found herself rubbing shoulders with A-list celebrities, saying: “Sometimes you had to pinch yourself and ask, ‘What’s a girl from the Peak District doing here?'”Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnTess DalyStrictly Come Dancing
