Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inbox We have more newsletters Get daily celeb exclusives and behind the scenes house tours direct to your inbox We have more newsletters Tess Daly opened up on her immense grief following the death of her father, admitting that she was "completely broken up on the inside" while filming Strictly Come Dancing . The presenter struggled with grief after losing her dad, Vivian Daly, who passed away from emphysema in 2003. In an unearthed interview from 2006, Tess spoke about experiencing deep pain, despite landing the nickname 'Miss Sunshine' by her former Strictly Come Dancing co-host, the late Bruce Forsyth.
She told the Mirror : "It's strange how people have this idea of you that is so far removed from reality. There's no such thing as 'having it all'. Life is full of downs as well as ups and I've certainly not had a charmed existence.
"The show that turned things round for me was Strictly Come Dancing , but no one had any idea how torn up I was when I did that very first show. Yes, I made sure I looked the part and laughed and did everything I had to do, but I was completely broken up on the inside." Landing the role on Strictly shortly after her father's death was bittersweet for Tess, but she knew it was a show he would have adored watching her present.
"My dad loved ballroom dancing. He got me into it when I was a kid. It was his sort of thing - old-fashioned, graceful.
He just loved it. Everything.