Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly (born 29 March 1969) is an English model and television presenter who co-presented the BBC One celebrity dancing show Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2013; she has been the show's main presenter since 2014. Early life Daly was born on 29 March 1969 to textile-factory workers Felix James "Vivian" Daly (1932–2003), who died of emphysema, and Sylvia (née Bradley), and grew up in Birch Vale near New Mills, Derbyshire. She attended Hayfield Primary School and New Mills Secondary School, where she gained nine O-levels. She has a younger sister, Karen. Daly is of English and Irish descent. Career Modelling Daly was scouted outside a McDonald's restaurant while waiting for her sister in Manchester. When Daly began her modelling career, there was already a model named "Helen Daly" so she was asked to reconsider her name. Daly's agent was infatuated with Nastassja Kinski from the film Tess and told her that she should change her name to "Tess". Daly later recalled that she was "gullible and impressionable". She has not officially changed her name by deed poll because she thinks it would be disrespectful to her parents. Six weeks after she turned 18 she undertook her first professional modelling job in Tokyo. After a series of work assignments across Asia and Europe while based in London, she was based in Paris for five years. She then returned to London for six months, before moving to New York for work for five years. In 1990, Daly appeared in two Duran Duran videos for the songs "Serious" and "Violence of Summer (Love's Taking Over)", both from the album Liberty. She also appeared nude in the video for The Beloved's 1993 song "Sweet Harmony". She was later the face of Danone Shape yogurt and also of lingerie company La Senza in the UK and appeared in their Steal the Show Christmas 2009 campaign. Television While Daly was living on the Lower East Side in New York City, a friend who arranged red carpet events suggested that she interview the celebrity attendees. After buying a video camera, Daly's first interview was with New York-based Quentin Crisp, author of The Naked Civil Servant, who became a friend until his death. After a few red carpet interviews, in 2000, she sent a showreel to the producers of Channel 4's The Big Breakfast, who immediately contracted her to host the Find Me a