Appearing on a recent episode of the Good Food podcast, Tess Daly admitted that there is one word that she won’t allow to be uttered in her and husband Vernon Kay’s home.
The TV presenter, who has hosted Strictly Come Dancing for the last 20 years, explained her decision to ban her husband and two daughters from uttering the word ‘diet’ in their home.
She said: “I’m a mother of teenage daughters and I will not use that word diet because I do think that diets are not sustainable in the long term.
“Yes, I believe in a healthy diet, I believe in adopting a healthy nutritional meal plan that works for you, based on whole foods.”
Explaining the decision further, Tess stressed the importance of keeping a healthy mindset towards food, adding:”Moderation is everything, isn’t it?
“The minute we start to deny ourselves a little bit of what we fancy, whether that’s a chocolate bar in the afternoon, or a burger, if we start to deny ourselves it becomes a mind game, there’s just no point playing that game.”
Tess, who married Vernon in 2003, emphasised the importance of occasionally treating yourself to more stereotypically unhealthy foods.
She shared: “I do also believe in allowing yourself a sweet treat occasionally, a little bit of what you fancy. Because if you don’t, then you will not maintain the rest.
“It will fall by the wayside, because we’re lazy creatures, we want the easy option and it has to be practical and sustainable.”
Meanwhile, following the recent controversies surrounding Strictly after pros Giovanni Pernice and Graziano Di Prima left the show due to misconduct allegations, a source revealed to New! Magazine that Vernon has been prioritising supporting his wife recently.
The source claimed: “She’s so pleased that she’s got Vernon by her side, being her cheerleader and picking her up when she’s down or worried.”
They added: “He knows how much Strictly means to her and he’s promised to be by her side throughout.”