Born in Stockport, Daly, 47, began her career as a model. In 1999 she presented Find Me A Model on The Big Breakfast, and since 2004 has co-hosted Strictly Come Dancing; the 2016 final is tonight on BBC1. Daly is married to the presenter Vernon Kay; they have two daughters and live in Buckinghamshire.
When were you happiest?
Holding my two babies, Phoebe and Amber, for the first time.
What is your greatest fear?
Flying. When it starts to get bumpy I have to pull a blanket over my head and silently scream.
What is your earliest memory?
On holiday in Llandudno, walking along holding my dad’s hand and listening to my new red patent leather shoes clip-clopping on the pavement. I felt like a big girl. I was six.
Which living person do you most admire, and why?
Bruce Forsyth, because not only is he the most talented showman, he is the most generous individual.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Extreme germ phobia: toilet door handles, the ice-cream seller holding your cone with his bare hands, touching raw meat or chicken.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Lactating on live television. Luckily I was wearing black, so only I knew.
What is your most treasured possession?
A voice recording my dad left on my machine the week before he died, in 2003, 17 days after I got married.
What is your screensaver?
Claudia [Winkleman] and my Strictly producer who had four spray tans between them in Blackpool. Claudia sent it to me and said, “Do you think I’ve gone a bit too far this time?” It makes me splutter every time I see it.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I broke my nose playing netball aged 15. I’ve hated my profile ever since.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Better Bars: they were made from caramelised puffed rice. Nobody but me remembers them.
What is your most unappealing habit?
I bite off my split ends. There’s probably a fur ball in my stomach.
Which book changed your life?
The Naked Civil Servant by Quentin Crisp. I was so intrigued by the man, I hunted him down when I moved to New York. My first interview was with him. I filmed our conversation and it got me my first job in television.
What do you owe your parents?
Humility, northern grit, the value of working hard to get what you want.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My family.
What was the best kiss of your life?
On the balcony at Fabric nightclub in 1999 – it lasted a full five minutes. Was it Vernon? It might have been!
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Serving bar snacks in a pub in my teens. Once I spilled an entire family’s Sunday lunch into the dad’s lap.
How often do you have sex?
I can’t say; my mum might read this.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
On a motorway three years ago. An HGV hadn’t seen me and pulled out. My father-in-law’s a truck driver and he said black cars are not very visible. I don’t drive them any more.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Life is a mirror and you get back what you give out.
Tell us a joke
What do you call a husband and wife fishing together? Rod and Annette.
Comments (…)
Sign in or create your Guardian account to join the discussion