Tess Daly and Vernon Kay End Their Marriage

May 8, 2026, 21:48
UKEntertainment

Introduction

Tess Daly and Vernon Kay are not married anymore. They were together for twenty-three years.

Main Body

Tess and Vernon said they are separating on May 8, 2026. They are not angry. They want to be good parents to their two daughters, Phoebe and Amber. No other people caused this problem. In 2010, Vernon sent bad messages to other women. This made the family sad. He said he was sorry. In 2016, he spoke to another woman again, but he said it was okay. Both Tess and Vernon work on TV and radio. Tess hosted a show called Strictly Come Dancing for twenty-one years. Vernon works for BBC Radio 2. They went to public events together until now.

Conclusion

Tess and Vernon are not a couple now, but they will still take care of their children.

Learning

🕒 The 'Time Jump' Pattern

Notice how the story moves from the present to the past. This is the most important skill for A2 English: switching your verbs based on when things happen.

1. Now (Present) We use simple words for things happening currently:

  • They are not married → Status now.
  • They want to be good parents → Feeling now.

2. Then (Past) When we see a year (like 2010 or 2016), the words change. We add -ed to the end of the action:

  • Sent (special change from 'send')
  • Made (special change from 'make')
  • Hosted (regular: host + ed)
  • Worked (regular: work + ed)

💡 Pro Tip: If the sentence starts with a date (In 2010...), stop using am/is/are and start using the past form.

Quick Comparison:

  • Tess hosts (She does it every week) →\rightarrow Tess hosted (She did it for 21 years, but it is finished).

Vocabulary Learning

married (adj.)
Having a husband or wife.
Example:They are married to each other.
separating (verb)
Ending a marriage or relationship.
Example:They are separating after many years.
parents (n.)
A mother and a father.
Example:The parents taught their children.
daughters (n.)
Female children.
Example:She has two daughters.
messages (n.)
Written notes sent to someone.
Example:He sent a series of messages.
family (n.)
People related by blood or marriage.
Example:Family is important.
sad (adj.)
Feeling unhappy.
Example:The news made her sad.
sorry (adj.)
Feeling regret or apology.
Example:He apologized and said sorry.
woman (n.)
An adult female.
Example:The woman is waiting.
work (verb)
Do a job or task.
Example:They work on TV.
TV (n.)
A device that shows moving pictures.
Example:She watches TV every evening.
radio (n.)
A device that plays sound from the air.
Example:He listens to radio.