Tess Daly has finally revealed exactly what she eats in a day to maintain the incredible figure fans have admired for more than two decades — and she insists it’s all about balance, pleasure, and a few guilty treats.
The Strictly Come Dancing presenter, 56, who will step down from the show at the end of this series, opened up about her daily routine in a new video for Vitabiotics. As the long-time face of Wellwoman supplements, she shared a full breakdown of her three meals, admitting with a smile that she “can’t help having a sweet tooth.”
Tess explained that she never skips breakfast, starting her day with Greek yogurt, berries, flax and pumpkin seeds for fibre, and a few slices of banana. Lunch is all about protein — usually a tuna-mayo wrap with salad — because, as she put it, she “needs a decent lunch just to keep going.”
Dinner is her favourite moment of the day. She said she takes the time to cook something she genuinely enjoys, whether it’s tuna in teriyaki sauce or roasted salmon with chilli, coriander, lime, sweet potatoes and lots of vegetables.
And despite her famously slim figure, Tess isn’t ashamed to own her cravings. “I treat myself every day… I need a bit of chocolate. We deserve pleasure in our lives,” she said, adding that she loves “healthy whole foods — but also naughty snacks occasionally.”
Her disciplined yet joyful approach extends to fitness. Tess has kept the same jeans size she wore in her 20s, something she says comes not from dieting but from “maintaining.” She credits daily yoga as a “game changer” both physically and mentally, saying it keeps her young, flexible and grounded.
Alongside yoga, she runs on a treadmill while watching Netflix, swims, trampolines in her garden, and begins some mornings with five minutes of skipping — her energising alternative to coffee. She calls skipping a “joyful exercise that wakes up the body and boosts endorphins.”
As a mother of two — Phoebe, 21, and Amber, 16 — Tess also prioritises nutritious, vegetable-rich, protein-balanced meals at home while still allowing treats in moderation. “Food is fuel… but I won’t pretend to be a saint. I love chocolate,” she said.
Despite being in her mid-50s, Tess insists she feels just as energetic as she did in her 20s — something her fans might find hard to deny as she continues to stun in swimwear from her line Naia Beach and on the Strictly dancefloor.
