After 20 years the conversation hasn't dried up!'

TV presenter Tess Daly shares the secrets of her successful marriage to Vernon Kay and how she wants to be the best mum possible

- ZARA ZUBEIDI 

She's one of Britain's biggest TV stars, but when the cameras stop rolling, Tess Daly says she has only one priority - and that's being the best mum she can be.

The presenter, who shares daughters Phoebe, 17, and Amber, 14, with husband Vernon Kay, says being a "present" parent is paramount, especially now that her two little girls aren't so little any more.

"It's all part of the journey," says Tess, 54. "I find myself looking at my 14-year-old's feet to see if she's wearing a wedge heel. I'm like, 'Oh my God, you've just grown two inches!' They shoot up so fast."

With time speeding by at a rate of knots, Tess - who lives in a lavish six-bedroom home in Buckinghamshire - understandably wants to make the most of having her children under the same roof.

"As a mum, I just want to be as present as I can be. I pride myself on that," she tells OK!. "Teenagers don't always want to talk to you, but even if you're just physically there in the room with them... I'll plonk myself there quietly in the corner. You've got two little people who have become young adults. It's amazing and constantly rewarding.

"I love being a mum - it's my most important job. I just try to be there for them."

Fortunately, Tess, who was born in Stockport, and Vernon, 49, from nearby Bolton, have a similar approach when it comes to parenting.

While Tess reckons the BBC Radio 2 host can be mor of a disciplinarian, she says their priority is making sure the girls grow up into decent, rounded people.

"Vernon is a great dad - he loves them to bits," Tess reveals. "I don't know if there's a good cop, bad cop, but maybe he's a little stricter sometimes.

"But it's for the greater good and we're a good team. I'm proud of how down to earth they are. That's what you want - kids who are kind and who have a good work ethic and respect people. You just try to mould good humans."