Strictly’s Presenter Tess Daly Becomes a Member of the Order of the British Empire

On November 12, 2025, Tess Daly, co-host of Strictly Come Dancing, was hailed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to broadcasting. She was honoured by King Charles at Windsor Castle in an investiture ceremony. In June, Tess and her co-host, Claudia Winkleman’s names were mentioned in the ‘His Majesty’s Birthday Honours’ list. Tess expressed her joy, stating that it is the “greatest honour” of her career and one that she is dedicating to her late father. 

Tess Daly Earns MBE from King Charles

 

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During the investiture ceremony, Ms Daly had a word with the King. His Majesty had put her at ease despite her nervousness. In one of the conversations with the media reporters, Tess stated, “I’ve been working in television for 25 years, and it’s a job I absolutely love to do. It was a real privilege to be in a room of people who have made a difference in their communities, who have built incredible careers. It was a very inspiring environment.” Tess’s biggest cheerleaders included husband Vernon Kay and daughters Phoebe and Amber. King Charles also acknowledged her contributions and charity to the King’s Trust, which made a huge difference while raising young people.

Tess took it on Instagram and shared a few glimpses of the event. She captioned her post with words pouring out straight from her heart, “Receiving this award is a privilege beyond words and without doubt the greatest honour of my career for which I am profoundly and eternally grateful.”

Last month, both Tess and Claudia announced that they would be departing from the Strictly Come Dancing show. Adding to that, the BBC claimed that their final appearance would be this aired on 25 December, year’s Christmas special show. The 56-year-old broadcaster appeared in Strictly Come Dancing from the first series 21 years ago with the late Sir Bruce Forsyth. In 2014, Winkleman, who had hosted sister show It Takes Two since 2004, became a part of Strictly. The talented ladies were prime-time Saturday night TV’s first female presenting duo.