Tess Daly brandishes her Celebrity Passport
Best hotel you’ve stayed in?
Hotel Bel Air in Beverly Hills. The pool guide showed me Marylin Monroe’s favourite lounger, and the spot where Faye Dunaway sat for that famous shot after the Oscars. The staff are so discreet, and every wisteria-covered bungalow door you pass, you think, “I wonder who is behind that one?”
Most life-changing trip?
I lived in Japan for a month as a 17-year-old model, and it was mind-blowing. Everything was completely alien – all of the signs were in Japanese, so even cooking for myself was a real learning curve. I fell in love with the place, and even had sushi for breakfast.
Weirdest souvenir you’ve brought back?
I love a thrift store treasure hunt when I’m in the States. I found a vintage YSL colbalt blue silk dress. It’s the most beautiful dress, with puff sleeves, and I paid thirty dollars for it.
Best family day out?
I’m fronting a campaign run by Great British Racing this summer called Under 18s Race Free. Your kids can get up close and meet the horses, and there’s lots of other fun activities, like face-painting, bouncy castles and pony rides. My kids love horses, and they love being outdoors – and I love getting them off their devices.
What were family holidays like for you?
I never left the country until I was 16 years old, and that was on a school skiing trip to Austria. As a family, we used to go to the Isle Of Wight, which was all thatched cottages, tea rooms and deckchairs on the beach. It was a real slice of nostalgic British seaside. I have so many fond memories.
Best travel buddy?
I guess it’s got to be the family. I spend the whole time pointing at other people’s children if I don’t have my own with me.
Great British Racing’s Under 18s Race Free campaign sees under-18s admitted free of charge at over 200 fixtures this summer. Find your local family race day at Under18sracefree.com