Vernon Charles Kay (born 28 April 1974) is an English broadcaster and former model. He presented

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

's ''T4'' (2000–2005) and has presented various television shows for ITV, including '' All Star Family Fortunes'' (2006–2015), ''Just the Two of Us'' (2006–2007), '' Beat the Star'' (2008–2009), '' The Whole 19 Yards'' (2010), '' Splash!'' (2013–2014), and '' 1000 Heartbeats'' (2015–2016). Kay presented his own

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

show between 2004 and 2012, and presented his own show on Radio X between 2015 and 2017. Since the start of the 2018–2019 season, he has been the main presenter for the live coverage of

Formula E Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is an open-wheel single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The racing series is the highest class of competition for electrically powered single-seater racing cars ...

for English speaking territories/platforms around the world. In 2023, Kay was announced as the new mid-morning host on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

from May 2023, taking over the slot from Ken Bruce. In 2020, Kay appeared on the twentieth series of ''I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!'', finishing in third place.

Early life

Vernon Charles Kay was born on Sunday, 28 April 1974 and was brought up in Horwich, the elder son of Norman, a lorry driver, and Gladys; he has a younger brother, Stephen, a primary school teacher.Relative values: Vernon Kay and his mother, Gladys
The Sunday Times, 12 April 2009 (archived at the

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by Internet Archive, an American nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California. Launched for public access in 2001, the service allows users to go "back in ...

) He attended St Joseph's RC High School in Horwich, near Bolton and then spent two years at St John Rigby College, Gathurst Road, Orrell. He then graduated in environmental science at

Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education ...

Career

Modelling

While Kay was working in a DIY shop as a cutter of wooden panels and in his own words "living for the weekend", he was persuaded to attend the BBC Clothes Show Live where he was scouted by a modelling agency after being convinced to do a catwalk by a friend.

Television

Kay was able to use his success in modelling to launch a television career with co-hosting roles on teen-targeted entertainment shows T4 on Channel 4 and ''The Mag'' on Channel 5. Following this, Kay presented the summer

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

weekend morning show ''

Fully Booked ''Fully Booked'', later retitled ''FBi'', is a British children's television series produced by BBC Scotland and broadcast from 22 April 1995 to 23 September 2000. Format Series 1–3 The first series is presented by Zoe Ball and Grant Stott, ...

'' (called FBI, Fully Booked Interactive) in 2000, as well as ''TOTP+ Plus'' and '' TOTP@Play''. In 2003 he co-hosted the Channel 4 game show '' Boys and Girls'', which was cancelled after one series. The following year Kay hosted the third series of '' Celebrities Under Pressure'' on ITV. From 2006, Kay presented primetime game show '' All Star Family Fortunes''. In June 2015, it was announced that ITV was to rest the show until 2017, but it did not return. In 2007, he presented '' Vernon Kay's Gameshow Marathon'', after replacing Ant & Dec, who hosted the first series. From 2008 until 2009, Kay presented two series of '' Beat the Star'', a programme for ITV. The first series averaged 4.05 million viewers and the second averaged 3.46 million. On 17 April 2010, Kay began co-presenting a game show for ITV called '' The Whole 19 Yards'' with

Caroline Flack Caroline Louise Flack (9 November 1979 – 15 February 2020) was an English television presenter and actress. Flack grew up in Norfolk and took an interest in dancing and theatre while at school. She began her professional career as an actress, ...

which lasted for eight episodes and was made at Pinewood Studios. The series averaged 4.1 million viewers. In 2010, Kay was the co-host of '' Skating with the Stars'', a six-part series which was broadcast in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. In 2011, Kay was originally going to present ITV game show '' Sing If You Can'' with Stacey Solomon but, after filming the pilot episode, he felt that it would be better hosted by a comedian, and was replaced by Keith Lemon. In December 2011, Kay presented the Christmas

show ''Home For the Holidays''. In the summer of 2012, Kay presented ITV three episode mini-series ''

Let's Get Gold ''Let's Get Gold'' is a British sports entertainment television series. It aired on ITV; consisting of three episodes and was hosted by Vernon Kay. It was announced on 11 June 2012, that Rio Ferdinand, Freddie Flintoff, Una Healy and Martin ...

'', however the show received poor viewing figures and was axed. In 2013 and 2014, Kay, Gabby Logan and Tom Daley co-presented the ITV diving show '' Splash!'' The programme was axed after two series. In 2013, after

regained the NFL rights from the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

, Kay was announced as a presenter of ''The American Football Show'', airing on Saturday mornings. Since 2014, Kay has guest presented five episodes of ''

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weekdays at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating ...

''. In 2015, Kay began presenting daytime quiz show, '' 1000 Heartbeats'' for ITV. The show returned for a second run in November 2015. In 2016, Kay presented '' Drive'', a five-part entertainment show for ITV. He made regular appearances in the second series of '' The Keith Lemon Sketch Show'' on

ITV2 ITV2 is a Television in the United Kingdom, British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998. For a number of years, it had the largest audience share after the fiv ...

. In July 2017, Kay co-presented ''The Hero Challenge'' with Kirsty Gallacher on

Sky Sports Sky Sports is a group of British broadcasting of sports events, subscription sports channels operated by the satellite television, satellite pay television company Sky Group (a division of Comcast), and is the dominant subscription television ...

. Kay hosted the non-broadcast pilot for a revival of '' Play Your Cards Right'', a game show formerly hosted by

Bruce Forsyth Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017) was an English entertainer and television presenter whose career spanned more than 75 years. Forsyth came to national attention from the late 1950s through the Associated Te ...

, but was not commissioned for a series. In September 2015, he hosted a pilot for a new ITV game show ''Home Win'', made at

Fountain Studios Fountain Studios was an independently owned television studio in Wembley Park, north-west London, England. The company was last part of the Avesco Group plc. Several companies owned the site before it was bought by Fountain in 1993. Originall ...

in Wembley. In November 2017, it was announced that Kay would host Channel 5's coverage of the 2017–18

motor racing season. He co-presents the FIA's coverage of the 2018–19 season. In November 2020, it was announced that Kay would be taking part in the twentieth series of '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here''. Kay reached the final and finished in third place on 4 December 2020. It was announced in March 2021 that Kay would host the British version of new gameshow ''Game of Talents''. In March 2022, Kay was a last-minute replacement for

Joel Dommett Joel Patrick Dommett (born 8 June 1985) is an English comedian, television presenter and actor. After beginning his career as an actor, and appearing in various television shows including '' Casualty'' and '' Skins'', he embarked on stand-up com ...

as co-host of Red Nose Day's ''The Great Comic Relief Prizeathon''.

Radio

In January 2004, Kay joined

and presented an entertainment show every Sunday. In April 2004, he was given the 10 am - 1 pm weekend slot, which was previously hosted by Colin Murray and Edith Bowman and previously broadcast on both Saturdays and Sundays on the popular radio network. From October 2007 Dick and Dom took over Sunday mornings; Kay's show then ran between 10am to 1pm on Saturday. In 2008, he was one of a team of DJs who filled in for Edith Bowman while she was on

maternity leave Parental leave, or family leave, is an employee benefit available in almost all countries. The term "parental leave" may include maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; or may be used distinctively from "maternity leave" and "paternity leave ...

, along with Fearne Cotton and Nihal. On 11 February 2009, it was announced that Kay would fill in for

Chris Moyles Christopher David Moyles (born 22 February 1974) is an English radio and television presenter, author and presenter of '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on Radio X. Previously he presented '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2012 ...

while he climbed

Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...

for

Comic Relief Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...

, an act he repeated on 13 July 2009 when Moyles took a day off. He also filled-in for

Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong (born 30 July 1960) is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as '' Essential Mix'' and '' Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for ...

's ''Essential Selection'' on Radio 1 on 10 April 2008. That same year, Kay filled in again for Chris Moyles from 10 August to 15 August when he was on holiday. From 30 November 2009 Kay, again, covered for Chris Moyles on breakfast for a whole week as Moyles and

Aled Haydn Jones Aled Haydn Jones (born 9 August 1976) is a Welsh radio executive, former presenter and former radio producer. In June 2020, he was appointed head of BBC Radio 1, succeeding Ben Cooper. From 2004 until 2012, he worked on ''The Chris Moyles Sho ...

were away in

Uganda Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...

handing out malaria nets and seeing how the money raised from the Mount Kilimanjaro climb for Comic Relief was being spent. On 9 November 2012, it was announced that Kay would leave

to spend more time with his family. He presented his final show on 22 December and was replaced by Matt Edmondson. Three years after his departure from Radio 1, Kay returned to radio on the newly launched Radio X network. In September 2015, Kay began presenting the weekday morning show from 10am to 1pm. He left the station on Friday 17 March 2017. Kay returned to BBC Radio after nine years away, to cover for

Rylan Clark Ross Richard Clark (born 25 October 1988), commonly known as Rylan Clark, is an English broadcaster and television personality. He came to prominence as a contestant on the The X Factor (British series 9), ninth series of the television talent s ...

on his

show ''Rylan On Saturday'' on 6 and 13 February 2021 and again on the 12 and 26 June as well as 3 July. He stood in for Steve Wright on '' Steve Wright in the Afternoon'' during the week of the 24–28 May 2021. Kay stood in for Dermot O'Leary on 21 August 2021. He was scheduled to fill in for Wright again from 26 August to 1 September 2021 but only presented on the 26 and 27 August before he began isolating after testing positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

and was replaced by Gethin Jones. He sat in again from 13–15 October 2021 and from 25 November - 1 December 2021 whilst Wright had an illness. From March 2022, Kay became the regular cover for Zoe Ball on ''The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show''. In August 2022 Kay started broadcasting a weekly show on BBC Radio 2 ''Vernon Kay's Dance Sounds of the 90s'', featuring "dance, electronica, techno, trance and drum n' bass hits from the 90s". In 2024, Kay took the show on tour, DJing for audiences in a number of UK venues. On 24 February 2023, Kay was announced as the new host of BBC Radio 2's mid-morning show from May, replacing Ken Bruce. He began his show on 15 May 2023.

Film

Kay has made a number of cameos, appearing in '' Shaun of the Dead'' (2004) and '' Keith Lemon: The Film'' (2012). He also made an uncredited appearance as a feasting hall guest in ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

'' (2014).

Personal life

On 12 September 2003, Kay married Tess Daly at

St Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. ...

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Church in Horwich, in Bolton. Together, they have two daughters, born in 2004 and 2009. In 2010, Kay was forced to apologise to his wife after it was revealed in the British press that he had been sending sexually explicit text and social media messages to model Rhian Sugden every day for four months. Later on, he admitted to sending similar messages to "four or five" other women at the same time. Kay received an honorary doctorate from the

University of Bolton The University of Greater Manchester (legally: The University of Bolton Higher Education Corporation) is a public university in Bolton, Greater Manchester in England. The university is commonly referred to as a 'post-92' institution, which is a ...

on 9 July 2009 for services to entertainment. Kay supports his hometown's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club

Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...

. He is also a fan of American football, joining the Manchester Allstars at the age of 13 and reuniting the team in 2011 for a one-off match against the Birmingham Lions. In 2011, he signed for the London Warriors, for whom he plays in the BAFANL Premier South division as a

defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...

. Kay enjoys flying model aircraft and drones.

Filmography

;Television ;Guest appearances * '' It's Only TV...but I Like It'' (2002) *'' Shooting Stars'' (2002) *'' Bo' Selecta!'' (2003) *'' Davina'' (2006) *'' James Corden's World Cup Live'' (2010) *'' Celebrity Juice'' (2011, 2013, 2015) *'' Chris Moyles' Quiz Night'' (2011) *''

8 Out of 10 Cats ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' (stylised as ''8 out of 10 CATS'') is a British comedy panel show that aired from 3 June 2005 to 17 January 2021. It was first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2005 to 2015, then More4 from 2016 to 2017, and finally E4 from ...

'' (2011, 2012, 2013) *'' Alan Carr: Chatty Man'' (2011) *'' Would I Lie to You?'' (2013) *'' That Puppet Game Show'' (2013) *'' Room 101'' (2014) *''

Through the Keyhole ''Through the Keyhole'' is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by David Frost, Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter explores celebrities' h ...

'' (2014, 2015) *'' Celebrity Squares'' (2014) *'' Sunday Brunch'' (2015) * ''

Go 8 Bit ''Dara O Briain's Go 8 Bit'' is a British comedy panel game show, hosted by comedian Dara Ó Briain, co-starring video game journalist Ellie Gibson, and premiered on Dave (TV channel), Dave on 5 September 2016. The show's format is themed aroun ...

'' (2017) * ''How to Spend it Well at Christmas with Phillip Schofield'' (2017) * '' Celebrity Catchphrase'' (2023) ;Radio ;Film

References

External links

*
''Vernon Kay''
(BBC Radio 2)
''Dance Sounds of the 90s with Vernon Kay''
(BBC Radio 2) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kay, Vernon 1974 births Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University BBC Radio 1 presenters BBC Radio 2 presenters BBC Radio 5 Live presenters English game show hosts English male models English Roman Catholics English television presenters English radio DJs Living people People associated with the University of Greater Manchester Mass media people from Bolton People from Horwich BAFA National Leagues players