Launching her wellbeing her husband to eat well –

Tess Daly is making me breakfast. She’s worried about my gut. But it’s not just mine she’s worried about, it’s the stomach of every woman she meets. She tells me this as she pulls out Greek yoghurt, honey, bananas and pineapple from a small, neatly packed cool bag. ‘It’s so simple,’ she says as she deftly chops, spoons and squeezes. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are added, then cinnamon and turmeric appear from her little Mary Poppins bag and she dusts them onto the mix.

It tastes rather wonderful. ‘I forgot the pecans,’ she says, momentarily annoyed with herself. ‘Add those and they blow your mind.’ She watches me as I devour the contents of my gutfriendly breakfast bowl. ‘This is how I give love,’ she says. ‘To my family, to my friends. Life is busy, things can overwhelm us. We all need looking after.’

Itistothisendthat the uber-glamorous Strictly host has written her first wellbeing book, entitled 4 Steps To A Happier, Healthier You. Divided into four sections – Eat, Breathe,

Move, Sleep – it contains recipes, advice, life hacks, exercises and breathing practices, along with expert guidance from trainers and nutritionists Tess has worked with over the years. We are sharing some of the recipes with you this week at the back of this magazine.

At 53, Tess in the flesh remains headturningly stunning (‘No facelifts yet,’ she chirps, moving her brow to show it remains Botox-free), and as long and lean as a Giacometti sculpture in her fitted black trousers and monochrome top. If this book really does help you to look as good as she does, Tess Daly has a runaway bestseller on her hands.

So does all this focus on the gut, turmeric and proper breathing mean that Tess wants to become Britain’s answer to Gwyneth Paltrow with her Goop wellness brand? ‘God no,’ she says. ‘I think she’s a brilliant businesswoman, and what she does is great, but this is very different. It’s relatable, simple and it’s completely accessible. I’m a

Northern girl. This is as down-to-earth as you can get.

‘For me, it’s about having five minutes a day to do something that makes you feel good,’ she explains. ‘Whether that’s standing against a wall rolling a tennis ball over your butt cheeks, breathing from your belly if you feel overwhelmed, or eating something that’s going to really nourish you. You have to keep things simple and realistic. Who wants to go through life never eating cake or chocolate? Certainly not me. It’s all about trying to keep a balance and be as well and healthy as you can.’

Food, health and wellness are an emotional subject for this working-class eldest daughter of factory workers from Derbyshire. ‘I cried when I was sent the first copy of this book,’ she says. ‘I had to stop myself hugging the delivery man and bursting into tears all over him. It means so much to me because it’s for all the people in my life who mean everything.’

She pauses here. Having known Tess for years, I sense that the real heart of this book comes from the death of her beloved father

You have to be realistic. Who wants to go through life never eating chocolate or cake? Certainly not me!