While most nepo babies find themselves thrust into the limelight from a young age, Phoebe Kay had no idea her parents were even famous while she was growing up.
‘I thought everyone’s job was filmed,’ the eldest daughter of iconic couple Vernon Kay and Tess Daly told The Sun last year, as she joined her father for her first ever magazine shoot and interview.
Her parents felt it was best to keep Phoebe and her younger sister, Amber, now 15, shielded from their celebrity until they could decide whether they ‘wanted to be in the spotlight ot not’, the former T4 host, Vernon, added.
‘Phoebe is very mature,’ he continued. ‘I’ve got confidence she will know how to deal with it.’
If her most recent outing at Wimbledon is any clue, Phoebe, 20, is a natural at handling her growing celebrity status – as the jet-setting university student juggles her studies with red carpet appearances, and glamorous family holidays.
Fans were convinced they were seeing double when Tess’ lookalike daughter arrived in SW19 with Vernon to cheer the men’s singles finalists last week.
Phoebe, who splits her time between London and Dubai, was poised and graceful while being surrounded by Hollywood elite and royalty at one of the world’s biggest sporting tournaments.
Between these high-profile events and luxe holidays, the film production student is increasingly also earning her chops as an influencer – as Phoebe documents her enviable lifestyle to a steadily rising follower base.
Phoebe Kay, 20, attended this year’s Wimbledon men’s singles final with her broadcaster father, former T4 host Vernon Kay
The pair are often spotted partying together, with Phoebe describing her father as her ‘best mate’
Since stepping into the spotlight after graduating high school in 2023, Phoebe has been a regular at high-profile events in the UK and around the world – as she documents her enviable lifestyle to a steadily rising follower base on Instagram
John Wick movie premiere in London
It’s a rite of passage for most nepo babies, but Phoebe made her red carpet debut much later than others – waiting until 2023 when she attended the movie premiere of John Wick Chapter 4 in London’s Leicester Square.
Phoebe, then 18, looked stylish in a white draped shirt with a pair of shiny black pleather trousers with split hems.
She added a few extra inches of height to her frame with a pair of black strappy high heels as she walked arm-in-arm with her father, Vernon.
Their outing came after the presenter, then 48, said he doesn’t want his children to live off his and wife Tess Daly’s fame, insisting they form ‘their own careers.’
He told MailOnline he’s currently looking at drama schools to send Phoebe to where she can combine her passions for acting and business.
Strictly Come Dancing presenter Tess, 56, with her lookalike older daughter Phoebe
Phoebe made her red carpet debut in 2023 when she attended the movie premiere of John Wick Chapter 4 in London’s Leicester Square
Ibiza party with Calvin Harris
While most parents might celebrate the end of their child’s A-levels with a pat on the back and takeout, Vernon treated his daughter to a holiday in the world’s party capital in June 2023.
No expense was spared for their father-daughter trip that included a stay at the luxurious Casa Maca hotel where rooms cost upward of £1,000 per night. The itinerary for Vernon and Phoebe’s Spanish getaway included an evening at the glamorous Ushuaïa beach club, where the pair partied with superstar DJ Calvin Harris.
Documenting their vacation on Instagram, Vernon said it was ‘a proud moment’ to be able to take Phoebe to Ibiza to ‘celebrate [the] end of A levels’ alongside photos from their time at the exclusive night club. In one picture, Vernon and Phoebe can be seen posing in front of a massive stage while surrounded by concertgoers.
The radio star appears to be holding a glass of bubbly in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Phoebe, who can be seen raising her glass, was typically stylish as she embraced festival style in an ivory-coloured denim skirt that she paired with a white cut-out t-shirt.
Another photo showed Vernon posing for a selfie with Calvin, who is married to Vick Hope, while a third depicted what appears to be the open-air restaurant at the five-star resort where Phoebe celebrated the end of school.
They also seemingly joined actress Emily Atack for dinner one night, as The Inbetweeners star shared a series of snaps from her holiday on Instagram.
In one picture, Phoebe and Vernon can be seen posing together while seated at a table laden with cold cuts and cheese.
While most parents might celebrate the end of their child’s A-levels with a pat on the back and takeout, Vernon treated his daughter to a holiday in the world’s party capital in June 2023
Phoebe and Vernoin also seemingly joined actress Emily Atack for dinner one night, as The Inbetweeners star shared a series of snaps from her holiday on Instagram
While Vernon kept cool in a white linen shirt, Phoebe opted to wear a one-shoulder, silver outfit as they both smiled for the camera.
Sun-soaked Californian getaway
Barely one month later, Vernon and Phoebe joined Tess and Amber for a sun-soaked family holiday in California in the United States.
The former T4 presenter, once again, took to Instagram to share some of the highlights of their trip – including horseback riding by the beach – as he captioned his post: ‘California, you were awesome!’
One of the photos showed Phoebe and her younger sister Amber, then 14, exploring a collection of shallow rock pools while their parents watched from above.
Phoebe appeared to reminisce about the family holiday in a post on her own Instagram the following June, when she shared two pictures of herself outside a buzzy Californian restaurant with the caption: ‘Throwback to some travels.’
A neon sign behind Phoebe, whose accessories included a festival wrist band, sunglasses, and a Christian Dior shoulder bag, read ‘Drake’s’ – meaning Drake’s Hollywood, where tables are highly sought-after.
Phoebe’s famous mother also gushed about the ‘best trip ever’ as Tess left a comment under her Instagram post.
Phoebe posing in front of the Dubai Eye, the world’s tallest observation wheel
A neon sign behind Phoebe, whose accessories included a festival wrist band, sunglasses, and a Christian Dior shoulder bag, read ‘Drake’s’ – meaning Drake’s Hollywood, where tables are highly sought-after
Phoebe shared a photo of one of her holiday outfits in Dubai, as she modelled a sparkly gold skirt with a black bodysuit, in a post on Instagram
Phoebe spent her time off samplingthe city’s nightlife, treating herself to brunch at some of Dubai’s most exclusive restaurants, and showing off her most enviable holiday looks. She can be seen here outside Gigi Dubai, a premium Italian restaurant
BAFTA parties in London
When Phoebe and Vernon aren’t partying up a storm in Ibiza, they’re rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of British television – with the university student having walked the red carpet at two star-studded BAFTA parties in quick succession.
The first time was in 2024 when Phoebe, then 19, joined her famous father at the glitzy Vanity Fair EE Rising Star Party last February.
She looked every bit a movie star herself as Phoebe donned a silver, midi-length dress for the occasion as Vernon kept a ‘watchful eye’ over his daughter at the event at London’s Four Seasons hotel.
However, he needn’t have worried as Phoebe, channeling her mother, appeared calm, composed, and graceful while posing for photographs.
A source told Hello! magazine that father-daughter duo spent the evening mingling with guests like Emily Atack, Katherine Ryan, Ed McVey, and Matt and Emma Willis.
‘At one point,’ they said, ‘Matt even took pictures of the pair in front of the iconic BAFTA statue.’
Dubai
Phoebe looked every bit a movie star herself as she attended the Vanity Fair EE Rising Star Party in London last year, when she donned a silver, midi-length dress for the occasion as Vernon kept a ‘watchful eye’ over his daughter
In March, Phoebe accompanied Tess to Dubai for a girls’ trip as the mother-daughter duo checked into the opulent Rixos The Palm Dubai hotel for an unforgettable holiday.
While Tess’s work commitments kept her busy, Phoebe spent her time off lounging by infinity pools, sampling the city’s nightlife, treating herself to brunch at some of Dubai’s most exclusive restaurants, and showing off her most enviable holiday looks.
Wimbledon appearances
Phoebe has now attended two, consecutive Wimbledon men’s finals, as the film production student dazzled SW19 during her most recent appearance.
The 20-year-old looked chic in a lime green, strappy, midi dress that was a nod to the colour of the tennis ball, as Phoebe took her seat beside Vernon at Centre Court on the same day that the Prince and Princess of Wales attended the tournament.
Other famous faces included Nicole Kidman, Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Anna Wintour, Helen Mirren, Matthew McConaughey, and London mayor Sadiq Khan, who all watched as Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz to be crowned champion.
Phoebe styled her blonde locks in loose waves that fell past her shoulders as fans couldn’t help compare Phoebe to Tess in comments on Instagram.
Reacting to Vernon’s post, one person wrote: ‘Gorgeous girl so like her mum!’
Phoebe has now attended two, consecutive Wimbledon men’s finals, as the film production student dazzled SW19 during her most recent appearance. She is seen here with her father, Vernon, at the Championships on Day 14 last July
Phoebe looked ultra-glamorous in a red maxi dress, with a side slit and plunging neckline, as she shared a photograph taken shortly after arriving in Cannes on July 16
Phoebe took to Instagram to share snippets from a recent trip to the Big Apple as she strutted her stuff in a pair of knee-high suede boots
Several fans also directly messaged Phoebe to inquire about the brand of her dress, believed to be from Zara, while others praised her relationship with her father.
‘The love you all have for each other always shines through,’ one Instagram user wrote.
Phoebe and Vernon also attended last year’s edition of the tennis tournament together, as it appears watching the Wimbledon finals together has become a cherished father-daughter tradition.
Summer in the French Riviera
Shortly after attending the Henley festival with Tess and Vernon, Phoebe took to her Instagram Stories to give her followers a sneak-peek into her next holiday.
Phoebe looked ultra-glamorous in a red maxi dress, with a side slit and plunging neckline, as she shared a photograph taken shortly after arriving in Cannes.
She captioned the snap: ‘Back to the best place…’
