Amanda Holden and Tess Daly have more in common than we thought. Not only are they two of the busiest women in television, but now their daughters are also following in their showbiz footsteps.
Amanda, 54, is mum to Lexi, 19, and Hollie, 13, with husband Chris Hughes, 52, while Tess, 56, shares Phoebe, 20, and Amber, 16, with husband Vernon Kay, 51 – and both women’s offspring have been stepping into the limelight more and more.
Last week, the first pictures were released of Lexi modelling for Naia Beach, the swimwear brand Tess owns with her business partner Gayle Lawton. It came after Amanda – who has publicly shown her support for the company over the years – posed for them back in April.
Now, a source tells heat that Amanda and Tess have a secret pact to make their daughters superstars. ‘Tess sees Lexi as the ideal brand ambassador, as she’s young and fun, and Tess also knows how much Lexi wants to succeed,’ says our source.
‘Being the child of a celeb has its perks, but it can also expose you to a lot of criticism and accusations of being a nepo baby, but Tess knows how hard Lexi works. She and Amanda have agreed that they will help each other out when they can in order to help their kids fulfil their dreams.’
There’s other upsides for both women, too. ‘Tess knows her brand will get more publicity if it’s promoted by someone like Lexi rather than a complete unknown, while Amanda knows Lexi will be looked after on shoots,’ we’re told.
The Naia gig is not Lexi’s first modelling job. The teen was snapped up by Storm Management – the same agency that represents iconic models such as Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss – the week she turned 16. She made her runway debut at London Fashion Week last September.
Amanda’s younger daughter Hollie also has her eye on the spotlight, and has appeared on her mum’s radio breakfast show.
Meanwhile, Tess’ lookalike daughter Phoebe has been spotted at glamorous events with her famous parents. She also appeared in an EE commercial with her dad Vernon in December. Last year, Tess spoke of her sadness after Phoebe left the home to study film and television at university, saying, ‘She’s my baby… I’m her best friend, really. It broke my heart.’
Youngest daughter Amber is just 16, but Tess has said that she also has an interest in the creative arts. And we’re told Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda will always be there to lend the girls a helping hand. ‘Both of Tess’ daughters have shown interest in getting into the TV world and as they don’t always want to rely on their parents, Amanda has offered to introduce them to her contacts in America.’
Speaking about being a parent, former model Tess previously admitted, ‘I love being a mum – it’s my most important job.’ Similarly, Amanda shares a close bond with her daughters, and also previously shared her heartbreak about them flying the nest. Speaking on her BBC show, Amanda & Alan’s Spanish Job, she told her longtime friend Alan Carr, ‘It’s so terrible because you wish so much of it away when you’re a busy parent. And then you turn around and they’re not even there.’
Tess and Amanda have been close friends since their early days on the presenting scene, and we’re told that although they’re both are all too aware of how tough showbiz can be, they’re determined to do whatever they can to help their daughters’ careers.
'Tess and Amanda know there will be extra pressure and scrutiny on their daughters, because of who their parents are. But both Lexi and Phoebe are extremely hard workers. Of course, they’ll take advantage of any help that comes their way, like most people would,’ our insider says.
'Their mums know how hard the modelling and TV worlds can be. They’ve had some bad experiences themselves, so they don’t want their children to go through any of that.’
