Tess Daly looks unrecognisable with short bob and figure-flattering jeans in throwback photo

Tess Daly took a trip down memory lane this week, looking through an old catalogue of her modelling portfolio.

On Wednesday, the Strictly Come Dancing host – who recently returned from a luxury family holiday in the Dominican Republic – stunned fans as she uploaded a beautiful snapshot from a shoot she did for Levi's.

"One from the archives," the wrote in the caption. The photoshoot appeared to be taken decades ago, showing Tess rocking a chic short bob whilst dressed in dark slim-fit jeans and a sheer animal-print blouse.

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Strutting through a market, the mum-of-two looked gorgeous as she posed for the sultry picture.

The post, of course, received a huge response from fans and friends, with co-host Claudia Winkleman adding a series of heart emojis.

Another follower stated: "OMG Tess! You were a major hottie back in the day. Now you are a stunningly beautiful and sophisticated lady. Vernon is a lucky man!" Another said: "Gorgeous. Just as you are now." One other post read: "Wow Tess! What a brilliant photo of you. Stunning shot. You have barely changed at all!!"

Over the past two decades, 55-year-old Tess - who is married to Vernon Kay - has been the darling of Saturday-night TV thanks to her hosting gig on Strictly. She started off her career in modelling when at the age of 17 she was spotted by a modelling scout waiting for her sister outside a McDonald's in Manchester.

In March 2023, the TV star opened up about the darker side of the fashion industry, telling The Sun: "The fashion industry is not known for having a good relationship with food. For me, dieting was never an option. I came from a family where you'd never skip a meal – it was just sacrilegious, so that was ingrained in me.

"I know this sounds a bit daft and naive, but when I started modelling, I couldn't believe people would skip meals. I was around a lot of people who were depriving themselves of food because they felt they had to be thinner."

She added: "I've never dieted or counted calories. I've never overeaten, but I haven’t deprived myself, either. I saw a lot of unhappiness caused by diets."

Of her own diet, Tess noted: "I enjoy healthy whole foods, but I also like a tuna melt or a fry-up on the weekend. You can't deprive yourself of what you really fancy, because you deserve it, especially if you've worked your [explicit] off all day long. It's all about moderation."