‘I’m obsessive’: Vernon Kay says he brushes his teeth ‘four times a day’

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Vernon Kay has revealed he brushes his teeth four times a day as he is “obsessive” about hygiene.

The TV and radio presenter, 48, said that cleaning his teeth is the last thing he does before bed, unless he can’t sleep.

If sleep is difficult to come by, Kay said he plays “18 holes around my favourite golf course in my head, and I’m done”.

The 2020 I’m A Celebrity star opened up to the Guardian about what a typical Sunday looks like for him and his family, which consists of wife and Strictly Come Dancing host Tess Daly and their two daughters.

Kay said that while he enjoys laying in on the weekend, waking up “after 10am is excessive”.

During the day, he and Daly, 53, like to go for brunch or have a pub lunch with friends before getting on with his “ridiculous number of stupid hobbies”, which include flying radio-controlled aeroplanes or paintball.

He praised Daly’s ability to make “a killer sandwich” with so much filling, “there isn’t a square millimetre to spare”.

Kay and Daly have been married since 2003. They wed at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Horwich, Bolton.

Earlier this year, Kay made headlines when he confused Jimmy Somerville for late paedophile Jimmy Savile during a live interview on BBC Radio 2.

While standing in for Zoe Ball on her breakfast show in March, he mistakenly said to singer-songwriter Marc Almond that the latter duetted with Savile before apologising and correcting himself.

Kay read a message from a fan of Almond’s and said: “Awesome voice and so unique. His music helped me through some dark days, I saw him at Pride and I think I was the first one at Hyde Park to run down and wait for him at the front. Amazing.

“His duet with Jimmy Savile – Jimmy Somerville, apologies – just blew me away, absolutely awesome.”

In a separate interview in 2016, Daly opened up about having “extreme germ phobia”, among other fears.

She told the publication she has a phobia of “toilet door handles, the ice cream seller holding your cone with bare hands, touching raw meat or chicken”.

Daly is also afraid of flying, adding: “When it starts to get bumpy I have to pull a blanket over my head and silently scream.”