Tess Daly almost missed MBE letter after error

Tess Daly described her MBE as a "the most wonderful honour"

TV presenter Tess Daly almost never found out she was being appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) after her letter was sent to the wrong address.

Daly, who lives in Buckinghamshire, has been appointed in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to broadcasting.

She said it had been the "greatest surprise of my life" and she had cried when she opened the letter, despite only having days left to accept the honour.

The 56-year-old has co-hosted Strictly Come Dancing since 2004 and said it had been a "genuine privilege for people to invite you into their living room".

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"This genuinely came as the greatest surprise of my life," she said of her MBE.

"I don't think I've come back down to earth yet. I didn't see it coming and it almost didn't happen, because the letter went to the wrong address.

"And thank goodness, someone very kind found me. And so by the time I got it, I only had, I think it was two or three days left to accept it.

"There's a deadline of acceptance. I can't imagine not ever wanting to accept such a wonderful award, but of course I did."

Daly said she had immediately wanted to share the news with her late father.

Daly began presenting Strictly Come Dancing in 2004 alongside the late Bruce Forsyth

She first appeared on screens in 1999 when she hosted The Big Breakfast's Find Me A Model competition on Channel 4.

She presented Strictly Come Dancing alongside the late Sir Bruce Forsyth until 2014, three years before his death at the age of 89.

Since then Daly has co-hosted the Saturday show with Claudia Winkleman, and the pair helmed coverage of its 20th anniversary series late last year.

"Broadcasting is without a doubt a collective effort," she added.

"I've been really fortunate to work with some of the very best production teams that there are in the business.

"And so my biggest thanks is to them, because you're only as good as your team."