Vernon Kay has insisted that despite all the rumours, he has never held talks with TV bosses about taking over the role of Strictly Come Dancing presenter from TV legend Bruce Forsyth.

The hunky star is married to Bruce’s co-host Tess Daly and is frequently linked to the BBC as a possible new frontman, however in an interview with The Sun’s TV buzz, he claimed:

No! I have never had that conversation with anyone.”

“But I would like to give it a go as a contestant. Hopefully that would put all that other talk to bed. The only thing that gets me is when all the competitors on Strictly say: ‘This is the best thing I have ever done.’ Really? It’s the best thing you’ve ever done, Peter Shilton, World Cup goalkeeper? Or Jason Donovan, pop star and West End legend?!”

He’s got a point!

Vernon however may step into Bruce’s show in another way and admitted that he did recently film a pilot for ‘Play Your Cards Right’ which used to be hosted by Forsyth. He said:

“I recently did a pilot for Play Your Cards Right and out of courtesy I let him [Bruce Forsyth] know.”

“He said to me: ‘If anyone’s going to do it, it should be you. Give me a ring if you want any advice.’”

“We’ve also been round to his for dinner – it’s amazing. I thought I was on Candid Camera the first time because it was like being on The Generation Game.”

Sounds like fun!

In 2010 Vernon presented the US version of Dancing On Ice; he didn’t quite get the American style as he wore a Savile Row suit for a meeting and one of the executives told him:

“Everyone in Middle America is going to think you’re gay.”

The dad of two laughed:

“In the end I walked on stage wearing it and nobody batted an eyelid.”

However Kaye discovered that he was quite different from other presenters in the US.

He revealed:

“The only thing I couldn’t get my head around was people saying: ‘You’re so nice.’ I’d go and watch ice hockey with the production team and they’d say: ‘No American host would ever do this.’”

Both Vernon and his wife Tess Daly would like to work in the US again:

“I do think doing a show in the US would appeal to Tess” he explained, adding:

“She filmed one before we had kids called LA Pool Party and was offered a sports show by Fox, but turned it down because she doesn’t really like sports. So it’s definitely still an option. We’d be up for it.”

Vernon spills the beans on his previous job a few years back admitting that it was a far cry from the career he ended up with. Speaking about his days as a school caretaker he said:

“I used to sleep in boiler rooms when I was a primary-school caretaker. People assume that if you’re in show business; you’ve gone straight from school into acting or presenting. But I didn’t get into television till I was 25.”

“Cleaning schools was one of the hardest but most fun jobs I’ve ever had. The kids thought I was a gladiator because I was so tall.”

“I never thought I’d be a caretaker for life, at the time all I needed was petrol money and enough to get into [Manchester club] The Hacienda. Everything revolved around the weekend. I think I wore the same white shirt every Saturday for two years because I couldn’t afford another one, but my mum starched it every week so it looked new.”

Vernon also dished about his mum, who appears in the ad with him for Flora, “People say she’s too glamorous to be my mother – cheeky gits!”

It sounds like Vernon’s eight-year marriage to Tess is stronger than ever and when asked about the couple having any more children, he replied:

“I think two at the moment is where we’re at.” Then he whispers, “But you never know, do you…”