Vernon Kay recalls 'terrible' moment he made his mum cry after upsetting her

TV star Vernon Kay has opened up about the moment his A-Level results left his mum in tears. The 51-year-old presenter, who has previously spoken about his struggles with education, said the experience only made him more determined to succeed.

Despite this, he reassured others who may have stumbled or failed that they will eventually find their path.

Speaking to The Sun, Vernon credited his parents for instilling a strong work ethic in him, which saw him take on a variety of jobs.

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He said: "Oh, it was terrible, dreadful. I found sixth form quite difficult – I had terrible attention span. I was kind of lost in this world where everyone was growing up and leaving me behind. But you know, you do find your way.

"Mum and Dad gave me a good work ethic. I've cleaned phone boxes, I've stuck stickers on boxes of bananas, I've been a caretaker, I worked in Tesco; I did anything for money because I loved getting paid on a Thursday and spending it on a Saturday."

This isn't the first time Vernon has shared the story of making his mother Gladys cry. Earlier this year, ahead of A-Level results day, he recounted the tale to his Radio 2 listeners.

He remembered how she questioned why his grades weren't as high as she'd expected, to which he responded that he'd been too busy playing football.

Vernon recalled: "We're only a few weeks away from the dreaded school exam results. I made Gladys cry. What have you been doing for two years?' 'I'm really good at football'. That was when I got me A-Level results."

Vernon's remarks came just weeks after he'd discussed his own daughter, Amber, whom he shares with wife Tess Daly, preparing for her GCSEs, which brought back memories of his own school days.

He said: "Of course, it's stressful. I remember my GCSEs...well, I don't...I'm lying, it was so long ago - 1990 I did mine.

"I remember sitting there thinking, 'Gosh, I wish I'd revised'. I'm not remembering anymore, it's making me depressed.

"It's not the way education should be for me, more practical, playing out, hide and seek, I'd have got A+ in that.

"It's torturous for some kids, isn't it? If you've got who are going through GCSEs, just put your arm around them. There's nothing else they can do."