Sara Cox

Sara Cox
Sara Cox at Manchester Fashion Week, October 2007
Born	Sarah Joanne Cox 13 December 1974 (1974-12-13) (age 36) Bolton, Greater Manchester, England
Other names	Sara Cox
Occupation	Television presenter, disc jockey
Salary	£200,000 per year (2006)[1][2]
Website
Sara's Radio 1 Page

Sara Cox (born Sarah Joanne Cox on 13 December 1974), known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003. She now presents a Sunday morning show on the station, as well as regularly covering for other Radio 1 DJs.

Early career

Cox was born Sarah Joanne Cox in Bolton, Greater Manchester, but later dropped the use of the letter 'h' from her first name.^[3] She attended Smithills High School until aged 16, and left Canon Slade School after her A-levels to pursue a career in modelling.

Cox won her first television show role in 1996, presenting early "Girl Power" show The Girlie Show on Channel 4.^[4] She later had stints on Channel 5 entertainment show Exclusive and Channel 4 music programme Born Sloppy. In 1997 Sara presented on the UK feed of MTV, hosting MTV Hot, a late night music show. In 1998 Sara won her first film role in "The Bitterest Pill".^[5][6]

In September 1998 she became a presenter of The Big Breakfast, following in the footsteps of her friend Zoë Ball (for whom Cox was a bridesmaid at Ball's wedding to DJ Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, in 1999). During her time on The Big Breakfast she interviewed stars such as Robbie Williams, Sting and Leonardo DiCaprio. Cox preferred to do interviews in her dad's caravan which was situated in The Big Breakfast garden.

BBC Radio 1 (1999-present)

1999-2002

A transfer to radio came in September 1999 when she joined BBC Radio 1. She co-hosted the Saturday lunchtime show with Emma B from 1pm-3pm and she launched the hugely popular Sunday Surgery with Dr. Mark Hamilton, a health and welfare show where listeners called in about their problems, with Sara acting as "Nurse Coxy". The show still proves popular today, and is currently hosted by Aled Haydn Jones.

In December 1999 it was announced that Cox would again step into Zoë Ball's shoes as presenter of the weekday breakfast show, as Ball had decided to leave the organisation to bring up a family. Cox's breakfast show stint began on 31 March 2000, three days early so she could calm her nerves. Initially her listening figures were very good, growing from 6.9 million to 7.8 million listeners during her first fifteen months in the job - earning Radio 1 its largest breakfast audience ever - higher than that of her predecessor and Chris Evans. By August 2002, however, numbers had dipped back under 7 million.

In August 2000 Cox said live on air that the Queen Mother "smelt of wee"^[7] and was reported^{[citation needed]} to have been very close to losing her job.

2003-2008

In January 2003 she denied rumours that she was preparing to leave the BBC for a rival show, and signed a three-year contract with the public service broadcaster, tying her to the breakfast show until April 2004 and with the BBC for two years after that. In August 2003, the BBC again denied rumours, reported in the Daily Mail, that she had been given 10 weeks to increase ratings, or to face replacement. However just two months later the BBC announced that Cox, whose listening figures had slipped to 6.6m, would be replaced by Chris Moyles in January 2004. She hosted her final breakfast show on 19 December 2003. Her final track was "(I've Had) The Time of My Life".

Cox then presented the afternoon "drivetime" slot, effectively swapping shows with Chris Moyles. She hosted the Drivetime show for 6 months with features such as; 'For Your Ears Only', 'Me, Myself and I' and 'Chap's Eye Pub Quiz' (referring to her then sidekick Mark Chapman). She began maternity leave to give birth to a baby girl, Lola Anne, in June 2004. Before she returned to Radio 1 in early 2005, Scott Mills, the presenter who took over her slot during her maternity leave, was given the drivetime slot permanently.

From February 2005 she took over the afternoon show (1pm-4pm) on Saturdays and Sundays.

2008-present

On 17 February 2008 she presented her last show for six months before leaving for maternity leave to have her second child. Annie Mac presented the show during Cox's absence. Cox later covered for Jo Whiley who was on maternity leave between October 2008 and February 2009. Following Whiley's return, Cox returned to weekends to present a Sunday mid-morning show, broadcasting between 10am and 1pm.

In March 2010 Cox went on maternity leave for the third time, leaving her show in the hands of the newest Radio 1 presenter, Matt Edmondson.^[8] She returned to the airwaves on the 9th of August 2010 to cover for Fearne Cotton for three weeks. Cox made a self-confessed unexpected return to the breakfast show on the 2nd of September 2010, as she sat in for the poorly Chris Moyles.

She currently presents her Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 1, as well as regularly deputising for the stations daytime presenters, Fearne Cotton, Scott Mills and Chris Moyles.

In June 2011 Sara began hosting the fourth series of the comedy programme, Hot Gossip on BBC Radio 2, covering for Claudia Winkleman, who chose not to present the series as she was heavily pregnant at the time.^[9]

Personal life

She married DJ Jon Carter on 6 October 2001; they split in December 2005. She gave birth to a girl, Lola Anne Carter, on 13 June 2004 at St John and St Elizabeth Hospital in North London.

On 16 September 2007 Cox announced on her BBC Radio 1 weekend show that she was expecting her second child.^[10] Cox's last weekend show was on Sunday 17 February 2008 before she left for 6 months maternity leave. Her second child, a baby boy named Isaac, was born on 10 March 2008 weighing 7 lb 12oz, at a London hospital.^[11] She returned to Radio 1 in September 2008. Sara went on maternity leave for the third time, after her show on Sunday 7 March 2010. Less than a week later, on 12 March, she announced that she had given birth to a baby girl, named Renee, at 8:30 am GMT.

In November 2007, when a guest on humorous news quiz Have I Got News for You, Cox revealed that she had been born with a dislocated hip.^[12]

Privacy

In June 2003 Cox won £50,000 damages plus costs from the British newspaper The People after it printed photographs of her sunbathing in the nude on her honeymoon in 2001. Cox, who was photographed with a telephoto lens whilst on a private island, initially complained to the Press Complaints Commission, who found on her side. The People printed an apology. Cox was unsatisfied, and sued the newspaper in the High Court for a breach of her right to privacy under the Human Rights Act. Cox settled out of court with the paper before any judgment was made.^[13][14]

Charitable activity

Cox will be one of 52 celebrities contributing to a children's story entitled ‘Once Upon a Time’^[15] to promote a new charity directory inquiries number 118 520. The book will be auctioned with the profits going to the NSPCC. Sara is also a named supporter of the animal charity PDSA, and has promoted the charity by being photographed^[16] with her pet dog, Snoop, by the late Lord Lichfield. Sara and other celebrities entered the women's race (The Magnolia Cup) fundraising for the charity Great Ormond Street at Glorious Goodwood on the 28th of July 2011 she came ninth.^[17]

Other activities

In 2006 Cox participated as a celebrity showjumper in the BBC's Sport Relief event Only Fools on Horses. In November of that year she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bolton for contributions to broadcasting.^[18]

In July 2007 she became the presenter of The Album Chart Show on Channel 4, and appeared as a guest star on Sky 1's Angela and Friends in November 2009.^[19] and as Guest Presenter in January 2010.^[20] Also in 2010 she appeared as a team captain on What Do Kids Know? along with Rufus Hound and Joe Swash on Watch.^[21]

As of the 2011 Contest, Cox commentates for the semi-finals of the Eurovision Song Contest on BBC Three with fellow BBC Radio DJ Scott Mills.^[22]

References

1. ^ Exclusive: Dosh Jockeys. The Daily Mirror, first published 18 April 2006.
2. ^ Fear, loathing and envy at the BBC as mole spills salary secrets of radio stars. The Guardian, first published 19 April 2006.
3. ^ England & Wales, Birth Index: 1837-1983. Ancestry.co.uk. URL accessed 21 June 2007.
4. ^ "BBC Cult - I Love 1996". http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/ilove/years/1996/tv2.shtml. Retrieved 11 March 2008. 
5. ^ "Sara Cox - Presenters". Troikatalent.com. http://www.troikatalent.com/MR/Cox_Sara.htm. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
6. ^ "The Bitterest Pill". Britfilms.com. 2007-02-20. http://www.britfilms.com/britishfilms/catalogue/browse/?id=D5FD9B420eeaf2E8F2sMpSCEEA44. Retrieved 2011-03-09. 
7. ^ "DJ Cox's Queen Mother gaffe". London: BBC News Online. 4 August 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/866417.stm. Retrieved 4 January 2010. 
8. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/02_february/23/radio1.shtml
9. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0122sgj
10. ^ "Radio 1 host Cox expecting baby". London: BBC News. 15 September 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6997918.stm. Retrieved 4 January 2010. 
11. ^ "Baby boy for Radio 1's Sara Cox". BBC News (London). 11 March 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7290012.stm. Retrieved 12 March 2008. 
12. ^ Have I Got News For You. BBC 2. 18 November 2007.
13. ^ "Cox privacy case 'a watershed'". BBC News. 7 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2971330.stm. Retrieved 23 May 2010. 
14. ^ "Privacy law remains confused". BBC News. 9 June 2003. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2975718.stm. Retrieved 23 May 2010. 
15. ^ "Sara Cox to contribute to a children’s story to promote a new charity directory number 118 520", Charities Aid Foundation, 19 February 2008. Retrieved on 20 February 2005.
16. ^ "PDSA Celebrity supporters", People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, 14 October 2008. Retrieved on 14 October 2008.
17. ^ "Nice and Edie for Campbell as model wins Magnolia Cup at Goodwood", dailymail.co.uk, 28 July 2011. Retrieved on 31 July 2011.
18. ^ "University announces winter Honorary Doctorates". University of Bolton. 24 November 2006. http://www.bolton.ac.uk/news/archive/nov2006-3.html. 
19. ^ "Angela and Friends cast list", "imdb.com" July 2011
20. ^ "Angela and Friends cast list", "imdb.com" July 2011
21. ^ "What Do Kids Know?", "UKTV" July 2011
22. ^ "Sara Cox and Scott Mills front Eurovision semi-finals exclusively on BBC Three". BBC Press Office. 21 April 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/04_april/21/eurovision.shtml. Retrieved 2011-05-10. 

External links

• Sara Cox at BBC Programmes
• Sara Cox on Twitter
• Sara Cox's vegetable growing blog on the BBC's Dig In site

Media offices
Preceded by Zoë Ball	BBC Radio One Breakfast Show Presenter 2000–2003	Succeeded by Chris Moyles

Persondata
Name	Cox, Sara
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	13 December 1974
Place of birth	Bolton, Greater Manchester, England
Date of death
Place of death