Latest news with #SaraCox
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Yahoo
Sara Cox speaks about her farmer dad who as police step up patrols around his farm
Radio 2 presenter Sara Cox has spoken fondly of her dad, who is still 'farming now' as police step up patrols around his farm. Sara, who grew up on the farm in Little Lever, was speaking on 'Table Manners' podcast hosted by Jessie and Lennie Ware this week - as police said they were increasing their presence around her childhood home. The Bolton News reported earlier this week that police had issued a plea to parents to ensure they knew where their children were after young thugs had been causing damage during the evening and over weekends at Grundy Fold Farm. The farm is owned by Sara's dad Leonard Cox, 85. (Image: Sara has previously said she "absolutely loved" living on the farm. READ MORE: Police warn parents after damage caused at Sara Cox's dad's farm Sara Cox on her roots as she speaks about new book Charities' praise for Peter Kay and Sara Cox Q&A fundraiser Speaking on the podcast Sara said: "He farms Hereford cattle - brown and white ones - they are beautiful very kind cows. "His cows have a great life they have a high welfare which has always been really important to him." Though she revealed his mobility "isn't great" after a bull stepped on his foot 20 years ago. She said: "My dads mobility isn't great - long story short he had a bull called Ferrari that stepped on his foot a few years ago. She said Len was loading a bull - which he had just sold onto a lorry - when it accidentally stepped onto his foot. Sara said: "He didn't want to show that the bull had stood on his foot so he tried to style it out a little bit. "Because he is a farmer, he didn't get it looked at or sorted so now he just hobbles around - his foot is now burgered. "Fast forward 20 years, he is still hobbling around but his foot is getting worse so my brother goes up who lives local and does so much to help him out." Her brother Robert calls him a "doorstep farmer" as he shouts things for him to do from the ledge. (Image: Earlier this week GMP Bolton officers urged parents to ensure their children are not hanging around the farm area - parents have told they will discourage them from doing so. A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "We have had a number of reports regarding youths causing criminal damage at Grundy Fold farm in the evenings and weekends. "We would like to nip this in the bud before the summer holidays. "If you are aware that your child hangs around this location then please discourage them. "Further patrols will be made around the farm due to the remoteness and vulnerability of the location." In response to the message, residents took to social media to share their concern with one saying "they should be forced to do community service". The farm has been the target of vandals in the past – who started a fire there in 2019. At the time Sara spoke out against the "gang of young idiots" on social media at the time. She said: "Huge thanks to @FireBolton crew for helping my dad when a gang of young idiots set fire to his haylage, destroying it. "Farms aren't playgrounds for bored kids – police haven't been able to help, struggling to find a solution." She said that she just wanted her dad and his property to be kept safe.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC Radio 2 DJ Sara Cox reveals she tracks her children when they're apart
BBC Radio 2's Sara Cox has revealed she tracks her children using Apple's Find My Friends feature when they're apart. The 50-year-old broadcaster shares three teenage children, Renee, Lola and Isaac with her husband Ben Cyzer and has a daughter with her ex-husband, DJ Jon Carter, who she separated from in 2006. Speaking to Jessie and Lennie Ware on their Table Manners podcast, Cox said: 'I just do the usual Apple one. You can see where the kids are.' Apple released Find My Friends, which allows users to share their location with specific people and locate those who share their location with them using GPS and Wi-Fi in 2011. The app is most commonly used as a safety precaution and in 2017 aided a man to be rescued after he became stuck on a mountain. However, Cox admitted she was glad her own mother wasn't able to track her when she was young. 'My mum would have been like 'Why is Sara on her way to Blackpool,' the presenter, who grew up in Bolton, said. 'I went to Blackpool when I really wasn't supposed to be,' she said. 'I'd get a lift with some random lads in their XR2s [Ford Fiesta cars].' Some parents take tracking their children a step further, with Mike and Zara Tindall keeping tabs using Apple's £35 AirTag tracking device. In 2021, Apple launched AirTags to help iPhone users track the exact location of a lost item, such as luggage and keys. The small, circular device can be tracked from Apple's Find My app. The Independent's Charlotte Cripps weighed in on the child-tracking debate, saying she wanted to AirTag her children until they were 18. 'Is it teaching children to feel unsafe in the world and infringing on their privacy? Not in my case. 'My children feel protected knowing I'm keeping a close eye on them, and they are not at an age where they can go out without adult truth is, I'd prefer to be safe than sorry,' she wrote. 'I know I can't control what happens to my children when I'm not there– but at least there's great comfort in knowing exactly where they are.'
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Radio stations thrown into chaos and scramble to find last minute stand-ins as both Vernon Kay and Ken Bruce miss their shows in a 'freak twist' after getting 'trapped' on broken down train
The airwaves were thrown into chaos on Tuesday morning, after two major radio presenters were late to their shows due to a broken down train. BBC Radio 2 and Greatest Hits Radio were both forced to find stand-ins and make last-minute shake-ups their schedules after both Vernon Kay and Ken Bruce were caught up in the railway disruption. Vernon, 51, was due to begin his Radio 2 slot at 9.30am, but failed to arrive after becoming 'trapped' on a broken down Chiltern Railways train in the sweltering heatwave. Sara Cox, who is already standing in for Scott Mills, stepped in to take the reigns, extending the Breakfast Show for 30 more minutes and explaining the situation to listeners. The DJ - who coincidentally also hails from Vernon's hometown of Bolton - said: 'Oh no, I've just realised I'm not gonna be in time for reformer Pilates. 'If you just joined in and you're thinking Vernon is sounding a little extra-manly today, don't worry. It's me: Sara, from the same area obviously, though famously. 'Vernon, poor Vernon stuck on a hot, sweaty train with no coffee, no air-con, no deodorant. So he's going to get in at some point, hopefully.' Vernon himself took to his Instagram Stories to lament the situation, sharing a selfie onboard the train with the caption: 'The train isn't training. Hang fire @djsaracox Send deodorant and coffee!' As the delay stretched on, broadcaster Gary Davies took over from Sara at 10am to fill in for Vernon, telling listeners: 'I was supposed to be teeing off around now, but it's just going to have to wait. 'If you just tuned in and wondering were Vernon is, he was on his train like usual and the train broke down and so he has been in sweltering hot heat and they had to send a rescue train which also broke down. 'He's not going nowhere. And he's still trying to get here. Will he make it or not? If you spot him let me know where he is.' Vernon then sent several voice notes in to the show to play over the airwaves, where he expressed his gratitude towards 'gentleman' Gary for covering for him. He said: 'Hi Gary, it's Vernon. I'm sat on a train, thanks very much for covering for me' before asking his fellow stuck passengers to say hello. He went on: 'We are trapped on the train. We are still not in good spirits but we are trying Gary, we really are trying. All the best. You're a gentleman. Have a great show.' But it wasn't only Vernon who was caught out by the railway chaos, with Ken, 74, also missing the start of his slot on his Greatest Hits Radio show. The veteran broadcaster hosts the weekday from 10am to 1pm, but didn't make it to the studio until 11.38am after also becoming trapped on the train. Simon Ross stepped in to present the first 30 minutes, saying: 'Ken was stuck on a train and will hopefully arrive in time for PopMaster' before Claire Sturgess then took over. Taking to his X account to apologise to listeners, Ken explained: 'My apologies. Thanks to yet another broken down train from @chilternrailway I will be late on the show @greatesthitsuk this morning. 'Second time in a month. And yes I do leave plenty of time to get in! Thanks to @rossie7dj for holding the fort!' And fans couldn't help but notice that both Ken and Vernon were facing the same battle and guess that the two radio stars were trapped on the same train in a 'freak twist', joking the pair could 'have a catch-up' or 'carpool'. Taking to the replies of Ken's tweet, they joked: 'Same with @vernonkay. Are you two planning a late cheeky breakfast together?'; 'Is Vernon on the same train ?' 'On the same train as @vernonkay by any chance?'; 'Have you seen Vernon Kay, think he's on the same train & is late in too.' 'You and Vernon on the same train !! Did you have a catch up ?!'; 'Are you and @vernonkay on the same broken down train?' 'You and @vernonkay should share a car!'; 'I bet Vernon is on the same train!'; 'You with Vernon kay he's having a similar problem'. 'Chiltern Railways certainly impacting our radio stations… Vernon and Ken both held up by Chiltern Trains' pesky stock being utterly unfit for purpose.' 'In a freak twist Vernon is probably on the same train...'; '@vernonkay must be on the same train #late'. 'should carpool with vernon'; 'Is @vernonkay on the same train? Because he's also late for his show because of the train breaking down'. 'I take it Ken's stranded with Vernon? Are they playing 'battle of the pop quizzes' whilst banged up together?' Adding credence to the suggestion, Vernon previously revealed in November 2023 that he and Ken take the same train to work each day and often bump into each other on the commute. He told The Radio Times: 'We take the same train every morning! He gets on a few stops further down the line but we bump into each other all the time – we say hello and have a chinwag'. The former Family Fortunes host famously took over Ken's Radio 2 show, two months after Ken jumped ship to join commercial rival Greatest Hits Radio after hosting the same BBC slot since 1986. And fans couldn't help but notice that both Ken and Vernon were facing the same battle and guess that the two radio stars were trapped on the same train in a 'freak twist', joking the pair could 'have a catch-up' or 'carpool' Previously he said he had left the BBC after three decades in the same slot because it was 'time for a change' and it felt 'like the natural culmination of some planning I've been doing'. But now Ken has revealed he decided to jump ship before he started to become 'bitter and entrenched', saying: 'It was a long time and I thought I'm doing the same thing every day. 'There was a point of saying that I can't enthuse over all the new music I'm having to play as much as I could over the old music. And I didn't want to get to the stage where I was badmouthing some of the music [or] pretending to like it.' The father of six elaborated: 'I certainly did think I've got a bit more to offer. I didn't want to be declining over the next three or four years and still doing the same show, but everybody around me getting younger and thinking, 'Am I the old bloke in the corner here?' 'I was the youngster on the station and then almost overnight I became the veteran, and I didn't want to become the old grump in the corner saying 'things aren't what they used to be', or [to] any new idea say, 'No, we tried that, didn't work', which does happen. I just felt I would get more bitter and entrenched.' Ken added that the switch to Greatest Hits Radio had given him a new lease of life, insisting: 'I do feel that it's rejuvenated me to a certain extent. 'I loved working for the BBC. I think it's a great institution. But maybe for the last couple of years I can't be blamed for just trying something else.'
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Charities praise ‘incredible boost' as Peter Kay and Sara Cox reunite for fundraiser
One of the charities set to benefit from a sold-out Q&A event involving two of Bolton's stars says the "incredible boost" could not come at a better time. Comedy icon Peter Kay is set to appear in two very special sold-out live events, In Conversation with Sara Cox at Salford's prestigious Lowry Lyric Theatre on Sunday, September 14. Tickets for the event sold out in record time last weekend. The Boltonians will sit down to reflect on Peter's remarkable life and career, including the release of his much-anticipated new memoir, 'Peter Kay's Diary", due to be released later this year. As part of the conversation, they will also share and discuss the songs that have shaped Peter's journey – from growing up in Bolton to becoming one of the UK's most beloved entertainers. Proceeds from the events will go towards Bolton Hospice and Crescent Food Bank Bolton, which both provide vital care services across the borough. READ MORE: Mad-chester legend has people partying into the early hours in Bolton Concert in aid of cancer charities to take place at Bolton Parish Church A spokesperson for Crescent Food Bank said: 'We are immensely grateful that profits from the upcoming event featuring Peter Kay in conversation with Sara Cox at The Lowry will support our ongoing work in Bolton. 'In 2024 alone, Crescent Food Bank has provided over 169,365 meals a dramatic 24 per cent increase from the previous year, as we continue to work closely with our welfare partners and many schools across the borough to support the most vulnerable families. 'This reflects the growing crisis within our community, and once again, we are seeing a substantial rise in demand for our services. 'Thanks to the generosity of Peter, Sara and everyone attending, these donations will enable us to provide fresh produce, essential food items, and hygiene products to those in crisis across Bolton. 'We work closely with the charity Fareshare in Manchester to redistribute excess fresh produce, preventing it from going to landfill. 'This incredible boost couldn't come at a better time as we prepare for a busy autumn. "We sincerely thank Peter Kay, Sara Cox and everyone involved for making a meaningful difference to vulnerable families across Bolton.' Peter began his career in 1996 and made his name on TV shows such as Phoenix Nights, That Peter Kay Thing and Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere. His current tour is still going with extra dates having been added on several occasions due to demand. It started in 2022 and has dates scheduled until next year. A Bolton Hospice spokesperson said: 'We were thrilled that Peter Kay announced two very special live events, 'In Conversation with Sara Cox', with all profits to be donated to Bolton Hospice and Crescent Foodbank Bolton. 'Tickets sold out so quickly, it's fantastic that such a popular event is raising funds to help us be there for families when they need it most.'
The Sun
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Peter Kay fans left gutted after ticket site crashes and venue forced to apologise over gig chaos
PETER Kay fans have been issued an apology after ticket sales for a special upcoming gig descended into chaos. Comedy lovers had logged on to snap up tickets for the one-off show with DJ Sara Cox only to find the website kept crashing. 5 The pair are due to take to the stage in Salford this September for Peter Kay In Conversation With Sara Cox. But when tickets went on sale at 10am on Saturday for the two-performance charity gig at The Lowry Theatre, fans were left struggling to buy them. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one frustrated punter wrote: "Had 3 tickets in basket and then couldn't finish purchase and when tried to get back in everything almost gone. Guess I won't be spending my bday celebration at the Lowry.' Another added: " Peter Kay crashing the internet again!" A third complained that it took him almost two hours to try and buy tickets. One lucky customer added: "Pretty chuffed to have gotten front row accessible tickets for this today before the ticket website fell over for a good while!" Peter has now re-shared an apology from The Lowry on his Instagram account. The message read: "We are aware of the issues this morning regarding booking tickets. "Please bear with us while we try to rectify the problem. "We apologise for any inconvenience caused." A further update from the theatre thanked fans for their patience and confirmed the two performances had eventually sold out. Peter and BBC Radio 2 DJ Sara will be taking to the stage on September 14 at both 2.30pm and 7.30pm. A blurb on The Lowry's website reads: "In these unique and heartwarming shows, the two proud Boltonians will sit down to reflect on Peter Kay's remarkable life and career, including the release of his much-anticipated new memoir, 'Peter Kay's Diary', due later this year. "As part of the conversation, they'll also share and discuss the songs that have shaped Peter's journey – from growing up in Bolton to becoming one of the UK's most beloved entertainers." All profits from Peter and Sara's show will go to Bolton Hospice and Crescent Food Bank Bolton. The performances will also be recorded, to air on television at a later date. Peter has been touring with his Peter Kay Live: Better Late Than Never tour since returning to the stage in 2022. On Saturday night, he took to the Manchester AO Arena and will now be taking a break until July 25. His tour will then run again until early November. During his shows, Peter has endured several encounters with rowdy audience members. In March, he halted his set and threatened to set security on hecklers at London 's O2 Arena. Weeks earlier, Peter had a fan kicked out after he repeatedly disrupted the show by shouting out the comedian's catchphrase "garlic bread". He also sparked controversy after comparing one heckler to actress Lisa Riley. Peter later treated Lisa, who plays Debbie Dingle in Emmerdale, to VIP tickets to one of his shows in the wake of the remark. 5
