Sara Cox

My dad is a farmer, so I used to love watching 'All Creatures Great and Small' - that's where I got most of my death and drama.

I don't want to upset my husband but I don't really like people who are too handsome.

There's always someone waiting to take your job so you've got to crack on and do your best.

I'm always painted as a party girl, which was true for my 20s. It's taken a long time to shake off that gobby, in-your-face image. I'm actually quite chilled out.

I'm really quite girly.

I'm at work every day, I hold my life together - I'm not exactly waking up in the gutter.

I like hip-hop, I like a lot of dance music. If it's got drums in it.

My girl mates are my minders. They stop people kissing me in clubs.

On telly, if it's not the right kind of show, I revert back to my 'Girlie Show' persona, become this daft, bawdy caricature of myself and I'm not actually like that, I'm actually quite - not clever, but smart with my words.

When I'm on telly, I feel a bit trussed up and I hate make-up and it does put weight on you and I look and see my chins.

I'd like to do radio forever, really. I prefer it to telly. It's more immediate and I'm in control of it all.

I'm quite laidback.

I really love 'Broad City' and Lena Dunham's 'Girls,' which I missed when it was first on years ago.

Who would think the Sara Cox of the '90s would be so bang into long johns?

I loved 'Cagney and Lacey;' they were absolutely awesome.

I think my peak 90s moment was posing on a Harley-Davidson outside the Met Bar with Wyclef Jean.

I'm always trying to get back towards some sort of farm-type life.

I was always myself. I never pretended I'd been to a gig the night before and was hanging out with Rita Ora, because that's not what I do.

Radio 2 feels like I'm still at the pub with all my friends but now my father-in-law has joined the table. But I love it. If I was a stick of rock I'd have BBC written through me.

Normally I don't have a scrap of makeup on me when I'm on the radio.

Visualisation is the future of radio.

If I wear lipstick, my lips take over my face - I've got one of those mouths - so I stick to gloss or lip balm.

My main issue is trying to create shape, because I am like an upturned spring onion. I am bulbous at the top, then I sort of whittle away, and my feet are like the green bits. I try to create - with clever use of a skirt and tucked-in top - a waist and hips.

My favourite organic recipe is probably a huge batch of chilli con carne cooked with organic low fat British minced beef, tons of kidney beans, tomatoes and baked beans.

If I go to heaven, I'd like Phillip and Fern or Richard and Judy - if they die first - to be waiting for me with a big plate of pork pies with piccalilli. A comforting thought.

I don't really trust people who don't like dogs. We always had dogs on the farm I grew up on near Bolton.

My go-to products are a Tom Ford tinted moisturiser, an Armani foundation and a Smashbox mascara.

I try to eat 'real' food as much as I can; often I'll shove a load of ingredients - spinach, an apple or whatever's knocking about - in my NutriBullet. Nothing beats a bit of buttery toast though! I think a little bit of what you fancy does you good.

When I turned 40, I noticed I couldn't read the label on the back of a jar of food - it turned to be the result of presbyopia where the lens of the eye loses its ability to focus on near objects due to age. So now I wear multifocal contact lenses - and they've been a real blessing.

When I've got friends who are about to turn 40, I'm like: 'Babe, you're gonna love it, it's the best!'

Your 20s are for partying, your 30s - if you choose to have kids or are lucky enough to have them - are when you give yourself over to childcare, and then in your 40s it just becomes about you a bit more.

Like most people, I'm on my phone a lot during the day, there are always work emails coming in or emails persuading me to buy more shoes. Honestly, I'm probably on my phone a bit too much. I'm addicted to Twitter and Instagram.

If I don't have my 1-Day Acuvue Moist Brand Multifocal contact lenses in, I simply don't feel as confident.

Doing regular exercise puts me in a good mood.

There isn't really a typical day in my life, I kind of wish there was, but it always starts too early, there are always lots of children running around, normally my own and not just random children, and there'll be the routine of the school run and walking the dog to start the day.

God, I hate the whole ladette thing. The more distance I get and look back at my party days, the more I'm kinda pleased I did it because it's the last thing I'd want to do now.

Life is enhanced so much by dogs. When your kids get to an age where they don't want to cuddle you as much and you have to force them into a judo hold to get affection, you've got dogs for that.

Animals are good for teaching children about the circle of life.

There are so many occasions when I'd like to go back in time and have a word with myself.

I can't go to the gym and sit on those machines - I'm medically unable to run because I'm just that wonky all over. I'd love to be a runner but I'm no good.

To be honest I see myself as a broadcaster, I'm just on the radio a lot. So I don't really feel like I'm getting papped on the school run with my belly in.

I recommend to any women just to find a gym that's got proper women there; lots of mums and lots of regular shaped women.

You've just got to give yourself a break sometimes.

I would get fit after having each of my children but it was always slightly tainted with guilt because I would feel guilty if they were with a nanny or at nursery while I was working out.

I go to body combat classes. There's something very tribal about being in a room with 30 other women punching and kicking!

I don't think your twenties are for fitness, but when I got to my thirties I started to get fit.

I think I am quite a morning person naturally, I think it may be breakfast radio that has made me be like that.

I do like my little smoothie in the morning with a bit of spinach, a bit of Manuka honey and some frozen fruit.

I try to look after my voice. I am very aware that if I am going to be doing a voice over the next day or on the radio, not to go out to a really noisy place or shout.

I just like feeling good; I love the gym, I love running, I've taken riding lessons - I've got three kids, so I have a good reason to keep fit and stay healthy. Although I'm not an angel and I do love eating well!