Radio 2’s Sara Cox: It’s lovely that Steve Wright is in my new novel

Sara Cox, a lively radio presenter, experienced strong feelings while reading a specific part of her second book, Way Back, for the audiobook version. The passage included a scene where a car radio was broadcasting Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs.

The Radio 2 Teatime presenter felt overwhelmed with emotions when she reached the segment on Steve Wright's love songs. She had included a tribute to her beloved colleague, who passed away in February, in her book.

"Clearly, I have no intention of altering it. It is delightful that it has been included. The fact that he is featured within it is truly pleasant."

Cox, aged 49, struggled to hold back her tears as she emotionally honored him in a segment on her radio program shortly following his passing.

We were all taken aback. It was a significant surprise. No one anticipated it. Our focus was on providing the best support to our listeners during this time. It's crucial to retain composure while also displaying our emotions since we are genuinely saddened and shocked. The atmosphere in the building still reflects this.

In the same book, there is a section where presenter Jeremy Vine makes a brief appearance in a conversation that takes place during a car ride. The author of the book attempted to imitate his voice in a humorous manner on the audiobook. She shared that she listens to him every day and considers him a good friend, but found his accent to be very difficult to replicate.

It's evident that her acquaintances at Radio 2 hold significant value to her, which she demonstrates in the acknowledgment section.

"When I sometimes get to the studio, looking tired and withdrawn from spending the morning alone struggling with words, your amusing contributions and entertaining stories always manage to make me smile widely," she expresses.

Way Back reflects the character of a northern working-class lady, Josie, who had been residing in a well-off locality of north London with her charming and affluent partner James, who possesses a biased attitude towards people from the North. Initially, Josie considered it amusing, but her character has seeped into the story.

They have decided to end their marriage after being together for 23 years, and they both share the same opinion. Chloe, their daughter, is also accepting of their decision.

This is an intelligent and humorous story about a family facing difficult problems. Josie is getting older and struggling to accept that her dad died too young in a car accident when he was only 38 years old. Her mother, Sandra, won’t talk about it or share any memories with Josie.

Josie comes across the ancient family farm in Lancashire where she lived as a kid in the story, and determines she needs to return there to face her future.

Cox has been thinking about returning to her hometown for some time now, and she confesses that the ideas of her main character are similar to her own.

I really want to have a small piece of land to call our own and work on, but I'm uncertain if I can get my husband, who is from a posh area in Hampstead, to agree to relocate with me to the north. It might be a challenge to convince him.

Even though she partied hard with her friend Zoe Ball during the Nineties, being in the countryside is where Cox feels the most comfortable.

In her initial literary work, titled "Till The Cows Come Home", the author shares a tender and moving account of her formative years. She reminisces about her upbringing on a dairy farm owned by her father, located in the vicinity of Bolton. The farm was replete with a multitude of furry friends, namely canines, bovines, equines and a fair amount of dirt.

Nowadays, she satisfies her craving for that universe by mounting her steed, Nelly, whom she frequently rides in her spare time.

Elaine, my teacher, is absolutely fantastic. Whenever I approach her feeling like I need a mental break from a rough night's sleep or any other distraction, she's quick to come up with exercises that help me focus better on things like jumping over poles. It's been a total game-changer for me.

"Nelly is my source of relaxation, and I have three dogs that require some physical activity and care. However, the cats and tortoises do not need as much attention."

She goes on to say that as one gets older, they can start to feel disconnected from the location where they grew up. Furthermore, as she ages, her desire to have a small farm or plot of land increases. This has been her aspiration for quite some time.

The book includes powerful female characters such as Josie, who relocates to the north to begin afresh, her devoted companion, Fay, as well as her mum, Sandra.

I have a special fondness for crafting narratives about formidable female characters who uplift and motivate each other. Thankfully, I am blessed to have several such women in my personal circle who serve as inspirations for my writing.

In my stories, my aim is to show women being backed up by their buddies and finding new companions who appreciate their worth and acknowledge them as an incredible individual.

Cox transitioned from modeling to broadcasting, traveling to cities like Milan, South Korea, and New York for her job. She hosted The Girlie Show on Channel 4 in 1996, and had various positions on The Big Breakfast and Radio 1 for ten years. Currently, she is employed by Radio 2.

It's amazing how she manages to balance her family life with her career. She has three kids: Lola, who's 19 years old, from her previous marriage and two younger kids, Isaac who's 16 and Renee who's 14, with her husband Ben Cyzer, who works in advertising. On top of all that, she's hosting a radio show called Teatime on Radio 2, which just turned five years old, and is also gearing up for another season of her book show, Between The Covers, on BBC2 in October. She also enjoys horseback riding and is currently working on her third novel.

The amount of work I have tends to fluctuate. I've had a couple of weeks where my workload was light, but now I'm starting to get more tasks - however, I enjoy having a lot to do.

Cox, who will reach the age of 50 before the end of this year, celebrated a grand birthday party last year, which she described as "not 50th". As a result, the upcoming milestone of 50 years of age does not seem significant to her. Moreover, Cox has stated that she is not concerned with getting older.

It seems like a special opportunity to get older because I have experienced the loss of those who left us at a very young age, leaving behind their young children. I am grateful for the gift of growing older.

Get your hands on a copy of Way Back by Sara Cox, now obtainable from Coronet at a price of £16.99. Don't wait any longer - get it today!