Sara Cox reveals friendship with Fiona Bruce and their mutual love of horse riding

Sara Cox - Good Housekeeping UK-David Venni credit:Bang Showbiz
Sara Cox - Good Housekeeping UK-David Venni credit:Bang Showbiz

Sara Cox loves horse riding with Fiona Bruce.

The BBC Radio 2 presenter adores both her “darling” equine Nelly - who she recently acquired - and going out with the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ presenter, 60, and her group of down-to-earth “horsey pals”.

The 49-year-old broadcaster told the August 2024 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine: “She's my darling … She forces me to live in the moment because I can't be on my phone; it's just us in the middle of nowhere, which is fantastic… I ride with Fiona Bruce, who I met watching showjumping; I was excited to be on her table because I love ‘Antiques Roadshow’ and we really hit it off. She's hilarious.

"She has a really good bunch of horsey pals and she invites me along to ride with them. They're all in their 50s and 60s and they're very cool - just absolute badasses and they don't give a monkeys about celebrity, which is great. I'm always the worst rider, somewhere at the back.”

Sara - who has 20-year-old daughter Lola with her ex Jon Carter, 54, and daughter Renee, 14, and son Isaac, 16, with her husband Ben Cyzer - is “grateful” to be hitting the 50 years milestone, after realising aging is a gift not given to everyone.

She said: “I actually had a massive party for my 49th birthday last December - a 'Sara's not 50' party, which was lovely. I've lost friends who were snatched away in their 30s with a young family, so I’m thrilled to be alive. I'm grateful to be getting older.”

Sara was branded a "ladette" in the 90s, but admitted she has "always hated it".

Sara said: “The term ‘ladette’ was sexist, and I’ve always hated it. That misrepresentation was hard, but what got me though it is what gets me through challenges now – I’ve always had a circle of strong female friends who know me inside out and I think that’s so important.”

The August 2024 issue of Good Housekeeping - http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/uk/sara-cox-augusr-cover - is now on sale.