Sara Cox on “fan-girling” over Poldark’s women

What are you grazing on?

My husband [advertising executive Ben Cyzer] is Jewish, so we have a lot of snacks like matzo crackers – they’re really good with a bit of butter on, and a nice brew.

So you’re cosy with a cracker. What are you watching?


When everyone’s going on about some big TV series, it always puts me off – there’s so much pressure. So I didn’t watch Poldark at the time, but then I gave in and took it on holiday, watched the whole lot and loved it. The cast is amazing – especially the women. When the leads came on my Radio 2 show, everyone was going wild about Aidan Turner, but I was more excited about meeting Eleanor Tomlinson [Demelza]. If Ruby Bentall [Verity] had come in, I’d have fangirled all over the shop.

Tomlinson in Poldark

Do you always gravitate to the female characters on TV?


Yes – I think it comes from growing up with Bet Lynch in Corrie. There have always been strong women in soaps, and then Victoria Wood and French and Saunders became my comedy heroes. There are loads of great American female comedians – Tina Fey in 30 Rock, Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation and Amy Schumer is awesome.

You’re a big fan of box sets, then?

More and more. I got obsessed with Tom Hollander after Doctor Thorne and The Night Manager. I’ve got through all three series
of Rev and now I’m bereft. When we’re filming The Great Pottery Throw Down, there’s downtime while the contestants are doing their bigger makes, so I sneak off and watch a bit of Peaky Blinders.

Do you watch much telly with your children?


Our TV is dominated by the kids. The younger two [Isaac, eight, and Renee, six] love The Amazing World of Gumball on Cartoon Network. It’s pretty funny, but as background noise it’s excruciating. Bake Off is lovely to watch together because I don’t worry there’s anything inappropriate in there. Now my eldest, Lola, is 12, she and I are working through Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I’m introducing her to the films I loved – The Lost Boys, Dirty Dancing, and she loves Grease. The more adult content goes over her head.

Do you tweet along to TV?

It’s good fun with series like Strictly and The X Factor, but I try not to have too many screens. I tried to broach the subject with my husband of having one day a week where we have no screens – not even TV – and get some fresh air and play board games and read. That was a flat-out no.

We’ve had pottery, baking, sewing, painting... what’s next?

Something to do with farming – or horses. Maybe I could go around visiting smallholdings with a vet? My dad’s still got his little farm up north, but we don’t get out to the country much. I sometimes go to Epsom to ride my friend’s beautiful horse, but most of the time I’m just trying to sneak a bit of eventing or showjumping on the telly.

The Great Pottery Throw Down is on tonight at 8pm on BBC2