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Edinburgh Live
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Ex-Top of the Pops presenter walked away from fame as she shares heartbreaking fear
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Sarah Cawood was once one of the most prominent TV hosts of the 90s, and was a key presenter on Top of The Pops. But her life has changed dramatically two decades after her rise to fame. Sarah's first major break came in the '90s when she worked on children's TV for Nickelodeon. Two years later, she secured a presenting role on Channel 4's The Girlie Show, alongside Sara Cox. The show, which ran for two series, followed a magazine-style format, featuring interviews, live music, and stunts. The programme aired at the late 'post-pub' slot of 11pm on Fridays, positioning itself as edgier than its competitors and capitalising on the 'ladette' culture that defined the decade. Sarah then joined the revamped Live and Kicking programme for its final two years on air. (Image: BBC) Her most significant role came with Top of The Pops. After her tenure ended, she went on to present various mini-series and one-off shows, including co-commentating the Eurovision semi-finals in 2007, 2009, and 2010, reports the Daily Record. However, around this time, many of the high-profile presenting opportunities began to dwindle. In 2014, Sarah joined Heart East Anglia's breakfast show team for a year before stepping back to focus on caring for her children. Earlier this year, the star opened up about her health struggles on social media, expressing concerns about her breast cancer returning. She was initially diagnosed in 2022, underwent successful treatment, and was given the all-clear. (Image: sunday mirror) She opened up to her followers about the lingering anxiety of cancer returning. In an open Instagram message, she said: "This is the reality of anyone who has had any kind of cancer. "I never struggled with health anxiety before but post-breast cancer it's all-consuming and it wears me out a bit tbh. I have been feeling tired since the new year began and although it's probably just life-ing, there's always a niggling worry that it's back. "All I can do is carry on doing healthy things, moving my body, practising mindfulness and living each day with gratitude that I got to breathe again this morning. So on we go! Batting away those intrusive thoughts and getting on with it. (Image: ITV) "To anyone either going through a cancer diagnosis or anyone who has recovered from cancer and feels like this: I've got you, and my inbox is always open. And remember, anything that doesn't feel right: get it checked out. Early detection is key." She also took a moment to reflect on her career in television, saying she'd come to terms with no longer being in the limelight. In another heartfelt post, she remarked: "Do I miss telly? I miss the money! And yes, sometimes I wonder what went wrong, but I'm here now so I'm going to make the most of it, however, that looks".
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC Top of the Pops presenter who was as famous as Zoe Ball on 'what went wrong'
Sarah Cawood was one of the biggest TV hosts of the '90s and a key presenter on Top of The Pops. But her life has changed dramatically two decades after her big break. Sarah's first major role was in children's television for Nickelodeon in the '90s, and just two years later she secured a presenting job on Channel 4's The Girlie Show alongside Sara Cox. The programme ran for two series and followed a magazine format, featuring interviews, live music and stunts. The show aired at the late 'post-pub' slot of 11pm on Fridays, aiming to be edgier than its competitors and capitalising on the 'ladette' culture that defined the decade. She then joined the revamped Live and Kicking programme for its final two years on air. Her most significant role came when she landed a spot on Top of The Pops. After her stint ended, she went on to present various mini-series and one-offs, including co-commentating the Eurovision semi-finals in 2007, 2009 and 2010. However, around this time, many of the big presenting opportunities began to dwindle, with Sarah joining Heart East Anglia's breakfast show team for a year in 2014 before leaving to focus on caring for her children, reports the Daily Record. In 2022 Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer - but thankfully she was treated and given the all-clear. Earlier this year, the star opened up about her health struggles on social media, expressing fears about her breast cancer returning. "This is the reality of anyone who has had any kind of cancer," she said. "I never struggled with health anxiety before but post-breast cancer it's all-consuming and it wears me out a bit tbh. "I have been feeling tired since the new year began and although it's probably just life-ing, there's always a niggling worry that it's back. "All I can do is carry on doing healthy things, moving my body, practising mindfulness and living each day with gratitude that I got to breathe again this morning. "So on we go! Batting away those intrusive thoughts and getting on with it. To anyone either going through a cancer diagnosis or anyone who has recovered from cancer and feels like this: I've got you, and my inbox is always open. "And remember, anything that doesn't feel right: get it checked out. Early detection is key." Reflecting on her television career in another heartfelt Instagram message, she shared insights into her acceptance of being 'unsuccessful' on TV, adding: "Do I miss telly? I miss the money! And yes, sometimes I wonder what went wrong, but I'm here now so I'm going to make the most of it, however, that looks".
Daily Mirror
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Top of the Pops presenter who was as famous as Zoe Ball on 'what went wrong'
Sarah Cawood was a regular face on our TV screens in the 1990s, but now she's living a very different life away from the cameras Sarah Cawood was one of the biggest TV hosts of the '90s and a key presenter on Top of The Pops. But her life has changed dramatically two decades after her big break. Sarah's first major role was in children's television for Nickelodeon in the '90s, and just two years later she secured a presenting job on Channel 4's The Girlie Show alongside Sara Cox. The programme ran for two series and followed a magazine format, featuring interviews, live music and stunts. The show aired at the late 'post-pub' slot of 11pm on Fridays, aiming to be edgier than its competitors and capitalising on the 'ladette' culture that defined the decade. She then joined the revamped Live and Kicking programme for its final two years on air. Her most significant role came when she landed a spot on Top of The Pops. After her stint ended, she went on to present various mini-series and one-offs, including co-commentating the Eurovision semi-finals in 2007, 2009 and 2010. However, around this time, many of the big presenting opportunities began to dwindle, with Sarah joining Heart East Anglia's breakfast show team for a year in 2014 before leaving to focus on caring for her children, reports the Daily Record. In 2022 Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer - but thankfully she was treated and given the all-clear. Earlier this year, the star opened up about her health struggles on social media, expressing fears about her breast cancer returning. "This is the reality of anyone who has had any kind of cancer," she said. "I never struggled with health anxiety before but post-breast cancer it's all-consuming and it wears me out a bit tbh. "I have been feeling tired since the new year began and although it's probably just life-ing, there's always a niggling worry that it's back. "All I can do is carry on doing healthy things, moving my body, practising mindfulness and living each day with gratitude that I got to breathe again this morning. "So on we go! Batting away those intrusive thoughts and getting on with it. To anyone either going through a cancer diagnosis or anyone who has recovered from cancer and feels like this: I've got you, and my inbox is always open. "And remember, anything that doesn't feel right: get it checked out. Early detection is key." Reflecting on her television career in another heartfelt Instagram message, she shared insights into her acceptance of being 'unsuccessful' on TV, adding: "Do I miss telly? I miss the money! And yes, sometimes I wonder what went wrong, but I'm here now so I'm going to make the most of it, however, that looks".
Daily Record
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'I was as famous as Zoe Ball and Sara Cox but then I was cut out of fame for no reason'
Former Top of Pops host and huge 90s presenter Sarah Cawood has a very different life 20 years on after 'TV gave up on here' One of the biggest TV hosts of the 90' s Sarah Cawood was one of the key Top of The Pops presenters as she rose to fame but 20 years after her big break her life looks very different. The former presenter got her first big break in the '90s working on kids TV for Nickelodeon and two years later she landed herself a job presenting Channel 4's The Girlie Show alongside Sara Cox. The show ran for two series and followed a magazine format, floating from features to interviews to live music and stunts. The show took the later 'post-pub' slot of 11pm on a Friday and was branded as being more edgy than its rivals and tried to cash in on the 'ladette' that swept through the decade. She then came aboard the revamped Live and Kicking programme for its final two years on the air. It was then she landed her biggest role on Top of The Pops. After her spell finished she would go on to present various mini-series and one offs including co-commentating the Eurovision semi-finals in 2007, 2009 and 2010. But it was around that time that many of the big presenting gigs dried up with Cawood joining the team for Heart East Anglia's breakfast show for a year in 2014 before leaving to focus on looking after her children. Earlier this year the star shared her health battle on social media after raising concerns about her breast cancer returning. She was initially diagnosed in 2022, received successful treatment and was given the all-clear. But posting to her fans she revealed the nerves of it coming back never left. In a candid Instagram post, she wrote: "This is the reality of anyone who has had any kind of cancer. I never struggled with health anxiety before but post-breast cancer it's all-consuming and it wears me out a bit tbh. "I have been feeling tired since the new year began and although it's probably just life-ing, there's always a niggling worry that it's back. "All I can do is carry on doing healthy things, moving my body, practising mindfulness and living each day with gratitude that I got to breathe again this morning. "So on we go! Batting away those intrusive thoughts and getting on with it. To anyone either going through a cancer diagnosis or anyone who has recovered from cancer and feels like this: I've got you, and my inbox is always open. "And remember, anything that doesn't feel right: get it checked out. Early detection is key." In her Instagram, she also shared with fans how she's made peace with being "unsuccessful" on TV. In another post, she added: "Do I miss telly? I miss the money! And yes, sometimes I wonder what went wrong, but I'm here now so I'm going to make the most of it, however, that looks
Irish Examiner
06-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Maybe Big Tech isn't the problem — maybe it's humanity
First thing this morning, a WhatsApp from Meta invited me to ask their AI to 'imagine" me in a pink ski suit, or 'imagine' a professional portrait of me, and it will create the image. Minutes later, I opened my emails to Audible offering "virtual voice" AI-narrated audiobooks — allowing me to create an audiobook from my e-books using computer-generated voices. All this occurred before I'd had my morning coffee, and just a few weeks after Meta's alleged use of pirated books from thousands of authors sparked a protest by the Society of Authors outside Meta's headquarters in London. I have a pink ski jacket and don't need to imagine what I look like in pink ski gear. I have a professional headshot — one that looks like me — so I don't need one that makes me look younger, thinner, and only serves to make people snigger when I appear before them in real life. The virtual voice audiobook is tempting, but since I work closely with a community theatre group, I'd never ask an AI to read my books when I could gainfully employ an actor. I can't afford to pay an actor, so the audiobooks go un-made and the actor is unpaid either way. I'm fascinated by the leaps technology has made during my lifetime, especially in communications. I remember our first telephone, a landline back in the late 1970s, attached to the wall with a wire. The only 'wireless' in those days was a battery-operated radio that sat on the kitchen windowsill so mum could hear it in the garden The phone was for dad's small business and no use to us kids since nobody else we knew had a phone. Dad's younger brother worked in Saudi Arabia as an engineer. When he came home after a year — no nipping home for long weekends in those days — he'd tell us about the marvellous inventions he'd seen. 'There's this machine,' he said with awe, 'that answers your telephone, even when you aren't home, and records the caller's message.' We were aware of a tape recorder. Who of a certain age doesn't remember sitting poised to press the red record button along with the play button at the right moment during Top of The Pops? Disaster could strike at any time and ruin the tape mix if someone in the room spoke. But a tape recorder that worked by itself? What voodoo was this? Another time, my uncle came home with news of a machine that recorded your TV shows when you weren't home. When we got our own video recorder, we'd turn on the telly, set the channel, and leave the whole thing on before leaving. It was a while before we realised not only did we not need to have the TV switched on, but that we could even watch something else on a different channel — get this — at the same time We weren't a high-tech family, though we did have an old record player whose speakers could be stored on top so that it looked like a suitcase, complete with a handle to pick the whole lot up. Dad made great technological strides in the development of a remote control when he bought a TV with touch-sensitive buttons. Armed with an extendable car radio aerial (something you never see any more), he could dispense with asking us to switch the channel and wobbled a fully extended aerial to touch the buttons. There were six buttons but only three channels — four if you counted RTÉ, which only worked in good weather. Virtual clothing In stark contrast was Dad's older brother who had emigrated to America and worked in Pan Am as a computer programmer. This uncle often talked about programming on cards, arranged in and carried about in boxes. He was at the forefront of programming the machines that airports used for tickets, and later boarding passes, until our home computers took over both jobs. Similar machines now churn out the labels we stick on our suitcases. Perhaps in the future, we'll all be wearing virtual clothes as 'imagined' by Meta AI, making suitcases and these machines obsolete. Dad joined the digital age in the mid-80s and bought a Commodore 64. More high tech than cards in boxes, this miracle of technology uploaded programmes from a tape cassette. Venturing where nobody in our household had gone before, I played The Quest — a text adventure game that came with the machine — only to be stymied by a dwarf who could not be bribed with magical swords, keys, or lamps. Perhaps if I'd outwitted the dwarf and gained access to the rest of the labyrinth, I'd be addicted to gaming or become the next tech wizard. Instead, I resorted to learning some basic and wrote a short programme that displayed my name in green letters repeatedly on a black screen. That Commodore 64 triggered my curiosity about computers As someone with terrible handwriting, I embraced word processing despite the laments that we'd all forget how to write. After completing a degree in environmental biology in 1990, I did a master's degree in computer science and learned to programme properly — laying the foundations for my life as a researcher, a teacher, a traveller, a writer, and a human being in a digital age. As the dial-up era migrated to broadband internet, we navigated the non-event that was the millennium bug and faced the crisis of putting our beloved postal workers out of work by switching to email. Humanity entered the digital age whether they wanted to or not, and, more alarmingly, even if they weren't able to cope with it In a world where global news is served up — true or false — where people commune on social media, and where we chat with loved ones on the other side of the globe in real-time using video conferencing (no more long-distance delays as voices travel on undersea cables) many resent technology. Tech is the scapegoat for the ills of society. We blame photoshopping and social sites for an increase in body dysmorphia, but I remember fad diets in the pre-internet 1980s. And what about those impossibly thin models in the 'Twiggy' era of the 1960s? Or Victorian times, when corseted women fainted because they hadn't room to breathe? Did they see that on Instagram? There is nothing new about bullying, cyber or otherwise. Technology simply makes that easier, like it makes most things easier, from grandparents long-distance video-conferencing their family to brain implants so the paralysed can walk. Meta isn't the first to allegedly "steal' artists's work. What would you call what we did with our tape recorders during Top of the Pops? Perhaps there is truth in the aphorism written in 1849 by Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr: 'The more things change, the more they remain the same" — a sentiment echoed almost verbatim by Bon Jovi's 2010 song, The More Things Change. Are we too willing to hold technology responsible? Is cruelty and laziness hardwired into the human psyche? In the midst of our blame culture, perhaps we need to take a good hard look at ourselves. Maybe technology is not actually the problem — maybe humanity is. Byddi Lee is an author living in Armagh. Read More Most financial compliance professionals still unaware of EU rules governing AI, warns study
