A quintessentially British radio presenter, now retired, who presented an early morning radio show on BBC Radio Two for fifteen years. She previously worked on TV in several shows, most importantly the set-up show Game for A Laugh. Her performance style on radio was characterised by fumbling, bumbling, on-air gaffes, ocassional lapses into non-politically correct jokes and references, and the suggestion that she sometimes arrived at work in an over-medicated state. A typical slice of possibly over-medicated Sarah was preserved for posterity here
.
Despite this, her on-air personality, reminiscent of a boarding school matron, was loved by many fans, who protested vocally when her association with the BBC was severed in mysterious and still unexplained circumstances in 2009.
This radio presenter's career presented examples of these tropes:
- Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: Or perhaps lack of sleep and medication side-effects. Crashing off the road when clearly drunk is, however, not a bright thing to do.
- Author Tract: Her conservative views and opinions, often blatant and breaking BBC rules about political impartiality. For instance, she praised right-wing politician Enoch Powell on air.
- Dead Air: During her less together moments on air, her listeners got used to this.
- Drinking on Duty: Frequently alleged but never conclusively proven: medication issues may have been the cause of the slurring and poor judgement calls. Shortly after leaving the BBC, however, Sarah lost her driving licence in a proven drunk-driving case. You decide: Sarah at her finest.
- Picky Eater: Sarah got much mileage out of Brussels Sprouts and her listenership's responses to them. The general opinion was that the great British accompaniment to Christmas dinner, for maximum effect, should be stewed non-stop from around October for service on December 25th.
- Precision F-Strike: Swearing on air is a big no-no for BBC radio presenters. Sarah manages it here.
- Running Gag: Brussels Sprouts. References to the Dearly Beloved.
