with pics

Previous reports have shown that Bolton lass, Sara Cox is just as popular as she was when she stepped in Zoe Ball's shoes earlier this year. So it looks like she's nothing to worry about in the listeners' war.

This latest accolade is just one more in a memorable Millennium year for Sara Cox.

As the voice of Radio 1's breakfast show, her Bolton accent is familiar to all and she's already firmly installed herself as a favourite among radio listeners across the country.

But it's in the hearts of Bolton folk that she has a very special place.

Sara is Bolton born and bred and, if it's a fact that she's proud of, it's one that makes Bolton even more proud. And the crords certainly showed how much they loved their local lass made good when she came home to do the recent Radio 1's One Big Sunday event.

It's true that she's lately had a bit of a bad run over on-air remarks. But as far as the BEN is concerned, Sara has done us proud and, here we chronicle the rise and rise of our local girl made good.

Sara first hit the TV screens as a co-presenter of Ch4's controversial "The Girlie Show" -- a late-night programme aimed at "The Word" generation and a programme that was slightly risqu in its content to say the least.

However, despite all the press slatings, Sara was the only one of the show's three female presenters that went on to bigger things.

She co-presented the Sunday afternoon Exclusive programme on CH5 and became the face and body of a well-known brand of vodka.

All this helped enhance her image as a girl who enjoyed having a good time and her picture often appeared in many a newspaper, out on the town with her best pal, Zoe Ball -- daughter of Bolton-born Johnny Ball.

Sara's pretty face and bubbly personality have also been used to sell a famous brand of mint and the ad is currently running on TV.

Yet, no matter how good-looking people think Sara, a former model, is, it's her personality and sense of humour that have made her an even bigger success. And Radio 1 soon realised her obvious potential.

Her first foray into the famous radio station was to co-present a Saturday afternoon show with fellow female DJ, Jackie B and Sara proved such a success with listeners that her name immediately came up when her pal Zoe Ball announced she was quitting her breakfast radio show to start a family.

Secrecy surrounded the identity of the new breakfast presenter -- Chris Moyles was rumoured to be a front runner -- but it was soon revealed that Sara had landed the plum job, and it wasn't long before listener ratings soared.

Her show is a mixture of good music and excellent Northern humour and she never forgets to mention her home town of Bolton now and again.

Sadly, she recently split up with her fianc, long-time love, Leroy from the Prodigy but she's since found happiness with a club DJ who she affectionately calls "me boy".

Sara's career is obviously going from strength to strength and it remains to be seen what "Sara will do next". However, one thing's for sure, whatever it is she'll obviously make it a huge success.

SARA'S houses:

Sara Cox was brought up on a farm in Bolton before she and her family moved to take over the running of a pub in the Astley Bridge area.

Now, however, she lives in London. Home used to be a country mansion she shared with Leroy but, since the split, Sara bought herself a luxury flat in the west end of the city which she shares with her beloved dog, Snoop.

London-based estate agents, De Groot Collis told the BEN that a one-bedroomed loft apartment in the Soho area of London would set you back a cool half a million quid.

The agency spokesman said: "Obviously I don't know what type of apartment Miss Cox lives in but the most popular ones in the Soho area are the loft apartments.

"I've recently sold an open-plan, one bedroomed apartment for £500,000 and that's pretty much the going rate for a relatively spacious property. They are extremely popular and we have no trouble in selling them as soon as they come on the market."