Sarah Greene: ‘I still dream about Mike’
Presenter Sarah Greene, 58, on losing husband Mike Smith, finding love again, and naughty antics on Blue Peter…
She’s no stranger to heartache, having lost her mum, dad and husband between 2010 and 2014. But, as Sarah Greene reveals, she is looking to the future with a new love…
How did you get involved with Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month?
My mother, actress Marjie Lawrence, died from ovarian cancer seven years ago. She’d been diagnosed just three weeks before – too late for anything but palliative care – despite many visits to her GP over the previous 10 months. Her symptoms were mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome. That’s often the case.
What are the symptoms?
Bloated tummy, stomach pain, feeling full after hardly any food, needing to wee more, and fatigue. When a woman’s diagnosed at the earliest stage, her chance of surviving five years or more doubles from 46 per cent to over 90 per cent. Early detection saves lives.
What have you been up to recently work-wise?
I’m now MD of FlyingTV – the helicopter and drone filming company my late husband, [radio and TV broadcaster] Mike Smith, set up to film aerial shots for TV shows such as Top Gear, Casualty, Coast, Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Sports Personality Of The Year and Formula 1. Ed Sheeran was a recent client. He got to No.2 with Castle On The Hill – with our video! One of our next clients is JK Rowling and her company Brontë Film & TV. Working on Mike’s legacy is a major part of my life. You’ve had a difficult few years… [Sarah’s mum died in 2010, her actor/ presenter dad Harry Greene died in 2013, and Mike, her husband of 25 years, died from complications after major heart surgery in 2014.] For quite a few years, what was going on in my life was so very sad. The sadness never completely goes away, but it becomes part of who you are. I often dream about Mike… and, coincidentally, so does the lovely man I’m now sharing my life with. On Sunday, the weirdest thing happened. I dreamt my partner had organised for us to meet Mike, Mum, Dad and all the other lost beloveds halfway between here and the cosmos. It was almost like we were on a Star Trek set. They were all really well, younglooking and jolly, and it was fantastic. I woke up feeling really happy. My brother told me he’d had almost exactly the same dream that same night!
Everybody thought Blue Peter presenters were well behaved, but did you get up to mischief?
We did! Peter Duncan and Simon Groom were terrific to work with. I’d bite Peter’s ankles behind the desk and try to put him off while he was doing the cooking segment! We had a lady called Edith in charge of the pets. On show days, it was almost like her day off and she’d while away the hours by inhaling Mills & Boon books. We found a Mills & Boon she hadn’t read, took off the cover and put it around the filthiest book we could find – real hardcore stuff. Then we watched her reaction. She couldn’t be moved for love nor money. We asked, ‘Are you all right there, Edith?’ and she replied, ‘Oh, yes. This is the best book I’ve ever read!’ It was a bit ‘50 Shades of Blue!’
It’s 30 years this September since you and Phillip Schofield began hosting Going Live!. Any plans to commemorate it?
I don’t know… We could host a This Morning/ Going Live! mash-up to celebrate! Break Gordon the Gopher out of rehab, bring back Trevor and Simon. It’d be hilarious to co-host with Phillip. We’re still good friends. I went out with Phil and his wife, Steph, a few months ago, and we’re having dinner in a couple of weeks. He was fabulous to work with.
Fans on Twitter have suggested you’d be great on Loose Women…
I’d be happy to be the moderator. In fact, that’s been discussed in the past. I like to draw back the curtain on a person or subject. For example, Bake Off is about finding out what people are going through. That’s my forte.
You started out acting in dramas such as The Swish Of The Curtain and Doctor Who. Would you like to do more?
I’d love to act, but that’s a big ask as it’s not what I’ve done for a long time. A guest role in Doctor Who would be fun. l Sarah is supporting Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Visit targetovariancancer.org.uk