MODEL CITIZEN

Fresh from raising £11million for Children in Need, BBC broadcaster Sara Cox on her next challenge... helping to preserve people's cherished memories

- Alison James

T WAS 30 years ago next month that The Girlie Show landed on late Friday nights on Channel Four. Replacing controversial variety programme The Word at a time of rising Girl Power, it was peak ladette a loud, chaotic cacophony of young women behaving, well, really rather badly as they irreverently interviewed the top celebs of the day, phwoarred over scantily clad male models, and infamously named their "w***** of the week".

The show also happened to feature one Sara Cox in her first television presenting role. The 22-year-old former model became the very personification of a ladette; the sub-culture's poster girl, no less.

But how times change. Three decades later, she's national treasure material - especially since completing her gruelling 135mile, five-day Great Northern Marathon Challenge for Children in Need last month.

Sara raised an unbelievable £11.5million and counting, with the nation spurring her on through punishing hills, dismal weather and nagging injuries. The Prince of Wales was even among her supporters, sending her a video message of encouragement.

Sara, 50, did the equivalent of five marathons in five days, so not surprisingly, it came at a physical price by the end, she couldn't walk. Her legs and feet were so battered and painful that she needed to painfully force on a pair of Crocs because her feet were too swollen for regular shoes.

"It was the maddest, most painful, wonderful thing," she says as she recovers.

"While I was doing it, I kept chanting to myself, I am fit, I am strong, I'll be home before too long'. And I kept thinking about being in bed with all my dogs and cats with me.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever done.