Sarah Lucinda Beeny
Born
Sarah Beeny

1972[1]
Reading, Berkshire, England
EducationLuckley-Oakfield School
Queen Mary's College
Occupation(s)Property developer, businesswoman, broadcaster
Spouse
Graham Swift
​
(m. 2003)​
[2]
Children4[3]
Websitesarahbeeny.com (official website)

Sarah Lucinda Beeny (born 1972) is an English broadcaster and entrepreneur, best known for presenting Property Ladder (2001–2009), Britain's Best Home (2003), Streets Ahead (2005–2006), Property Snakes and Ladders (2009), How to Live Mortgage Free with Sarah Beeny (2017), Sarah Beeny's New Life in the Country (2020–present) and Sarah Beeny's New Country Lives (2023).[4]

Beeny is a high-profile campaigner for buildings at risk and has personally renovated Rise Hall, a 32-bedroomed Grade II* listed hall in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Beeny has written regular columns for national newspapers and magazines, in addition to numerous books. She launched her podcast Round the Houses with Sarah Beeny in 2018, featuring a variety of wealthy and famous guests who allow Beeny into their homes and their lives.

Early life and education

Sarah Lucinda Beeny was born in 1972 in Reading, Berkshire, to Richard, an architect for Bovis Homes[1][5] and Ann. Beeny has an elder brother. The family lived in two converted brick cottages in a nine-acre plot on the edge of the Duke of Wellington's estate at Stratfield Saye in Hampshire,[6] in a style that Beeny describes as "a bit like The Good Life."[1]

After her mother died aged 39 of breast cancer when Beeny was 10,[1][7] she was educated as a weekly boarder at the all-girls Luckley-Oakfield School in Wokingham. Although her friends went to university, Beeny did not; she was encouraged to study drama by her English teacher and took a leading role in Brecht's Caucasian Chalk Circle.[8] Pursuing the idea of becoming a professional actress, she studied drama at Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke, but failed to get into a drama school.[8]

Beeny travelled around the world solo at the age of 17 and felt "lonely and seasick" most of the way round.[1][7] She returned to the UK to take a series of jobs, including: working for Save the Children; window-cleaning; door-to-door vacuum cleaner-selling and running her own sandwich-making business.[1][7][8] Assuming she would be self-employed for the rest of her life, at weekends she would study the property market, which gave her a good grounding in the market. Having saved up a deposit, without any formal training, Beeny began her own property-developing business with her brother and her husband. Beeny is also the co-founder of the UK dating website MySingleFriend.com.[7]

Career

After meeting the sister-in-law of Sarah Delafield-Cook, a talent hunter at Talkback Thames,[5][9] at a hen party, Beeny was asked to undertake a screen test to front a new television series about property development.[1] The success of Property Ladder led to various spin-off series, including Britain's Best Home, Streets Ahead and Property Snakes and Ladders.

In 2006, Beeny presented One Year to Pay Off Your Mortgage. She wrote a number of books to accompany the series, as well as a weekly column for the Mail on Sunday. In 2007, Beeny appeared on the Channel 5 motoring show Fifth Gear, where she raced Jason Plato in an articulated lorry around a course. She has appeared on Gordon Ramsay's The F-Word, where she offered up her garden for Ramsay's sheep to feed on. In August 2010, she fronted the Channel 4 programme Help! My House is Falling Down, which had the working title of House Rescue before its commission.[10] In November 2010, she presented Beeny's Restoration Nightmare on Channel 4,[11] showing her renovation of Rise Hall, a Grade II* listed historic house near Rise, East Riding of Yorkshire, to create a wedding venue.[12] Beeny sold Rise Hall in 2019 to a luxury events, weddings and catering business.[13][14]

In August 2011, Beeny began presenting a new series for BBC One titled Village SOS. In this series, the programme follows a group of passionate villagers who want to restore their village to its former glory.[15]

In 2012, Beeny presented Double Your House for Half the Money, a series that showed viewers how they could potentially have the home they have always dreamed about, even if they could not afford to buy it. This series ran for three seasons.[16]

In 2014, she presented Sarah Beeny's How to Sell Your Home.[17] How to Live Mortgage Free with Sarah Beeny followed in 2017.[18] In 2018, Beeny launched her podcast At Home with Sarah Beeny, a series where famous personalities give Beeny access to the inside of their homes and their lives. The series has included guests such as Jo Wood, Tim Lovejoy, Lynn Bowles and Pearl Lowe.

From 2020, Beeny featured in Sarah Beeny's New Life in the Country, which showed her family's move to Somerset from London, including building their dream home and adapting to country life.[19] A third series began in April 2023.[20][21][22][23] In June 2022, Sarah Beeny's Little House Big Plans premiered on Channel 4.[24]

In May 2023, Sarah Beeny's New Country Lives began airing on Channel 4.[25] The series sees Beeny "follow city dwellers as they up sticks and move to the country in pursuit of a slower pace of life".[26]

Personal life

Beeny met her husband and business partner, Graham Swift, when she was 18 years old. Her brother is married to Swift's sister, Caroline.[27] Beeny and Swift have four sons. They previously lived in Streatham. In 2001, the couple bought Rise Hall, in the East Riding of Yorkshire paying £435,000 for the property, and began restoration work on it;[13] Beeny and Swift sold Rise Hall for £1.4 million in 2019. After selling Rise Hall, Beeny and Swift left London and moved to the Somerset countryside.

Breast cancer

In August 2022, Beeny revealed that she would be receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer; Beeny lost her mother Ann to the same disease at the age of 39 when she was 10 years old.[28] In November 2022, it was announced that Channel 4 had commissioned a documentary to follow Beeny and her family as she undergoes treatment.[29] On 14 April 2023, Beeny confirmed doctors had given her the all clear from breast cancer following treatment.[30] In June 2023, her documentary film, Sarah Beeny vs Cancer, aired on Channel 4. The film documents Beeny's journey with breast cancer, from diagnosis through treatment and mastectomy. It was praised for being candid, honest and crucial.[31][32][33]

The Entitled Sons

Beeny's four sons and husband Graham formed the Somerset-based rock band, The Entitled Sons in 2022. Billy (keyboards), Charlie (lead vocals), Rafferty (guitar), Laurie (drums) and Graham (bass). They wrote and produced their first single, "Break", which was released on 25 January 2022, and within days got into the top 10 of the rock category of the iTunes charts, and number 45 in the national rock chart on 28 January 2022.[34] Winning the Pilton Stage Competition in early 2023, the band will perform at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival.[35][36] The Entitled Sons released the single "Not Invited" in April 2023.[37]

Politics and charity

In 2014, Beeny was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the September 2014 referendum on that issue – which it did.[38]

Beeny is a keen supporter of Brain Tumour Research. In March 2017, she said: " Brain tumours remain a forgotten form of cancer, receiving scant attention from potential funders. More research is needed so fewer lives will be devastated by this dreadful disease. I want my generation to look back in future years and be incredulous that anyone died of cancer. I want to see a day when cancer is no longer life-threatening, when the notion that cancer could be a killer is thought absurd."[39][40] Beeny is also a supporter of Cardboard Citizens.

Filmography

Selected television credits

Year Title Role Notes
2001-2006 Property Ladder Herself / Presenter 10 episodes; also advisor
2002 From House to Home 8 episodes
2003 Britain's Best Home 7 episodes
2004-2017 The Wright Stuff Herself 10 episodes
2005 8 Out of 10 Cats Series 1 episode 8
2005-2006 Streets Ahead Herself / Presenter 7 episodes; also advisor
2006 The Allstar Workout Video release
2010-2011 Help! My House is Falling Down 7 episodes
Beeny's Restoration Nightmare 9 episodes
2011 Help! My House is Falling Down 6 episodes
2012-2014 Double Your House for Half the Money 21 episodes
2013 A Great British Christmas with Sarah Beeny Television special
2014 Stars at Your Service Herself 1 episode
Sarah Beeny's How to Sell Your Home Herself / Presenter 5 episodes
2016-2019 Four Rooms 20 episodes
2017 How to Live Mortgage Free with Sarah Beeny
2017-2018 Good Morning Britain Herself / TV Property Expert 2 episodes
2018 Big Star's Little Star Herself / Contestant 1 episode
2019-2020 Sarah Beeny's Renovate Don't Relocate Herself / Presenter 30 episodes; also production consultant
2020-present Sarah Beeny's New Life in the Country Herself 15 episodes
2021 Isolation Interviews
2023 Sarah Beeny's New Country Lives Herself / Presenter
Sarah Beeny vs Cancer Herself Documentary

Books

  • Property Ladder: How to Make Pounds from Property (Cassell Illustrated, 1 November 2002) ISBN 978-1844030224
  • Property Ladder: Profit from Property (Cassell Illustrated, 15 November 2003) ISBN 978-1844031917
  • Property Ladder: The Developer's Bible (Cassell Illustrated, 31 October 2004) ISBN 978-1844032792
  • Sarah Beeny's Price the Job (Collins & Brown, 14 April 2006) ISBN 978-1843403609
  • Property Ladder: Hints and Tips (Cassell Illustrated, 14 September 2006) ISBN 978-1844035182
  • A Date with Sarah Beeny: Mysinglefriend.com's Guide to Dating and Dumping, Flirting and Flings (Harper, 1 May 2007) ISBN 978-0007250424
  • Property Ladder: Sarah Beeny's Design for Profit (Cassell Illustrated, 1 June 2009) ISBN 978-1844036455
  • Sarah Beeny's Green Your Home (Collins & Brown, 1 June 2009) ISBN 978-1843404927
  • Sarah Beeny's 100 DIY Jobs: The Essentials Made Simple (Quadrille Publishing, 10 April 2014) ISBN 978-1857023350
  • DIY Home Repairs: 100 Fix-It-Yourself Projects (Adams Media Corporation, 2 January 2015) ISBN 978-1440585296
  • The Simple Life: How I Found Home (Orion, 31 August 2023) ISBN 978-1399613323

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 McLean, Gareth (9 May 2007). "I get a kick from risk". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  2. ↑ "Knowing me, Knowing you: Sarah Beeny and Graham Swift". The Independent. London. 15 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "Four Boys? No Problem, But I Couldn't Handle Four Girls!". HuffPost UK (formerly The Huffington Post UK). Bloomsbury, London. 28 February 2013.
  4. ↑ "Sarah Beeny Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Meet Sarah Beeny". At Home Magazine. September 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  6. ↑ "My country memories". Allaboutyou.com. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Sarah Beeny: dates and destiny". Sunday Herald. Archived from the original on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  8. 1 2 3 "My best teacher – Sarah Beeny". Times Educational Supplement. 7 November 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  9. ↑ Morris, Sophie (19 November 2007). "My Life in Media: Sarah Beeny". The Independent. London. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  10. ↑ "Help! My House is Falling Down". Channel4.com. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  11. ↑ "Beeny's Restoration Nightmare – Episode Guide – All 4". Channel4.com.
  12. ↑ "Rise Hall – Beautiful wedding venue in the East Riding of Yorkshire". Risehall.com.
  13. 1 2 Dale, Sharon (2 May 2019). "Sarah Beeny reveals why she is saying "goodbye" to Rise Hall". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Dale, Sharon (7 August 2021). "Inside Rise Hall's amazing transformation after Sarah Beeny sold to new owners". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  15. ↑ "BBC One – Village SOS". bbc.co.uk. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "Channel 4 orders up more Double Your House for Half the Money". Channel4.com. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Sarah Beeny's How to Sell Your Home". Channel4.com. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  18. ↑ Sturges, Fiona (29 April 2017). "Trust (fund) me: How To Live Mortgage Free is a dream built on sand". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  19. ↑ "Sarah Beeny's New Life in the Country Series 1". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "Watch tonight as Sarah Beeny starts construction on her New Life in The Country on Channel 4". Somerset Live. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "Sarah Beeny's New Life in the Country". Radio Times. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  22. ↑ Cartmill, Claire (16 April 2023). "Sarah Beeny's New Life in the Country begins its third run". News Letter. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  23. ↑ Brown, Helen (17 April 2023). "New Life in the Country, review: this picture of an idyllic life is made poignant by Sarah Beeny's cancer diagnosis". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  24. ↑ "Sarah Beeny's Little House Big Plans". Channel4.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  25. ↑ "Oxfordshire craft centre to star in Sarah Beeny's new TV show". Great British Life. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  26. ↑ Lillywhite, Maisie (31 May 2023). "Sarah Beeny helps couple transform dated Somerset farmhouse kitchen into sleek modern space". Somerset Live. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  27. ↑ Swann, Yvonne (15 August 2008). "Sarah Beeny's heaven and hell". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
  28. ↑ "Sarah Beeny reveals breast cancer diagnosis after losing her mother to illness". metro.co.uk. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  29. ↑ "Channel 4 commissions Sarah Beeny: Breast Cancer, My Family and Me (w/t) from Outline Wales and Knockers Group". Channel 4. 2 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  30. ↑ Glynn, Paul (14 April 2023). "Sarah Beeny: TV presenter given all-clear following breast cancer treatment". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  31. ↑ Nicholson, Rebecca (12 June 2023). "Sarah Beeny vs Cancer review – crucial and almost unbearably candid". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  32. ↑ Rees, Jasper (12 June 2023). "Sarah Beeny's brave decision to document her cancer journey is a welcome boon to other sufferers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  33. ↑ Harrison, Ellie (12 June 2023). "Sarah Beeny tearfully insists 'I'm just not gonna die, you do know that'". Independent. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  34. ↑ Parsley, David (28 January 2022). "Sarah Beeny is bursting with pride for her 'Entitled Sons' as their first single enters the charts". I News. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  35. ↑ "Pilton Stage Competition Winners Autumn Saints and Entitled Sons to Play Glastonbury 2023". Glasto Fest Feed. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  36. ↑ Bennett, Andy. "The Entitled Sons win The Pilton Stage competition". BBC Sounds. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  37. ↑ "The Entitled Sons - Not Invited (single)". Apple Music. 21 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  38. ↑ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  39. ↑ "Our Patrons and Celebrities are helping us to help you". Brain Tumour Research. March 2017. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  40. ↑ Cook, Rebecca (22 March 2021). "Sarah Beeny shares experience of losing mum at a young age as she speaks at Brain Tumour Research event". Somerset Live. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
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