Sara Cox EXCLUSIVE: I hate being asked about being in my forties

Former model and legendary radio DJ Sara Cox has dodged questions that are often saved for women’s ears time and time again but admits the most annoying one of late is “what does it feel like to turn 40?″ because “you wouldn’t hear Ant & Dec answering that question.”

And of course, she’s right.

Yahoo Celeb sat down for a chat with the Bolton born lass and got onto the topic of Strictly Come Dancing, as you do, and the possible return of ex-judge Arlene Phillips.

Strictly was accused of ageism when it made the controversial move to drop Arlene, 73, seven years ago but rumours have swirled that she’ll replace Len Goodman on the panel and Sara is all for it.

She explained: “There’s talk of Arlene coming back. I’d love to see that. I’d love to see a woman leading the pack. This shouldn’t be a conversation we’re having when we’re in 2016. It’s already great that two females are presenting together but it shouldn’t be like ‘wooo’, it should be the norm.”

Sara points out that her own career is thriving in her forties. She’s fronting ‘The Great Pottery Throw Down’ for a second series on BBC 2 and consistently controlling the airwaves on Radio 4.

She added: “If anything, things have got better for me the last few years… I’ve just done a documentary about the history of pop for the BBC looking at it through the eyes of the fans.

“I tell you what I hate being asked is what it’s like to turn 40, you wouldn’t see Ant & dec being asked that. Things have gone well for me over the past few years.”

Meanwhile, she’d like to see her pal’s daughter, model Daisy Lowe, win Strictly after the model found herself in the dance off two weeks in a row and fought her way back from exclusion.

“Louise Redknapp is doing brilliantly. I think Kevin (Clifton) has brought her out of her shell a bit.

“And I love Daisy, I voted for her five times last week, I was determined that she wouldn’t end up in the dance off. I just find with Daisy and with Louise, I realised I had been grinning like a loon throughtout the enture three minute dance.

“They just really make me smile, there is a real joy when they dance. I hope Daisy keeps going. I think people were just like 'who is this girl?’ But I know her and she’s a sweet girl and I know her mum, and dance skills wise, she’s gorgeous to watch… Strictly is a nice one for the family to watch, light a fire and settle down.”

Tonight Sara will be slipping into a glittery dress and rubbing shoulders with the likes of Prince William, Phil Collins, Ellie Goulding and Craig David at a star-studded fundraising event in the grounds of Kensington Palace to raise money for the homeless charity Centrepoint.

She said: “It’s a great charity, I’ve been supporting them for 15 years and they look after 14-24 year old homeless people. I’ve got to go and find something to wear now, I’m not a cocktail dress kind of person. Who wants their arms out in November? I have a glitter jumper dress, I think that’ll do.

Then tomororw, she’s judging a competition to find the UK’s most imaginative child to celebrate the launch of Skylanders Imaginators, a new game where you can create your own Skylander, and will award one lucky winner the trip of a lifetime to see where the game is made at Toys for Bob studio in San Francisco, California.

Speaking about the competition, she said: “It’s amazing because it offers the chance for a family to actually go to San Francisco and see the headquarters where Skylanders is made. I’ll be judging the entries and I can’t wait to see them.”

Enter the competition - hosted by Activision and PopJam - on the PopJam app by Friday 11th November.