Sarah Greene has been in the spotlight for decades, and in that time she’s had her fair share of tragedies – including the death of her husband and her mother, and a helicopter crash that almost cost her her life.
The presenter – who co-hosts The Finish Line alongside Roman Kemp – shot to fame in the 1980s on Blue Peter. She later hosted Going Live! alongside Phillip Schofield.
Now a regular on the BBC, 67-year-old Sarah hides a lot of tragedy behind her TV smile…
Sarah Greene’s helicopter crash
Back in 1988, Sarah Greene and her husband Mike Smith were involved in a near-fatal helicopter crash.
Mike bought the helicopter after learning to fly seven months previously. He was flying the chopper when it came down in Gloucestershire, crashing into trees close to where he was attempting to land.
The plane circled and the next moment it fell and we heard a crash.
Sarah broke both her legs and an arm in the crash. Mike, meanwhile, suffered a broken back and ankle. Both were in hospital for four weeks.
Maggie McMillan – whose husband helped pull the couple from the wreckage – said the accident happened very quickly.
“We were watching it arrive. The plane circled and the next moment it fell and we heard a crash,” she told the BBC. “My husband helped to take Sarah and Mike from the actual aircraft – but they were conscious,” she added.
Despite Sarah’s legs still being in plaster, she returned to Going Live! alongside Schofield weeks later. And it seems the accident also prompted Mike to propose to Sarah. They wed the following year.
Death of her mum three weeks after cancer diagnosis
In 2010, Sarah lost her beloved mum to ovarian cancer. It came less than a month after she was diagnosed.
In a letter to the Stroud Times a couple of years ago, Sarah urged readers to press for further awareness about the condition. She reflected on how if her mother had known more about symptoms, Marjie – an actress – may have lived longer.
Sarah wrote in February 2022: “Women are being failed as the awareness crisis in ovarian cancer deepens. Symptoms of ovarian cancer are being ignored – both by those experiencing them and their GPs.”
She added: “In 2010 my mother, the actress Marjie Lawrence, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer just three weeks before she died. Had we and her doctors been aware of the symptoms, Marjie might be alive today.
“If diagnosed at the earliest stage, nine in 10 women will survive. But two thirds of women are diagnosed late, when the cancer is harder to treat.”
Death of Mike Smith – husband of Sarah Greene
Further heartache came for Sarah in 2014, when she lost her beloved husband, Radio 1 DJ Mike Smith.
After marrying in 1989, Sarah and Mike enjoyed many happy years together. But Mike sadly passed away in 2014 due to complications following heart surgery. He was aged 59.
The couple – who were married for 25 years – never had children. In a statement at the time, Sarah thanked the staff at the hospital where her husband died for their care and compassion.
It was claimed at the time that Mike kept his health problems secret from his BBC presenting pals, including Noel Edmonds. As a result, his death came as a total shock. A source at the time commented: “Mike’s death was a shock for Noel. He saw him only six or seven months ago and he looked all right to him then.”
However, speaking about the lasting impact Mike continues to make on her life, Sarah has revealed that she’s convinced he had a hand in her meeting her new love.
She said on a podcast: “I sort of know Mike is pulling so many strings in my life.”
The Finish Line is on weekdays on BBC One at 4.30pm.
Read more: Why The Finish Line host Roman Kemp called Bradley Walsh in tears
Following the death of her husband Mike Smith, Sarah Greene met a new partner and found happiness with one of Mike’s closest friends.
Robb Gravett, an ex-British Touring Car champion, was considered one of Mike’s oldest friends. The pair headed up the Trakstar team that won the championship in 1990.
Speaking on the My Time Capsule podcast, Sarah said at the time how Robb made a delicate approach.
Sarah Greene on new partner – ‘I thought he was just being kind’
The Finish Line star Sarah reflected: “I sort of know Mike is pulling so many strings in my life. He has undoubtedly been responsible for me meeting my beloved who was one of his oldest friends, who waited a certain amount of time but did keep leaving messages on the answering machine. I thought he was just being kind.”
Sarah went on the say she was prodded to return Robb’s calls. “Then I got a message almost saying: ‘For God’s sake, Greeno, Robb is trying to make contact with you because he actually wants to take you out, not because he’s kind. So will you just get off your [blank] and go and answer the phone next time it rings!’
“And lo and behold, a whole new conversation started. I’m sure, and Robb is very sure too, because it’s a very strange situation.”
Obstacles
Sarah admitted to having concerns about the change in their relationship. But their shared link seemingly helped bring them together, rather than be an obstacle.
“I remember being terribly worried and saying to this dear man who I’d known for all these years: ‘Isn’t it strange coming into the house and seeing all these pictures everywhere of Mike?’
“He said: ‘No, no, it’s not strange. It’d be strange if they weren’t there. And remember, I love him too.'”
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