Thrown: SARA COX'S GLORIOUS FEELGOOD NOVEL

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A sneak preview of the hilarious, warm and big-hearted debut from much-loved broadcaster Sara Cox: THROWN There is yet so much potential, given the breadth of topics which can be explored, such as the empty nest syndrome, the emerging skeletons within a marriage and childlessness. Not to mention the theme of pottery, which actually can be a nice parallel of the four main protagonists shaping themselves further.

The metaphor of pottery is perfect for Thrown. Not only do many characters find themselves thrown by events, but they themselves are like the items made in the community centre. Some are more perfect than others. Many have flaws. Some are broken and every single person is unique. What I found so successful too, is the fact that at the end of the book, not every single plot element is resolved; just like real life not everyone gets a happy ending or knows exactly what will happen next. Jameela: all she’s ever done is work hard, and try her best. Why won’t life give her the one thing she really wants? I felt like these ideas would just bubble up, like they were coming from the characters. It was a bit like Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost. The ending came to me in the middle of the night: I was half-dreaming, half-awake, and I thought: “Aaah! That’s what’s going to happen!” Riders and Polo combined fruity frolics and horses and that blew my 15-year-old mind I think I’m just really bad at concentrating on one thing at a time, and I get quite baffled trying to live my life like that. But sleep is really important to me. And exercise – that keeps me on an even keel.’ Looking to the futureRadio has always featured a lot of brilliant women and a lot of great female producers and execs. I've an all-female team - a female producer and female assistant producer - and it's a really supportive place to work."

Get this: my cleaner has organised them by colour. It’s not great and I’m too polite to say anything. I don’t know why I’m whispering – I don’t think she reads the Observer. I'd love this to be a thing, if I can," she says of writing. "It's so different to everything else I do."I listen to more audiobooks. I’m not really good with my own thoughts in a quiet room – I don’t know if it’s something I should be worried about. When I’m doing mundane things, I just want a little chat going on in my ear. Likable, largely middle-class men in their 50s are my thing at the moment. I’ve got Louis Theroux, Adam Buxton, David Mitchell and not remotely middle-class Bob Mortimer, whose And Away autobiography is great. Ooh, no. I still remember a negative review for [Nineties TV programme] The Girlie Show, by [journalist] Kate Spicer, who said we did for feminism what Fred West did for Neighbourhood Watch.’ Ouch. ‘I mean, it’s quite a funny line, but also pretty cruel – and I’ve never forgotten it.’ Sara Cox on her varied career The inhabitants of the Inventor's Housing Estate keep themselves to themselves. There are the friendly 'Hellos' when commutes coincide and the odd cheeky eye roll when the wine bottles clank in number 7's wheelie bin, but it's not exactly Ramsay Street.

Jameela: all she's ever done is work hard, and try her best. Why won't life give her the one thing she wants? He sat up – ‘I’d like,’ he said, slowly stroking his chin as if about to reveal an earth-shattering prophecy ‘to get this beauty into position before unwrapping her.’ Because of the nature of the beast at Radio 2, we are all there at different times. I won't bump into Claudia there but I will text her when she's on air on a Saturday morning." Female friendship is something she has valued greatly both in and outside her broadcasting career, she agrees.There were years where you could not get me arrested,’ she says, frankly. ‘My agent was amazing because, unless you put yourself in front of them, people do forget that you’re there. So she’d take me for a coffee and a biscuit with some commissioner, like she was trying to auction me off. This story has Sara’s voice ringing true throughout. A fresh, cheeky, insightful take on how change can happen through female friendships.’ DAWN FRENCH