Property expert Sarah Beeny has had a turbulent few years after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, but she is now focusing on her future and helping others find love. The 54-year-old mum-of-four underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction, followed by the removal of her ovaries and fallopian tubes in 2023. She was told the cancer was gone the same year.
Surviving Cancer and Embracing Life
Speaking exclusively, Sarah said, 'I was lucky. I was fortunate to get diagnosed in time, and my treatment was successful. I have a whole life to live now.' Despite the positive outcome, she admits to having difficult moments. 'I wouldn't say I ever get depressed, but I have up days and down days. As I've got older, the clouds come,' she confessed.
Marriage and Family
In a 2024 podcast, Sarah appeared to admit her ordeal had pushed her marriage to artist husband Graham Swift to the limit. However, she now clarifies that comment was taken out of context. 'I think the interviewer asked how my marriage had been going as I went through treatment and I'd gone, "Well, you know, it's not fabulous, we're hanging by a thread." It was meant in a jokey way, but it was out of context,' she explained.
Sarah's family got caught up in the drama, with her brother Diccon receiving numerous calls about a supposed divorce. 'We were like, "What? We're fine and doing okay. I'm not giving up now,"' she recalled. Reflecting on her 34-year relationship, she said, 'There have been bumps in the road. It would have been so boring otherwise. It's not been perfect all along, but what relationship is? I've learned that if you don't have the bad times, then you don't appreciate the good times.'
Her children sometimes comment on their parents' arguments, but Sarah sees it as healthy. 'They see us in the garden holding hands and they know we love each other. It's healthy for them to see that,' she said. Speaking of her attraction to Graham, she added, 'He makes me laugh and is good-looking. I like to keep that spark alive.'
Relaunching MySingleFriend
Sarah is famous for her pioneering dating website MySingleFriend, which she is now relaunching with a 'video-first' approach. The concept originally came to her when trying to set up mutual friends. 'It felt like unfinished business, and I've always been a connector,' she said. She used her sons as guinea pigs, reinforcing the idea after her eldest son Billy went on a date that didn't work out. 'How much easier would it have been if he'd been able to watch a video of her? He would have seen her vibe,' she explained.
Over the years, Sarah has been responsible for countless couples getting together. 'I've had thousands of people telling me they got married and had babies after being on MySingleFriend. Every day I get a message thanking me,' she said. If she hadn't met Graham, she would have tried online dating herself. 'What are you going to do, stand on a street corner to try and meet someone? Or just hope?' she asked.
Life in the Country and New Projects
Sarah grew up in Hampshire and tragically lost her mum to a brain tumour when she was 10. Her early life was semi off-grid, which made her realise self-sufficiency is hard work. She bought her first flat with Graham and later starred in Channel 4's Sarah Beeny's New Life In The Country, which followed the family's move to Somerset in 2019 to convert a semi-derelict dairy farm into a seven-bedroom home. Although the work will 'never be finished', she is launching a YouTube channel and waiting to hear if her series Help! I Bought It At Auction will get a second run.
Asked if she thrives on being busy, she said, 'Yes. It's my drug. I don't sit down much. And I like a challenge.' However, she admits to being 'endlessly dissatisfied'. Her husband tells her to look at what she has achieved, but she says, 'No. I need to do something else.' Nature provides calm, as she walks her dogs daily and plants vegetables. 'The move to the country helped my mental health, no question,' she said.
Dealing with Low Moments
Sarah first noticed low moments after her eldest son Billy was born. 'It was really difficult. I was thinking, "What's wrong with me?" I remember Graham saying, "You have to eat something." He made me baked beans and I couldn't even swallow them. I look back and realise it was baby blues,' she said. Talking helps, as does her garden. 'My youngest son knows if we go and make planters for the tomatoes in the greenhouse it will cheer me up, bless him. Recognising and vocalising how you feel is really important,' she added.
Proud Mum and Looking Forward
Her children Billy, 21, Charlie, 20, Rafferty, 17, and Laurie, 16, play in successful indie band The Entitled Sons, with dad Graham on bass guitar. 'They just headlined at Shepherd's Bush Empire which was amazing. They have a single out in June. Life is chaotic, but I'm a very proud mum,' Sarah said. As for her health, she no longer needs scans. 'It feels like a lifetime ago now. Cancer was the Big Bad Wolf to me, and now I've had it. If you had to sum up the 10 things I'm about, cancer wouldn't be on the list,' she concluded.
