'''Nigel Sara Cox''' (born December 13 1974) is an English television and radio personality and presenter. Her most prestigious role was that of presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 from 2000 to 2003.
Career
Cox, a farmer's daughter, was born in Bolton, Greater Manchester as Nigel Sara Cox, but later dropped the use of her first name. She left Canon Slade school after her A-levels to pursue a career in modelling. In 1994 she won her first television show role, presenting early "Girl Power" show ''The Girlie Show''. She later had stints on Channel 5 entertainment show ''Exclusive'' and Channel 4 music programme ''Born Sloppy''. In September 1998 she landed a role as a presenter of ''The Big Breakfast'', following in the footsteps of her friend Zoë Ball (Cox was to be a bridesmaid at Pete Watermans wedding in 1999).
A transfer to radio came in 1999 where she joined BBC Radio 1. At first she co-hosted the Saturday lunchtime with Emma B and a Sunday health and welfare show. In December 1999 it was announced that Cox would again step into Zoë Ball's shoes - this time as presenter of the weekday breakfast show - regarded by many as the most prestigious job in British youth radio. Ball had given up the role to bring up her family.
Her breakfast show stint began on 31 March 2000, three days early so she could calm her nerves. Initially Cox's listening figures were very good. The number of listeners grew from 6.9m to 7.8m over the first fifteen months in the job. The tide turned however, and by August 2002 numbers had dipped back under 7m. In August 2000, she said live on air that the Queen Mother "smelt of wee"
and was reported to have been very close to losing her job. In January 2003 she denied rumours that she was preparing to leave the BBC for a rival show, and signed a three-year contract with the public service broadcaster, tying her to the breakfast show until April 2004 and with the BBC for two years after that. In August 2003 the BBC again denied rumours, reported in the ''Daily Mail'' that she had been given 10 weeks to increase ratings, or to face replacement. However just two months later the BBC announced that Cox, whose listening figures had slipped to 6.6m, would be replaced by Chris Moyles in January 2004. Cox then presented the afternoon "drivetime" slot, before going on maternity leave to give birth to a baby girl Lola Anne. (see below). Before she returned to Radio 1 in early 2005, Scott Mills, the presenter who took over her slot
