Sarah-Jane Honeywell (born 5 January 1974) is an English actress, writer, TV and radio presenter, blogger and singer. She is best known for her work on the

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...

television channel and her radio shows on

BBC Radio Lincolnshire BBC Radio Lincolnshire is the Local BBC Radio, BBC's local radio station serving the county of Lincolnshire. It broadcasts on frequency modulation, FM, Digital Audio Broadcasting, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds from studios near Newport Ar ...

. As well as appearing on pre-school TV, Honeywell is a supporter of

Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system. Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern ...

and writes a regular column in the

Ashton Gate Stadium Ashton Gate is a multi-use stadium in Ashton Gate, Bristol, England, and is the home of Bristol City F.C. and the Bristol Bears rugby union team. Located in the south-west of the city, just south of the River Avon, it currently has an all-se ...

match day programme 'Well Red'. Honeywell is a

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

, and does charity work for

Dogs Trust Dogs Trust, known until 2003 as the National Canine Defence League, is a British animal welfare charitable organization, charity and humane society which specialises in the well-being of dogs. It is the largest dog welfare charity in the United ...

Fairies A fairy (also called fay, fae, fae folk, fey, fair folk, or faerie) is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, generally described as anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic, found in the folklore of multiple European cultures (including Cel ...

being her website and personal

symbol A symbol is a mark, Sign (semiotics), sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, physical object, object, or wikt:relationship, relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by cr ...

, she also has a fairy-wings tattoo. In December 2006, Honeywell released an EP titled ''Love and Magic''. The second track "Believe in Magic" was released as a single, and the music video was made at the annual

Goose Fair The Nottingham Goose Fair is an annual travelling funfair held at the Forest Recreation Ground in Nottingham, England, during the first week of October. Largely provided by travelling Showmen, it is one of four established fairs in the United K ...

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

, 2007. A Sarah-Jane

plush doll A stuffed toy is a toy with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, lovies and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be called soft toys ...

was released to coincide with the EP. The songs from the EP featured in the CBeebies Live tour and the production of Peter Pan at the Capitol Theatre,

Horsham Horsham () is a market town on the upper reaches of the River Arun on the fringe of the Weald in West Sussex, England. The town is south south-west of London, north-west of Brighton and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Nearby to ...

. In April 2021, Sarah-Jane joined

, in which she presents a weekly 80s and 90s music show every Sunday afternoon 2-6pm. The show is also broadcast on

BBC Radio Humberside BBC Radio Humberside is the Local BBC Radio, BBC's local radio station serving the former county of Humberside which includes the unitary authorities of England, unitary authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolns ...

. She also presented Sunday breakfast on Lincolnshire until 21st October 2023.

Biography

Early career

When Honeywell was young she went to

dance school A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose. Overview A dance studio normally includes a smooth floor covering or, if used ...

and

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

classes. She completed her education at Ordsall Hall School. At 18, she got her first job, working in

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

as a

contortionist Contortion (sometimes contortionism) is a performance art in which performers called contortionists showcase their skills of extreme physical flexibility. Contortion acts often accompany acrobatics, circus acts, street performers and other liv ...

for three months, having trained with acrobatic

troupe Troupe may refer to: General *Comedy troupe, a group of comedians *Dance troupe, a group of dancers **Fire troupe, a group of fire dancers *Troupe system, a method of playing role-playing games *Theatrical troupe, a group of theatrical performers ...

the Great Kovaks in

Doncaster Doncaster ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, Yorkshire, River Don, it is the administrative centre of the City of Doncaster metropolitan borough, and is the second largest se ...

. At 19, she moved to London to play the part of a kitten in ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'', and from musical theatre moved into television.

Later career

Honeywell has acted in several leading theatre productions including ''The Little Mermaid'' at the Alban Arena, ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'' at

Southend Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in south-eastern Essex, England. It lies on the nor ...

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in north-west Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'', and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settleme ...

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

, Wimbledon and Horsham, the 2004–05 and 2006–07 CBEEBIES Live! National Arena Tours and the

Fimbles ''Fimbles'' is a British children's television series created and produced by Novel Entertainment. The series has 200 episodes, airing from September 23, 2002 to September 24, 2004 with repeats airing until early 2012 on CBeebies. The Fimbles a ...

National Tour 2006. She also appeared in ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

'' at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

, has played a wide range of characters in television dramas and commercials, and continues to do aerial and skin work. She has also performed a solo show "Love & Magic" at venues across the UK and Europe and appeared in an independent film called ''Shadows of a Stranger'' (2014). In August 2011, Sarah-Jane's "wholesome" image came under scrutiny when she controversially appeared on celebrity photographer Marc de Groot's Facebook page, pouring

Diet Coke Diet Coke (also branded as Coca-Cola Light, Coca-Cola Diet or Coca-Cola Light Taste) is a sugar-free and low-calorie soft drink produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. It contains artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. Unveiled on ...

over an almost see-through vest and posing wearing candyfloss "underwear". Three months later, she posed topless for

PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; ) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. Founded in March 1980 by Newkirk and animal right ...

to mark World Vegan Day. "Going vegan is the best decision I've ever made – I have tons of energy, and I know that I'm not contributing to animal suffering", Honeywell said. "A vegan diet is good for your health, for the environment and for animals – and there's no better time to switch than on World Vegan Day!" Honeywell said in December 2021 that she believed it was this photoshoot that led to her being let go from

. Honeywell completed a dance album with record producer Dave D'Mello that was released in April 2012. In 2019, she opened up and runs a theatre school in Lincoln in which she helps young people with classes and shows. In April 2021, Sarah-Jane joined

, in which she presents a weekly 80s and 90s music show every Sunday afternoon 2-6pm. She also presented Sunday breakfast on the station until 21st October 2023. Honeywell was an additional puppeteer on the 2019

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance''. In February 2024, Honeywell revealed in an interview in detail about her sacking from her role on

, saying that she had 'thoughts about jumping in front of a train' due to online hate after her photoshoot was published in national newspapers in 2011.

Personal life

On 17 May 2015, Sarah-Jane and her fiancé,

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...

actor Ayden Callaghan, announced they were expecting their first child. Their son, Phoenix, was born on 25 August 2015. Sarah-Jane and Ayden were then married on 17 October 2016. They announced on 5 September 2017 that they were expecting their second child and another son, Indiana was born on 24 January 2018. Honeywell previously blogged about her life as a mother as honeymumster. Despite her vegan views, she decided not to raise her children as vegan, stating in an interview on '' Good Morning Britain'' in March 2019: "I don't want to put my views on my children. I don't think you should put your religious, dietary or political views on your children, I think we have children to guide them to their own destinations, not my destination ..but I will tell them

the truth The Truth may refer to: Film * ''The Truth'' (1920 film) starring Madge Kennedy * ''The Truth'' (1960 film) or ''La Vérité'', a French film by Henri-Georges Clouzot starring Brigitte Bardot * ''The Truth'' (1988 film), a Hong Kong trial cri ...

hen Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman. Hen, HEN or Hens may also refer to: Places Norway *Hen, Buskerud, a village in R ...

they're ready, and then they can make their own decisions". Honeywell's husband Callaghan eats meat.

Notable appearances

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Honeywell, Sarah-Jane 1974 births Living people 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from Nottinghamshire British women television presenters Contortionists English women singers English musical theatre actresses English television actresses English television presenters Musicians from Nottinghamshire People from Worksop CBeebies hosts