Sara Cox once mistakenly introduced Laura Lopes to her mother, Queen Camilla, as an author. The BBC Radio 2 DJ realised her error during a gathering for authors at Clarence House, London, when the then-Duchess of Cornwall, now 78, greeted her 47 year old art curator daughter in a distinctly maternal manner. Speaking to The Observer New Review, Sara, 51, recounted: "I mistook her daughter, Laura, for an author that I half knew, and so I said to Laura, 'Come over. I'll introduce you to the duchess. Let's go over and say hi.'".
"Laura played along, so we went over, and it slowly dawned on me who she was because Camilla was like, 'Hiiii' to her own daughter." In February, Queen Camilla and Sara crossed paths again at Windsor Castle during a reception with finalists, judges and celebrities for the final of the BBC's 500 Words creative writing competition.
Sara described the royal as "a laugh". Queen Camilla is a massive fan of Strictly Come Dancing, and Sara has been suggested as a potential co-host following the departure of Tess Daly, 56, or Claudia Winkleman, 54, in December 2025.
A source informed The Sun: "Fans of Sara's Radio 2 drivetime show know she has that off-the-cuff patter down to a tee and has a brilliant reputation as an honest, hardworking pro.
"Execs have mentioned her name as someone who would be a good fit for the job."
Rumours are swirling that former Big Brother presenter Emma Willis, 49, and ex-BBC Radio 2 personality Zoe Ball, 55, are in a "straight shoot-out" to co-host Strictly Come Dancing alongside a "female stand-up comedian".
An insider revealed to The Sun on Sunday: "It's a straight shoot-out between Zoe, who is the front-runner, and Emma. Only one will get it, not both.
"The senior execs want a traditional presenter working alongside a more left-field person, a female stand-up comedian.
"It's felt the humour Claudia brought to the show, particularly in her 'Claudatorium', needs to carry on." A BBC spokesperson stated that plans for the 2026 series of Strictly Come Dancing will be announced "in due course".
