Scooping up a whopping three awards at the National Television Awards at the O2 on Tuesday, Sarah Lancashire was the name on everyone’s lips. The star-studded evening saw Sarah, 58, secure Best Drama Performance, while “Happy Valley” clinched Best Returning Drama. Additionally, she was the honoured recipient of this year’s Special Recognition Award, graciously handed over by Sir Ian McKellen.
Sarah humbly claimed to have been ‘exceptionally lucky’ in her storied career in her heartfelt acceptance speech. Beyond the gratitude extended to her colleagues, she spotlighted the unsung heroes in her life. She says, “There are also enablers who stand very quietly in the wings without expectation or due credit; they are my family, my husband, my children, my friends, my agent Nick, thank you.”
Sarah Lancashire’s Love Story Away From The Spotlight
Meeting at Granada when Sarah was lighting up “Coronation Street“, she and TV producer Peter Salmon hit it off instantly. After Peter’s previous marriage ended, the duo began their romance in the summer of 2000, with a proposal soon following in New York. By August 2001, they were bound in matrimony in a Nottinghamshire ceremony. Sarah, when discussing her marriage to Peter, revealed her traditional desire to feel spiritually ‘owned’. Despite public interest, she guards their privacy, valuing their ‘normality’.
Together, the pair welcomed their son, Joseph, in March 2003. Today, they stand as proud parents to a brigade of six boys, blending their families harmoniously. Drawing from her background, growing up among three brothers, Sarah admits she’s always been in familiar territory surrounded by boys. True to form, she shields her children from media scrutiny, emphasizing their right to privacy.
Walking Down Memory Lane
Before her current marital bliss, Sarah was previously wedded to Gary Hargreaves, a music teacher 11 years her senior. Their marriage journey started in 1987 and birthed two sons. Reflecting on the past, Sarah admitted she stayed in the marriage longer than she should’ve, largely due to the fear of societal judgment surrounding having children out of wedlock. Looking back, she termed her exit from this relationship as a personal ‘renaissance’.
Battling The Silent Demon: Sarah’s Struggle With Depression
Behind the glitz and glamour, Sarah harboured a personal battle. Diagnosed with clinical depression at 18, she endured both highs and lows. She candidly recalled the days when the weight of depression kept her from attending auditions, and the year-long breakdown that gripped her during her “Coronation Street” days. Even at her lowest, Sarah pressed on, concealing her struggles, fearing judgment. She stressed the significance of mental health discussions, lamenting the overarching stigma surrounding depression.
Sarah’s saving grace came in the form of her mother, who, recognising her daughter’s dire state, ushered her to medical help. In 2000, Sarah came clean about her condition, marking a turning point in her healing journey. She proudly declares the act of opening up as her most liberating experience. Through it all, her children played a crucial role, serving as her beacon of hope during her darkest days.