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KEEPING HOUSE

Who is Sarah Beeny? How to Live Mortgage Free presenter, property developer and Mysinglefriend co-founder

The Berkshire-born is a familiar face among property show fans

SHE is the go-to girl when it comes to property shows, whether for developing or for buying.

Sarah Beeny has fronted nine property programmes on British TV – and has also played a part in helping Britain’s singles find love.

Sarah Beeny

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Sarah Beeny is the face of property development on TV

But who exactly is she? Here’s the lowdown…

Who is Sarah Beeny?

She was born Sarah Lucinda Beeny in Reading, Berkshire, on January 9 1972 to parents Richard and Ann, who died of cancer when Sarah was 10.

She described her upbringing as “a bit like The Good Life” as the family lived in cottages on the Duke of Wellington’s estate and kept chickens, goats and ducks.

Sarah didn’t attend university but studied drama at Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke, Hampshire but didn’t get into drama school.

Sarah is married to Graham Swift who she met when she was 18 and they have four children. Her brother Diccon is married to Graham’s sister.

Property developer Sarah Beeny returns to present the new series

Channel 4
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Sarah has returned to present the new series of Four Rooms

How did Sarah get into the property market?

Sarah travelled the world at 17 and on her return she took on various odd-jobs from window cleaning to running her own sandwich business.

She studied the property market and after saving up a deposit, she, her brother and her husband began a property developing business.

Beeny also founded UK dating site mysinglefriend.com.

How did Sarah become a TV presenter?

Sarah met a talent hunter at a party and was asked to do a screen test for a new programme about property development.

The show, Property Ladder, followed the journey of amateur property developers as they set out to renovate challenging houses and ran for seven series from 2001 to 2009.

The show led to various spin-offs, including Property Snakes and Ladders.

Sarah also presented One Year To Pay Off Your Mortgage and she wrote a number of books to accompany the series as well as a weekly column for The Mail on Sunday.

Become a landlord?

What else has Sarah done?

Sarah has appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s The F-Word as well as Bob the Builder.

She also fronted the Channel 4 show Help! My House is Falling Down, Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare and a show for the BBC called Village SOS.

Sarah also owns the online estate agent Tepilo, presents Four Rooms and is on screens with her new show How to Live Mortgage Free.

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