What happened to Sarah Greene?
The last time we saw Sarah Greene on Saturday TV she had to share the screen with Gordon the Gopher.
It's been 20 years since the bubbly blonde presented kids' TV show Going Live! with Phillip Schofield and his puppet.
Tomorrow night, she's finally back on prime time TV again as she takes to the rink in a new series of Dancing On Ice.
For the woman who was tipped, together with husband Mike Smith, as the next Richard and Judy, it is a major step out of the showbusiness wilderness.
But the couple, who are credited with one of the most solid marriages in showbiz, never recovered their careers after tragedy struck in 1988 when the helicopter Smith was flying crashed.
Both of them suffered horrendous injuries and soon after the work began to dry up.
Now, it is hoped, the hit ITV show will breathe new life back into the golden girl's career - and she's taking it very seriously indeed.
Now approaching 50, Sarah has thrown herself into getting prepared for the show, and started practising on the ice well before Christmas.
A show insider said: "Sarah is very keen to do well. She's been getting ready for months and has been going to the gym to get herself into top condition.
"She feels insecure about her looks and takes great care over her make-up and costumes. She is very professional about it.
"She has been rather nervous about it and is getting stressed about performing. She knows it's her big chance and she wants to stay on for as long as possible."
This isn't the first time Sarah has been signed up to appear on the show. Last year, just weeks before the launch she pulled out citing family problems but didn't elaborate any further, and 2.4 Children actress Clare Buckfield was roped in to replace her.
Sarah must hope her meticulous preparations will give her an edge because she's going to need it. This year she has tough competition and will be looking to beat much younger celebs like Samantha Mumba and Suzanne Shaw.
The insider said: "Sarah is very prickly about her age. But she's bound to feel under pressure up against Samantha and Suzanne.
"Linda Lusardi, who is nearly the same age, looks fabulous too so that just adds to the pressure."
But if she's worried about her age Sarah certainly doesn't show it. She says she feels protective towards the other stars, especially the younger ones. "I feel motherly towards the other contestants," she says.
"I take cakes and an industrial size flask of coffee to the rink every day because everyone needs a reward."
Sarah's TV break came when she appeared on Blue Peter to promote the BBC Sunday drama The Swish Of The Curtain.
Producer Biddy Baxter was impressed by her poise in front of camera and asked her to audition for the departing Tina Heath's place on the show.
Within a fortnight Sarah was earning £110 a week as a new presenter on the programme.
The children's show not only brought her fame but also a celebrity boyfriend. While covering the London Marathon in 1981 she met blond presenter Mike Smith and they quickly became TV's golden couple.
Before the helicopter crash Sarah had made the switch to Saturday morning TV, first to Superstore with Mike Reid and then Going Live!, and her star was firmly in the ascendant.
It was a miracle the couple survived the accident, but it left Sarah with two broken legs and a broken arm. Smith, who broke his back and ankle, proposed to Sarah just weeks later.
Sarah says the crash changed her life: "After being in a life-threatening situation, there's an incredible feeling of elation.
"Then you start the hard work of rehabilitation. The physical rehab took a year but mentally it'll go on all my life."
Reports later said the accident was to blame for the couple, who married the following year, being unable to conceive a longed-for child.
But both deny any problems, with Smith saying a few years after the crash: "We're both healthy human beings and there is no reason to adopt."
However, the couple, who live near the Thames in Chiswick, London, are still childless.
Sarah went back to work, turning up at Going Live! in plaster. But by 1993 she and co-host Schofield had tired of the show and quit to return to acting.
But the parts didn't materialise and her CV for the past 10 years makes for sparse reading.
Husband Mike hasn't fared any better. In 1992 he sent in his CV to become boss of BBC1 - but didn't get an interview.
Perhaps the couple's biggest mistake was to reject offers to form a husband and wife team.
They turned down This Morning, a job which went to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
Now Sarah's depending on her performance on the ice rink to catapult her back into the public eye. She says: "The first thing we're taught is how to fall."
But Sarah's already fallen far enough in her career. Perhaps now it's her time to shine.
Mirror
