The Mirror

Sara and Leeroy Split

• 3rd May 2000

Ex-Prodigy member Leeroy Thornhill and media celebrity Sara Cox have broken off their forthcoming engagement plans for the moment. Reported as an 'exclusive' in the Mirror newspaper today, here's some excerpts:

"The host of Radio 1's flagship programme sadly decided she cannot combine their three-year romance with her gruelling work routine. And in a split which will shock the showbiz world she has cancelled plans for a fairytale wedding scheduled for this autumn. Sara and 30-year-old Leeroy - who recently quit top dance act The Prodigy - have been discussing their future in a series of long distance phone clls over the past few weeks. They made their emotional decision at the weekend. There is said to be no one else involved. While Leeroy has been out of the country on a new solo project, Sara has been busy maintaining her hectic work schedule. The friend insisted: "There have been no big rows or fall-outs, and there are no secret lovers. "Sara and Leeroy still love each other, but there is no point in them kidding themselves that everything is coming up roses. The Mirror goes on to recap on their romance, ending with the story by saying they have moved out of Leeroy's Essex home into a "plush North London flat close to the Radio 1 studios".

"BBC Radio 1 DJ Sara Cox has confirmed her engagement to former Prodigy dancer Leeroy Thornhill is off. The Breakfast Show host had planned to marry the 30-year-old later this year, but they split after spending a fortnight apart. Cox, who replaced Zoe Ball on Radio 1's flagship show at the end of March, said she still loved Thornhill and there were no hard feelings. "It's been about as mutual and friendly as it could possibly be, but we're both gutted. "We've had a brilliant three years together and nothing is going to change that," she added. Thornhill enjoyed enormous success with the Prodigy, who grew from playing a low-key gig in Dalston, East London to become the world's biggest dance act. The 6ft 7in performer announced he was quitting the band last month to pursue his own projects. It was when he came back from a stint filming abroad that the engagement was broken off. Cox said: "Leeroy has been away in Belgium and Holland filming with BBC Choice for a couple of weeks and it was during that time apart that we came to this decision. "Both of our lives have changed a great deal since we first met. We're just really relieved that we have finished it before we finished each other." The BBC Choice work could be the football TV series Leeroy is rumoured to appear in.

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• Sara Cox
• Leeroy Thornhill