Born Sarah Corbett Ward around 1941 in Kenya, Ward attended boarding school in the UK while her stepfather, a major in the army, was stationed abroad.
Upon returning to Kenya, she aspired to pursue acting, but her parents required her to complete a secretarial course first.
Ward’s introduction to radio broadcasting came at age 15 with Forces Broadcasting Services in Nairobi, initially as a tea-maker.
When her mother noticed an advertisement for an announcer, Ward’s excellent speaking voice and engaging personality secured her the position. She subsequently took on presenting duties, as a DJ..
Ward joined the Voice of Kenya English language service, where she worked as an announcer and interviewer whilst producing documentaries and programmes for teenagers and children.
She returned to the UK in 1964, initially working as a waitress and theatre programme seller.
Six months later, she joined BBC TV as an in-vision network announcer, working alongside Meryl O’Keeffe and Maggie Clews. Her debut came on 6th September 1964, and she remained until 1966.
Her continuity duties included conducting interview segments at the conclusion of evening programmes.
Her most notable interviewee was Bob Dylan, though it proved a peculiar experience. Dylan was at the BBC to record a concert series (broadcast on BBC One in June 1965). The interview was live and possibly the first he gave in the UK for the newly launched BBC Two.
Ward recalls: “It was a peculiar interview. He kept spinning round in his chair, sometimes turning his back on me.
“He’d just been to the BBC canteen and was still eating a biscuit, which he kept waving in my face. He seemed to be fixated by the biscuit, ignoring most of my questions about the pressures of life as a superstar.
“The only time he really came alive was when I started asking him about the money he was making and he suddenly became very shrewd and on the ball.”
Ward presented BBC TV’s Junior Points of View (10th September 1964 – June 1967 and January 1970), a spin-off from Points of View featuring letters from children.
She departed the BBC in June 1967, moving to ITV to present Rediffusion’s twice-weekly children’s tea-time series Come Here Often with Cliff Morgan (1967 – 1968).
Ward recalls: “One lively programme (in August 1967) featured a debate between the British Power movement and an opposing group of young blacks.
“One of the debaters became especially overheated and pulled a knife, which led to the immediate blacking out of the screen and the programme hitting the headlines in the British press the next morning.”
By the early 1970s, Ward was working for BBC World Service, appearing on the request spot at the end of The Merchant Navy Programme with Malcolm Billings. She developed a substantial following and fan-club amongst sailors.
Unable to secure presenting opportunities on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2, Ward auditioned for the new independent radio station Capital Radio, which launched in October 1973.
She began as a record reviewer on Nicky Horne’s nightly rock show You’re Mother Wouldn’t Like It before being offered a presenter role on Night Flight with BBC Radio’s Sean Kelly. She later presented Sarah and Friends.
Ward departed in 1975 to join Radio Victory in Portsmouth at its launch. She initially presented late-night programmes playing album rock before hosting The Wonderful Wobbly Wireless Show (1977 – 1978).
Further opportunities arose with the BBC World Service at Bush House. Ward hosted a daily 15-minute programme of music and chat whilst also joining the roster of presenters on the Request Show.
She presented Sarah and Company (1979 – 1986) and Multitrack (BBC World Service and BBC Radio 5, 1986 – August 1994).
Ward returned to Capital Radio towards the end of the 1970s, presenting London Tonight and, until 1986, a Sunday afternoon programme.
Following the launch of Capital Gold, Ward presented a late-night show (1988 – 1989).
She co-presented the weekend breakfast show with Ed Boyle on LBC’s short-lived Crown FM service (1989 – 1990).
She co-presented the inaugural edition of Morning Edition on BBC Radio 5 on 28th August 1990 with Jon Briggs.
During 1993, Ward began covering shifts on Classic FM and from February 1994 assumed the presentation of Classic Reports from Margaret Howard. She remained until early 1997, by which time she was presenting the weekend breakfast show.
Ward presented Women Striking Chords (BBC Radio 4, 1996).
She first worked on 102.2 Jazz FM at its launch in 1990. She returned in 1997 and presented its flagship programme Dinner Jazz in 2004 and again from 2008 when the station re-launched as Jazz FM.
She presented Jazz Travels (beginning in 2011) and for a decade The Sarah Ward Collection.
Ward presented her final edition of The Sarah Ward Collection on 28th December 2024, concluding seven decades of broadcasting.
For many years, Ward has resided on the edge of Dartmoor with her partner Ken, a jazz saxophonist and composer. She recorded her programmes at local radio studios in Devon and more recently at her own home studio.
With thanks to Andy Walmsley (Radio Jottings) for additional career information.
Personal information
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Acknowledgements
PICTURED: Sarah Ward (Jazz FM). COPYRIGHT: Unknown.
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