Sarah Beeny has revealed why she and her husband of 22 years, Graham Swift, have yet to officially say “I love you” to each other.
The broadcaster, 52, was lucky enough to find the pea in her pod when she was very young and began dating artist Graham, 51, when they were just teenagers.
Sarah first revealed that she and Graham had never said the three words back in October, but gave insight into why they haven’t changed their ways.
She admitted that saying “I love you” became something of an “inside joke” for the high school lovebirds, who often ridiculed friends who said that and broke up soon after.
Speaking to Prima magazine, she said: ‘I’m married to my best friend. I don’t know what our secret is, but I think having a childlike spark in you helps.’
Sarah Beeny has revealed the real reason why she and husband Graham Swift have never said ‘I love you’ to each other despite being married for 22 years
The broadcaster, 52, was lucky enough to find her when she was very young and started dating artist Graham, 51, when they were just teenagers.
‘I met Graham when I was 19 and he was 18.
“We used to laugh at friends who would say ‘I love you’ after a date and then dump them the next day, so not saying it became an inside joke.”
“To this day, we’ve never said it officially,” he admitted.
The mocking approach became a standard routine to the point that every time Graham makes a mistake, the property expert hilariously seems to stop him.
“I once told Graham, ‘Even if you had no money or never got a job, I would still love you,'” he told Sarah.
‘I had to backtrack and explain that it was just a sentence.
“Every time Graham slipped up and said it, I said ‘that’s a bit gross, couldn’t you say it again?’
The couple share four children: Billy, 20, Charlie, 18, Rafferty, 16, and Laurie, 14.
Sarah, who was given the all-clear in April following her breast cancer diagnosis in August 2022, opened up about how it affected her marriage during an appearance on Lorraine in December.
Sarah said: “We used to laugh at friends who would say ‘I love you’ after a date and then dump them the next day, so not saying it became an inside joke. To this day, we’ve never officially said it .
The couple share four children: Billy, 20, Charlie, 18, Rafferty, 16, and Laurie, 14.
Sarah admitted that her battle with cancer affected her marriage to Graham, but in a way that has brought them to a stronger place.
In April, Sarah was given the all-clear following her breast cancer diagnosis in August 2022.
During an appearance on Lorraine in December, Sarah got candid about how her cancer diagnosis affected her marriage, but in a way that has brought them to a stronger place.
She said: “I’m not going to say it’s easy because obviously it’s not, but I think I’m lucky to have such a supportive husband and children.”
The Property Ladder star also released her documentary Sarah Beeny vs. Cancer in June, which details her cancer journey, including her double mastectomy.
Aside from his art, Graham has worked alongside Sarah on projects, including the dating app MySingleFriend, which they founded in 2004 after Sarah became famous for setting up dates with her single friends.
The property expert also published her memoir The Simple Life: How I Found Home last year, but later said she wanted to leave out her health problems because she was reluctant to let her cancer be what “defined her life.”
Last year, Sarah revealed she had undergone genetic testing to determine her family’s risk of developing cancer after her own battle with the disease.
The star was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 and underwent grueling chemotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy.
But she has been incredibly open about her journey and, in a recent interview, talked about how she has now discovered that she has a genetic mutation, which made her more likely to contract the disease.
The Property Ladder star also released her documentary Sarah Beeny vs. Cancer in June, which details her cancer journey, including her double mastectomy.
The test results solidified Sarah’s decision to have a double mastectomy rather than a single, as the gene meant she had a 50/50 chance of getting cancer again in the future in the breast that was not already there. affected.
It also means there is a 50/50 chance of her passing the gene on to her children, Billy, Charlie, Rafferty and Laurie.
Sarah discovered that while her BRCA1 and BRCA2 tests were negative, her PALB2 test was positive, which could have wider implications for her children and potential future grandchildren.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Every year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the United States, it attacks 266,000 people each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancer cell that develops in the lining of a duct or lobe of one of the breasts.
When breast cancer has spread to surrounding tissue, it is called “invasive.” Some people are diagnosed with “carcinoma in situ,” where cancer cells have not grown beyond the duct or lobe.
Most cases develop in people over 50 years of age, but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, although this is rare.
Staging tells how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage, and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
Cancer cells are graded from low, meaning slow growing, to high, meaning fast growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they are first treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumor begins from an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is believed that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This causes the cell to be abnormal and multiply “out of control.”
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the likelihood, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are non-cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place breast cancer usually spreads is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs, you will develop a swelling or lump in your armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial evaluation: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may perform tests such as a mammogram, a special x-ray of breast tissue that can indicate the possibility of tumors.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If it is confirmed that you have breast cancer, more tests may be needed to evaluate whether it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound of the liver, or a chest x-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormonal treatment. A combination of two or more of these treatments is often used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumor.
- Radiation therapy: A treatment that uses high-energy radiation beams focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops them from dividing. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: Treatment of cancer using anticancer drugs that kill cancer cells or stop them from dividing.
- Hormonal treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the “female” hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that lower the level of these hormones or stop them from working are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is the treatment?
The prognosis is better for those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small and has not spread. Surgically removing a tumor at an early stage may offer a good chance of cure.
Routine mammography offered to women aged 50 to 70 means that more breast cancers are diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information, visit breastcancernow.org or call their free helpline on 0808 800 6000.