Sarah Beeny opens up on how she navigated ‘bumps’ in her 22-year marriage to husband Graham Swift during devastating cancer battle

Sarah Beeny has opened up on how she navigated ‘bumps’ in her 22 year year marriage to husband Graham Swift during her devastating cancer battle.  

The TV star, 52, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy.

During the process, Sarah was supported by artist husband Graham, 51, and their four sons, but in a new interview admitted that things were not all ‘plain sailing’. 

The Property Ladder presenter told how Graham had been her rock throughout her ill health and ‘stepped up’ when she needed to, but without going too far with his assistance.

She told OK! magazine: ‘There are bumps along the way in life and marriage – it’s not all plain sailing. But during my cancer treatment, Graham was absolutely as I’d expected him to be – great, because he’s a good man. 

‘I don’t have a husband who will come in with tea trays, I don’t have a butler! But I don’t want one, I’d find that annoying. Whenever he’s needed to step up, he’s stepped up, and that was one of those times.’ 

The TV star, 52, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy [pictured in July]

The star went on to say that she encouraged her partner to open up to others if he was himself struggling with everything that happened as she confessed that she didn’t have ‘any space’ for her husband not to be strong.

She shared: ‘We had a conversation once. I said, “I know you might not be OK all the time, but don’t talk to me about that please. Can you talk to my brother or someone else?” And he said, “Yes, I know.” I think he did talk to my brother and some friends. He knew I didn’t have any space for him not to be OK.’

Amid the chat, Sarah reflected on the past five years, which saw she and her family move from East Yorkshire to a sprawling estate in Somerset in which they built and renovated their countryside mansion. 

Amid the build, Sarah received her cancer diagnosis, with the past few years also seeing the broadcaster continue her television work and also embark on a four month tour with her musician sons’ group – The Entitled Sons. 

Sarah and Graham share boys Billy, 20, Charlie, 18, Laurie, 16, and Rafferty, 15.

Last year, Sarah documented her health battle in her documentary Sarah Beeny vs Cancer. 

And speaking candidly about her decision to publicly share her journey, Sarah told how she had no regrets because she felt being so open made her loved ones feel less ‘scared’ if they were ‘up to date’ with what was going on. 

She added that though she felt ‘frightened’ at the time, she now sees her journey as ‘a lifetime ago now’, telling how she felt ‘lucky’ that she’s such a ‘mover-on-er.’ 

During the process, Sarah was supported by artist husband Graham, 51, and their four sons, but in a new interview admitted that things were not all ‘plain sailing’

The Property Ladder presenter told how Graham had been her rock throughout her ill health and ‘stepped up’ when she needed to, but without going too far with his assistance

The star went on to say that she encouraged her partner to open up to others if he was himself struggling with everything that happened as she confessed that she didn’t have ‘any space’ for her husband not to be strong 

Sarah and Graham share boys Billy, 20, Charlie, 18, Laurie, 16, and Rafferty, 15 

It comes after Sarah previously revealed why she and her husband Graham still haven’t officially said ‘I love you’ to one another. 

The broadcaster was lucky enough to find the pea to her pod when she was quite young and started dating artist Graham when they were just teenagers.

Sarah first revealed that she and Graham had never uttered the three words back in October last year – but she gave an insight into why they haven’t changed their ways. 

She admitted saying ‘I love you’ became a sort of ‘inside joke’ for the high school lovebirds, who used to ridicule friends who would say that – and break up shortly afterwards.

Talking to Prima magazine in March, she said: ‘I’m married to my best friend. I don’t know what our secret is, but I think having a spark of the child in you helps.’

‘I met Graham when I was 19 and he was 18. We used to laugh at friends who would say ‘I love you’ after one 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,’ she admitted. 

The mocking approach became standard routine to the point that whenever Graham slips-up, the property expert seems to hilariously stop him.

She continued; ‘I once told Graham ‘even if you didn’t have any money or never got a job, I’d still love you, I had to backtrack and explain that it was just a turn of phrase.

‘Every time Graham has slipped up and said it, I’ve said ‘that’s slightly yucky, could you not say that again?’

In April Sarah was given the all-clear in April following her breast cancer diagnosis in August 2022.

It comes after Sarah previously revealed why she and her husband Graham still haven’t officially said ‘I love you’ to one another 

Sarah – who was given the all-clear in April following her breast cancer diagnosis in August 2022 – spoke about how that impacted her marriage during an appearance on Lorraine in December last year

During an appearance on Lorraine in December 2023, 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 that it is easy because obviously it isn’t easy, but I think I am lucky that I have a husband and kids that are so supportive.’

The Property Ladder star also released her documentary Sarah Beeny vs. Cancer in June, which detailed 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 notorious for setting her single friends up on dates.

The property expert  also released her memoir The Simple Life: How I Found Home last year – but then told how she wanted to omit her health issues as she was reluctant for her cancer to be the ‘defining thing in her life.