# Sarah Sands

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British journalist and author (born 1961)

For the baseball player, see [Sarah Jane Sands](/source/Sarah_Jane_Sands).

This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (September 2023)

Sarah Sands Born Sarah Harvey (1961-05-03) 3 May 1961 (age 65) Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England Alma mater Goldsmiths College, University of London Occupations Journalist editor novelist Employer BBC Known for Editor, BBC Radio 4 Today (May 2017 – Sept. 2020) Editor, London Evening Standard (March 2012 – May 2017) Deputy Editor, London Evening Standard (Feb. 2009 – Mar. 2012) Editor-in-Chief, Reader's Digest (Feb. 2008 – Feb. 2009) Consultant Editor, Daily Mail (Apr. 2006 – Feb. 2008) Editor, The Sunday Telegraph (Jun. 2005 – Mar. 2006) Deputy Editor, The Daily Telegraph (1996–2005) Spouse(s) Julian Sands ​ ​ (m. 1984; div. 1987)​ Kim Fletcher Children 3 Family Kit Hesketh-Harvey (brother)

**Sarah Sands** ([née](/source/N%C3%A9e) **Harvey**; born 3 May 1961) is a British journalist and author, a former newspaper and [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4),[Today](/source/Today_(BBC_Radio_4)) programme editor who has gone on to serve on multiple boards, mainly in the UK creative and scientific sector, including [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4) and the [Science Museum Group](/source/Science_Museum_Group). She is a former chair of the [G7](/source/G7) Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) and has championed the cause of Afghan women.

She is an honorary fellow at [Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge](/source/Lucy_Cavendish_College%2C_Cambridge) and [Goldsmiths, University of London](/source/Goldsmiths%2C_University_of_London).

## Early life and education

Sands was born in [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge), in 1961, to parents in the overseas civil service. Sands is the younger sister of [Kit Hesketh-Harvey](/source/Kit_Hesketh-Harvey), of musical duo Kit and The Widow. She was educated at [Kent College](/source/Kent_College%2C_Pembury) in [Pembury](/source/Pembury), on the outskirts of [Tunbridge Wells](/source/Tunbridge_Wells) in [Kent](/source/Kent), then a Methodist, now interdenominational, boarding and day [independent school](/source/Independent_school) for girls. She later attended [Goldsmiths, University of London](/source/Goldsmiths%2C_University_of_London).[1]

## Career

Sands trained on *The Sevenoaks Chronicle* as a news reporter, before moving to the *[Evening Standard](/source/Evening_Standard)*, initially as editor of the [Londoner's Diary](/source/Londoner's_Diary), before taking further posts as features editor and associate editor. She joined *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)* in 1996 as deputy editor, under [Charles Moore](/source/Charles_Moore_(journalist)), later assuming responsibility for the [Saturday edition](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph).[2][3]

Sands was appointed editor of *[The Sunday Telegraph](/source/The_Sunday_Telegraph)* in June 2005, succeeding [Dominic Lawson](/source/Dominic_Lawson).[4] She was the first woman to hold the post. Her plan for the paper's November 2005 relaunch was that it should be "like an [iPod](/source/IPod) – full of your favourite things".[5] However, the makeover was not well regarded by senior management, and in an abrupt move, after just eight months and 20 days in post, Sands was sacked as editor of the newspaper on 7 March 2006 by [Andrew Neil](/source/Andrew_Neil) and replaced by [Patience Wheatcroft](/source/Patience_Wheatcroft).[2][6][7] Subsequently, many of her changes under her editorship were reversed (including changes to the title font).

In April 2006, Sands was appointed consultant editor on the *[Daily Mail](/source/Daily_Mail)*.[8]

In February 2008 she was appointed editor-in-chief of the UK edition of *[Reader's Digest](/source/Reader's_Digest)*.[8] In February 2009 it was announced that she would be taking up the role of deputy editor on *[London Evening Standard](/source/Evening_Standard)*.[9] She became editor of the *London Evening Standard* following [Geordie Greig](/source/Geordie_Greig)'s departure for *[The Mail on Sunday](/source/The_Mail_on_Sunday)* in March 2012.[10]

In January 2017, she was appointed editor of the [BBC Radio 4](/source/BBC_Radio_4) *[Today](/source/Today_(BBC_Radio_4))* programme and took up her appointment later in the year.[11] Sands resigned from the post in late January 2020, the day after major cuts to [BBC News](/source/BBC_News) were announced.[12]

As an editor and columnist, Sands concentrated on politics and current affairs, and was known for her pursuit of stories and sense of mischief but in later years became more interested in nature and faith. She is currently the CEO of Hymns Ancient & Modern .

Sands was the Chair of the G7 gender equality advisory council in 2021 and was invited back to sit on the council in 2022, 2023 and 2024. She was the former Deputy Chair of the British Council and acting Chair in 2023. She is a Trustee of the British Pilgrimage Trust, On The Record memorial for journalists killed in conflict zones, the [Science Museum](/source/Science_Museum%2C_London), [Bletchley Park](/source/Bletchley_Park) and [John Innes Centre](/source/John_Innes_Centre) research institute in Norwich and sits on the board of the [Berkeley Group](/source/Berkeley_Group_Holdings) and [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4). She was a Partner at Hawthorn Advisors and on the board of Walpole. She is an ambassador for Global Partnership for Education, an Associate at the [IWM](/source/Imperial_War_Museum), former Trustee of [Index on Censorship](/source/Index_on_Censorship) and co-founded the Braemar Summit in 2021.

Sands is an honorary fellow of [Goldsmiths, University of London](/source/Goldsmiths%2C_University_of_London), [Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge](/source/Lucy_Cavendish_College%2C_Cambridge) and a visiting fellow to the [Reuters Institute](/source/Reuters_Institute_for_the_Study_of_Journalism). She has written four novels: her most recent books are *Constellations and Consolations* *(2024), The Hedgehog Diaries* (2023), *Search of the Queen of Sheba* (2022) and *The Interior Silence: 10 Lessons from Monastic Life* (2021).

## Personal life

Sands's first marriage was to the actor [Julian Sands](/source/Julian_Sands), with whom she had a son; the couple divorced in 1987.

Her second marriage was to [Kim Fletcher](/source/Kim_Fletcher), a former editorial director of the Telegraph group and editor of *[The Independent on Sunday](/source/The_Independent_on_Sunday)*, with whom she has two children.[2][4]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-guardian-20060307_1-0)** Day, Julia (7 March 2006). ["Sinking Sands"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/mar/07/sundaytelegraph.pressandpublishing). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 17 March 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-observer-20170205_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-observer-20170205_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-observer-20170205_2-2) Anthony, Andrew (5 February 2017). ["Sarah Sands: lively new boss of the BBC's breakfast club"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/feb/05/sarah-sands-new-boss-bbc-radio-4-today-evening-standard). *The Observer*. Retrieved 17 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["person – Sarah Sands"](http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp83305/sarah-sands). *National Portrait Gallery*. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-independent-20050828_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-independent-20050828_4-1) ["Something very lovely will happen at the Telegraph"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070930181538/http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article308532.ece). *The Independent*. 28 August 2005. Archived from [the original](http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article308532.ece) on 30 September 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["I want the paper to be like your iPod"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jun/20/sundaytelegraph.pressandpublishing), *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*, 20 June 2005

1. **[^](#cite_ref-guardian-20060728_6-0)** Brook, Stephen (28 July 2006). ["My Sunday Telegraph plans 'strangled at birth', says Sands"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jul/28/sundaytelegraph.pressandpublishing). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 17 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["The media column – Peter Wilby bids farewell to Sarah Sands"](http://www.newstatesman.com/200603130007), *New Statesman*, 13 March 2006

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-guardian-20080221_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-guardian-20080221_8-1) Sweney, Mark (21 February 2008). ["Sarah Sands joins Reader's Digest"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/feb/21/pressandpublishing.sundaytelegraph). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 17 March 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Mark Sweney ["Sarah Sands named deputy editor of London Evening Standard"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/feb/20/sarah-sands-london-evening-standard), *The Guardian*, 20 February 2009

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Sarah Sands is new editor of London Evening Standard"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/mar/30/sarah-sands-editor-evening-standard). *The Guardian*. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Grierson, Jamie (30 January 2017). ["Sarah Sands named editor of BBC Radio 4's Today programme"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2017/jan/30/sarah-sands-named-editor-bbc-radio-4-today-programme-evening-standard). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 30 January 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Sarah Sands resigns as *Today* programme editor"](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jan/30/sarah-sands-resigns-as-today-programme-editor-bbc-cuts). *The Guardian*. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2020.

Media offices Preceded by Simon Heffer and Veronica Wadley Deputy Editor of The Daily Telegraph 1995–2005 Succeeded by Neil Darbyshire and William Lewis Preceded by Dominic Lawson Editor of The Sunday Telegraph 2005–2006 Succeeded by Patience Wheatcroft Preceded by Andrew Bordiss Deputy Editor of the Evening Standard 2009–2012 Succeeded by Ian Walker Preceded by Geordie Greig Editor of the Evening Standard 2012–2017 Succeeded by George Osborne Preceded by Jamie Angus Editor of Today 2017–2020 Succeeded by Owenna Griffiths

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF FAST WorldCat National United States Netherlands Other Yale LUX

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