Radio presenter Vernon Kay apologised to his colleague Sara Cox after he brought up her past persona live on air.

Sara recently started presenting the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show following the sacking of Scott Mills. During the 90s the star was one of poster girls for the 'ladette' culture along with the likes of Zoe Ball and Denise van Outen.

Her life is very different now though. She is a married mum-of-three and big into her fitness, last year completing the gruelling Great Northern Marathon challenge to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

She covered an incredible 135 miles over five days, raising over £11million for charity. Sara's 'Coxy' persona is long dead and buried, but Vernon, who like Sara hails from Bolton, Greater Manchester, brought it back during the handover between their radio shows.

Speaking on air this morning (Tuesday, July 14), Vernon said: "It's a delight, Coxy." Putting on a mock accent, Sara responded: "Hi, buddy. How are you buried Coxy with a bottle of vodka and 10 deck of Marlboro Lights."

Vernon then asked: "Has that gone now," to which Sara admitted it has. The presenter then added she is now "rebranded and sensible" though conceded the "sensible bit is not going well".

Sara has previously admitted that she disliked the term 'ladette' because the connotation is "we want to be little lads," according to the Guardian.

She got her big break presenting The Girlie Show on Channel 4 in 1996 before she started working on The Big Breakfast two years later, interviewing stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robbie Williams and Sting.

The word 'ladette' was coined to describe young women who take part in laddish behaviour. The Concise Oxford Dictionary describes it as: "Young women who behave in a boisterously assertive or crude manner and engage in heavy drinking sessions." The term is no longer widely used.

Speaking to Elizabeth Day's How To Fail podcast, she said: "I've always hated it. But, I think I just hate it, literally, of that collection of letters, where they've cobbled together the word 'ladette'.

"If they'd have come up with a brand new word, that didn't have the word 'lad in it, then it'd be fine. (A word) which meant women spending their own earnings, having fun, going out with their friends, having independence, not being afraid.

"Not worried about being glamorous or feminine or ladylike, but actually just being themselves and having a laugh and being really good mates with other girls and supporting.

"So, the vibe of 'ladette' and the fact that they tried to minimise, hold us down a little bit with that, was that: 'You're just trying to be like the boys.' And, we were never trying to be like the boys." She also told This Morning the term "makes my toes curl now".

Sara also thanked Vernon for sending a text at the weekend after her first week presenting the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.