Capital Breakfast's Sian Welby admits ageing fear amid showbiz pressure
Capital Breakfast co-host Sian Welby turns 40 on September 3.
Sian Welby fears ageing amid pressure in showbiz.
The Capital Radio Breakfast Show co-host turns 40 on September 3, and sometimes she wonders whether she should have lied about her age.
Sian - who will celebrate her milestone birthday with an "Ibiza trip with the girls" or "a boat party" - told the new issue of Closer magazine: "It's a funny industry where you feel like you can't get old, and so it's daunting.
"I'm from an era where everyone faked their birthday and had a showbiz age and all that, and I never did it.
"And there's stages where I thought, 'Should I have?'"
Despite getting older, Sian will still chase her dreams.
She said: "When I was starting out, someone said, 'The best bit of advice I can give you is to be patient. You have to wait your turn,' and I'm willing to do that.
"So I'm quite happy to hit my 40s and, hopefully, get those careers of all those women I grew up with. A lot of them did really make it in their 30s and 40s."
And one of Sian's desires is to co-host BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, following the departure of Tess Daly, 56, and Claudia Winkleman, 54, in December 2025.
Sian said: "I'm sure a lot of people's names have been desperately trying to get in the hat because it's the coolest job ever. Jobs like that don't come around very often.
"It's my turn for a job like that, I don't know, but I'd love to have my name in the hat - it would be an honour."
But Sian still cannot believe she has had the chance to appear - and even co-host - ITV's This Morning.
The star said: "It's so surreal. Even when you hear the opening credit, you still sort of go, 'Oh, God! I really am here.' And because it's not a live audience, you forget it's on.
"Joining This Morning was a pinch-me moment - that was my dream. And it was eight years in the making. I did a lot of bits and bobs, and I was like, 'Please let me in, let me be one of the family.'"
And Sian - who shot to fame aged 23 after being scouted by bosses at Channel 5 to be the broadcaster's main weather presenter - is thankful to still be working in the entertainment industry.
She said: "For ages, I was desperately trying to get in that entertainment sphere, and I was kind of pigeon-holed. So it's nice to be accepted in the entertainment world, where it is hard to make it in that way."
