Dear Deidre

Dear Deidre was the British newspaper The Sun's long running agony aunt column written by Deidre Sanders.^[1] Dear Deidre is also a phone-in section on the long-running British daytime TV programme This Morning, where the section has viewers calling live on the show asking for help from Deidre Sanders.

June Deidre Sanders (born 9 June 1945),^[2] a graduate of Sheffield University,^[1] was responsible for the feature which bears her name since November 1980^[3] until her retirement at the end of 2020. She had previously written for Nova, Woman's Own and The Sunday Times.^[1] On 27 September 2022, Sanders announced during an interview with This Morning that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer.^[4] She underwent successful surgery and continued her treatment while making occasional appearances on the show.

In January 2023, Sanders was awarded an MBE for her services to charity and mental health. Her husband of 55 years, Rick, passed away just days after she received the honour.^[5] Despite these personal challenges, Sanders continued to advocate for mental health awareness and encouraged viewers to seek help when needed.

After Sanders’ retirement, Sally Land took over the Dear Deidre column and continues to provide advice and support to readers. The column remains a popular feature in The Sun, addressing a wide range of personal issues and offering practical solutions.

References

1. Archie Bland "The agony and the ecstasy: Why 'Dear Deidre' Sanders is still solving problems, 30 years on", The Independent, 4 October 2009
2. "Mrs Deidre Sanders Authorised Biography", Debrett's
3. "Deidre Sanders describes 30 years as a Sun agony aunt", BBC News, 13 November 2010
4. Barr, Sabrina (27 September 2022). "This Morning's agony aunt Deidre Sanders has been diagnosed with breast cancer". Metro. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
5. "Screenshot of Itunes Library - Archived Platform Itunes 2010". doi:10.3998/mpub.11435021.cmp.6. Retrieved 8 August 2024. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

External links

• Official website