Sara Cox has said she went through a career lull where she felt “unfulfilled creatively and self-esteem wise” but that it made her appreciate her good fortune when work did start to flood in.

The broadcaster, 44, took over Radio 2’s Drivetime slot earlier this year.

Asked by Radio Times magazine whether she had any unfulfilled ambitions, she replied: “Not really.

“It would have been a very different answer if you’d asked me three years ago – I would have said, ‘Please get me a job.’

“Now I’ve got all the jobs! I mean, I’ve always worked; for 20 years I’ve worked so it’s gone all right.

“But there’s definitely been ebbs and flows – at the moment I’m almost flooding with the flow!”

Talking about how she felt three years ago, Cox said: “I was just unfulfilled creatively and self-esteem wise.

“It’s hard if you’ve not got much work, you’re constantly reminded by people who have, even though you wish them well.

“But it doesn’t do you any harm to have time that’s a little bit quieter.

“It makes you grateful when you do get some good work.”

The presenter has been on Drivetime since January and said it has been “amazing”.

She said she frequently tries to do nice things to “pay back the universe” for her good luck.

“On a Monday I have to reel it in because I’m so excited after having not been on air all weekend,” she said.

“I see it as my duty to make people laugh, and nothing makes my day more than when I get a tweet going, ‘I had a rubbish day but your show really helped’.”

This week’s Radio Times is out on Tuesday.