'I thought alcoholic Mum was making me laugh then her eyes rolled back and she died'

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Heart Radio's Pandora Christie opens up about the tragic, heartbreaking life events that she won't let define her - and her friendship with co-host and new dad, Mark Wright
With more than 20 years of radio under her belt and a magnetic personality that lights up the airwaves, Pandora Christie is one of our best-loved broadcast stars. And the 42‑year‑old Londoner recently teamed up with fellow DJ and good friend Mark Wright for the Heart Live in Ibiza event at Café Mambo.
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Here, she opens up to OK! a bout her friendship with Mark, overcoming terrible hardship - and why she would love to walk down the aisle with her boyfriend of six years, although she admits he's not quite on the same page yet.
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Pandora says spending time with Mark is 'so much fun' and tells us it's always filled with laughter. 'Mark is the best,' she says. 'One of the most down‑to‑earth guys. He's lovely, but he's so generous as well.'
One of their highlights in Ibiza was the surprise appearance of football legend Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen, who dropped by to enjoy the music.
'Wayne sneaked in and surprised Mark on stage,' says Pandora. 'The crowd went wild and started shouting, 'Rooney, Rooney!' Coleen was there, dancing and singing. She looked gorgeous and was having the time of her life.
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'Then, when Jax Jones was playing his set, this guy Jack surprised his girlfriend, Hannah, by getting down on one knee and proposing. That, for me, sums up Ibiza.'
While many of the guests partied into the early hours, Pandora had plans for the following morning. 'Everyone else hit it hard, but I went cold‑water swimming at 8am at the hotel's private beach,' she reveals. 'I was shattered but woke up fresh as a daisy. Ibiza's full of moments like that, moments that stick in your head.'
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Although Mark and his wife Michelle Keegan are now parents, he's still very much the life of the party, Pandora says. 'He tried to get me on the ringos (inflatable, doughnut‑shaped tubes pulled across the sea by a speedboat),' she recalls. 'But I'm scared of going too far into the sea, so there was no way. I think my heart would have stopped.'
She is yet to meet Mark's four‑month‑old daughter Palma, but says he lights up when he talks about his little girl. 'What a beautiful family. It's just so lovely that they're now parents and embracing it,' Pandora says. 'He and Michelle are the happiest, most loved‑up couple I've ever seen. And I mean that. They dote on each other so much.'
So out of the two pals, which of them is more likely to be found dancing on the tables at Café Mambo? "Me, 100 per cent,' Pandora laughs. 'Until I'm told to get down. But I'm also the first to go home.'
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Pandora is the host of Heart's mid-morning weekday show, but her journey to radio stardom was no easy ride. After experiencing homelessness as a child, she has defied the odds to build a successful career and own a home of her own.
She recalls being just five when she and her mother, an alcoholic who suffered from depression, were evicted from their house in London and became homeless. 'We'd sleep in alleyways, on park benches, behind trees. I didn't even realise how bad things were at the time. Mum protected me from it,' she says. 'She'll always be my hero for that.'
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Aged nine, she witnessed her mum die of a heart attack, a memory that has shaped her lifelong advocacy for mental health awareness and foster care. She is an ambassador for the Fostering Network, the Care Leaver Covenant and the National Fostering Group.
Recalling the life-changing moment, Pandora says, 'She was on the sofa. At first I thought she was joking, trying to make me laugh like she always did. She was always trying to cheer me up. But then she started convulsing and I froze. I didn't realise what was happening until her eyes rolled back and she started frothing at the mouth. That's when I screamed for my brother and we called for an ambulance.
'Mum always tried to protect me, even when she was struggling. She suffered from depression, but back then no one spoke about mental health. People just hid it. That's why I speak about it now — because others couldn't.'
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Finding stability with foster parents Tony and Ruby Hoyte, a couple from southeast London, saved Pandora 'from a life on park benches and in police cells' – and they believed in and supported her dreams. 'When they heard I wanted to be a DJ, they helped me in every way possible,' she says.
Pandora's introduction to radio began on Heart 's promo team, handing out flyers at shopping centres and events, while shadowing producers and engineers to learn the ropes. She landed a Sunday request show, then a breakfast slot at Westside Radio, Southall.
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She progressed to Choice FM, then moved to Global's Capital FM to host the 10am–1pm national slot. In June 2016 she switched to KISS FM and fronted her TV show, Hit Afternoons with Pandora, on 4Music. On 8 April 2019, she returned to Global radio to present Heart's mid‑morning show, also hosting Club Classics on Saturday evenings.
She remains one of the station's most popular voices, and her broadcasting longevity is testament to her talent. She's interviewed stars such as Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Tom Cruise, Rita Ora, Ed Sheeran and director Danny Boyle, and last week interviewed some of the top F1 drivers at the McLaren Racing Live event in London's Trafalgar Square.
Off–air, she thrives on adventure and has a passion for karate, mountain climbing and skydiving. She's working on a self‑help book too, drawing from her experiences and focusing on mental‑health advocacy.
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Looking ahead, Pandora plans to foster or adopt a teenager, continuing her mission to support vulnerable young people, but she hasn't ruled out having biological children. 'My maternal instinct has come later in life,' she admits. 'If it happens, that'd be amazing. If it doesn't, that's okay, too. I feel really at peace with whatever life brings.'
And while her childhood was filled with hardship, Pandora hasn't let it define her. 'I've always said, 'Do not let your past determine your future.' It doesn't matter how bad things seem now — if you've got passion and drive, you can overcome anything,' she insists.
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A profound milestone for Pandora was buying her flat in southwest London. 'For me, the main thing was buying my place, due to being homeless for so many years. Having somewhere I can call home. That's probably why I live alone. It's my haven,' she explains.
Pandora has been in a relationship for more than six years, but while she lived with her boyfriend during lockdown, they now live in separate homes across the street from each other. And even if they were to get married, Pandora sees no reason why that should change. 'People think I'm mad, but I'd still want to live in my place. You can still be committed and have your sanctuary,' she says.
Her partner isn't yet convinced by the idea of marriage, but Pandora is hopeful. 'He doesn't see the need, but I think marriage is beautiful — a forever binding. Let me work on it,' she laughs. 'Where there's a will, there's a way, and Ibiza might just be the perfect place to do it!'