Former BBC Breakfast host Bill Turnbull has died at the age of 66, his family has said. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 and last year announced he was stepping back from his Classic FM show for "health reasons".
He hosted BBC Breakfast for 15 years.. He spoke openly about his incurable cancer in a bid to highlight the disease and raise awareness.
He warned the worst thing was "to die of embarrassment" and urged people to get themselves checked if they had concerns. "If you have aches and pains that you can't explain, like I had for months on end," he said. "I had things that were wrong with me and I thought it would pass. I ended up in a situation where my treatments are not going to be so effective. Catch it early and you can live a normal life."
A statement from his family said: “Following a challenging and committed fight against prostate cancer Bill passed away peacefully at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family on Wednesday, August 31. Bill was diagnosed in 2017 and has had outstanding medical care from the Royal Marsden and Ipswich Hospitals, St Elizabeth Hospice, and his GP.
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“He was resolutely positive and was hugely buoyed by the support he received from friends, colleagues, and messages from people wishing him luck. It was a great comfort to Bill that so many more men are now testing earlier for this disease.
“Bill will be remembered by many as a remarkable broadcaster who brought warmth and humour into people’s homes on BBC Breakfast and Classic FM. He was also a devoted Wycombe Wanderers fan and an ever-aspiring beekeeper. Bill was a wonderful husband and father to his three children; his family and friends will miss how he always made them laugh and the generosity and love he shared with those around him.”
Turnbull, who appeared on BBC Breakfast from 2001 until 2016, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017. The presenter revealed his prostate cancer diagnosis in March 2018, saying he was diagnosed the previous November, and he detailed his treatment in a Channel 4 documentary called Staying Alive. In October last year he announced he was taking leave from his show on Classic FM for health reasons. Announcing the news on social media, Turnbull said he was taking “a leave of absence” from his weekend programme, which he had fronted for five years.
He started his broadcast career at Scotland’s Radio Clyde in 1978, joining the BBC as a reporter for the Today programme in 1986 before becoming a reporter for BBC’s Breakfast Time two years later.
In 1990 Turnbull became a correspondent for BBC News and reported from more than 30 countries with notable stories he covered including the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the OJ Simpson trial. After moving back to the UK he became one of the main presenters on BBC News 24 as it was called back then. Turnbull also worked for BBC Radio 5 Live, including presenting Weekend Breakfast.
He joined BBC Breakfast in 2001 as a presenter alongside Sian Williams and they worked together until 2012 when she departed after the programme moved from London to Salford. The presenter co-anchored alongside Susanna Reid with the pair presenting together until 2014 when Reid left the show to join ITV and Turnbull’s other co-hosts included Louise Minchin and more.
Recalling his most memorable moments from his breakfast career as he signed off from the red sofa in February 2016 he recalled “nearly getting into a fight with a ventriloquist’s dummy called Bob” and wearing a jumper made of dog hair. “It was all right, it was just very warm and I couldn’t get the stuff off me for weeks,” he said.
He made numerous television appearances outside of BBC Breakfast, including as the presenter on BBC One’s Songs Of Praise. In 2005 he competed as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing partnered with Karen Hardy and was the seventh celebrity voted off the show.
Other TV appearances include ITV’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? and Through The Keyhole; the BBC’s Celebrity Mastermind, Would I Lie To You?, Pointless Celebrities and Room 101, and he appeared in the dictionary corner for Channel 4’s Countdown. In 2011 he appeared in the Doctor Who episode The Wedding Of River Song in which he played himself. His passion for beekeeping led to the 2011 publication of his book The Bad Beekeepers Club, a humorous account of the ups and downs of an apiarist.
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