Susanna Reid says Bill Turnbull gave her crucial advice when she feared career was over

Susanna Reid has spoken about her former colleague Bill Turnbull, with her describing the late presenter as a "kind" person who was both a mentor and a friend to her.

Bill - who is best known for presenting BBC Breakfast - passed away on August 31 at the age of 66, almost five years after he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

His former co-host Susanna, 51 - who worked on the BBC show from around 2001 until 2014 - has now spoken about the first live shift they had together on the programme.

The journalist - who was initially a stand-in presenter from 2001 to 2006, prior to being in the main line-up from 2006 to 2014 - discussed Bill in a recent magazine interview.

Susanna Reid (right) has spoken about her late former co-host and friend Bill Turnbull (left) (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA Wire)

She told woman&home: "[He] taught me everything at the beginning of my career and was an amazing friend. I did my first live shift on BBC Breakfast alongside [him] 20 years ago."

Susanna recalled doing an interview with a politician who spoke "non-stop" for a few minutes, adding that she "didn't have the confidence" at the time to interrupt the guest.

She discussed the late presenter with woman&home (woman&home/Nicky Johnston)

She appears in the January issue of the magazine (woman&home/Nicky Johnston)

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She explained that she thought it had been an "utter failure" and that it would ruin her career as a broadcaster. She however said that co-host Bill had reassuring words over it.

She said: "We came off-air and Bill said, 'You didn't muck up. You'll get better. It happens to all of us.' He could have been critical, disdainful or looked down his nose at me, but he was so kind."

The issue is available in December (woman&home/Nicky Johnston)

Susanna continued to work on the BBC show alongside Bill until her departure from it in 2014. She joined Good Morning Britain (GMB) that year and remains on the ITV show.

Bill - who had joined BBC Breakfast in 2001 - left the show in 2016. His career had also seen him present shows such as Songs of Praise, BBC News 24 and BBC Radio 5 Live.

Susanna had initially worked with Bill on BBC Breakfast, before reuniting on Good Morning Britain years after they had both left the BBC show (ITV)

The late presenter reunited with former co-host Susanna in 2020 and more recently last year when he appeared as a guest co-host on GMB alongside her.

The January issue of woman&home is on sale December 8.

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