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Veteran broadcaster Bill Turnbull has died aged 66 after a battle with prostate cancer.
The beloved TV star, who used to present BBC Breakfast, died peacefully surrounded by his loved ones at home on Wednesday (31 August) after being diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
The tragic news of his passing was confirmed in a family statement on Thursday (September 1) which paid a poignant tribute to Bill, who was described as a "wonderful father and husband".
The statement read: “Following a challenging and committed fight against prostate cancer, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in Suffolk surrounded by his family on Wednesday, 31st August.
“Bill was diagnosed in 2017 and has had outstanding medical care from the Royal Marsden and Ipswich Hospitals, St Elizabeth Hospice and his GP.
“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.”
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“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.”
Bill, who used to present a weekend programme on Classic FM, shared news of his cancer diagnosis in March 2018.
Last October, he told fans he was taking "a leave of absence" from his radio show after five years.
The journalist began his career in 1978 at Radio Clyde before moving to the BBC in 1986.
During his time at the BBC in America, Bill worked on the notable OJ Simpson murder trial and the Monica Lewinsky scandal that sent shockwaves through Bill Clinton's time in the White House.
In his touching documentary, Bill Turnbull: Staying Alive, the former BBC Breakfast anchor said that he wasn't ready to die yet.
"I’m not dying yet, I just don’t feel that way. I understand that I may succumb to the disease eventually and that’s a very real possibility, a probability. But not for some time."
His cancer had also spread to his bones.
The Songs of Praise host had nine [as of October 16th] rounds of chemotherapy and had also been having injections of a tumour-busting radioactive substance, Radium 223.
However, his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) a marker for cancer had been growing.
Bill opened up about trying anything to ease his cancer, from extreme diets to smoking cannabis – a medicinal treatment which is still illegal in the UK.
During his documentary, the former journalist was seen getting high and fitting with laughter.
He said: “I felt embarrassed about it. But if it helps other people in my situation, then it's worth doing."
Bill left BBC Breakfast in 2016 after 17 years of service.
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- BBC Breakfast
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