Bill Turnbull, a former host of BBC Breakfast, has passed away at age 66, according to his family.
He had a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2017, and he stated last year that he was stepping down from his Classic FM show for “health reasons.”
For 15 years, he was the BBC Breakfast host. He publicly discussed his terminal cancer in an effort to bring attention to it and increase awareness.
According to a statement from his family, “Bill passed away quietly at his home in Suffolk on Wednesday, August 31, surrounded by his family, after a difficult and dedicated battle against prostate cancer.
Since Bill’s diagnosis in 2017, the Royal Marsden and Ipswich Hospitals, St. Elizabeth Hospice, and his GP have provided him with excellent medical care.
Turnbull previously appeared on BBC Breakfast from 2001 to 2016. The broadcaster disclosed in March 2018 that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in November.
He described his treatment in the Staying Alive program on Channel 4 at the time.
He made the announcement that he was leaving his Classic FM show in October of last year due to health concerns.
Turnbull announced his decision to take “a leave of absence” from his weekend program, which he has hosted for five years, on social media.
He began his broadcasting career in 1978 at Radio Clyde in Scotland. In 1986, he joined the BBC as a reporter for the Today show, and two years later, he switched to reporting for BBC Breakfast Time.
Turnbull joined BBC News as a correspondent in 1990, covering important events like the OJ Simpson trial and the Monica Lewinsky affair from more than 30 different locations.
He joined the team of main presenters on BBC News 24, as it was then known, after returning to the UK.
Turnbull further performed duties for BBC Radio 5 Live, such as hosting Weekend Breakfast.
