‘Heartbroken’ colleagues pay tribute to North West Tonight broadcaster
One of the
BBC’s longest-serving weather presenters has died suddenly after a short illness.
Dianne Oxberry, who had presented the weather on BBC North West Tonight for 24 years, died on Thursday in the Christie, Manchester’s cancer hospital, the broadcaster said. She was 51 and was last on air in mid-December.
Colleagues only found out in the new year that she was ill and said they were “heartbroken” to hear of her death.
Sunderland-born Oxberry joined North West Tonight in 1994 after a stint on Radio 1 as Simon Mayo’s sidekick and quickly became a favourite for regional viewers. She had originally moved back to her native north to present Saturday morning children’s TV show The 8:15 From Manchester, alongside Ross King.
As well as presenting the weather she went on to front Inside Out North West, the BBC’s regional current affairs programme. She also presented programmes on BBC Radio Manchester including the Breakfast Show.
Oxberry had two children with her husband Ian Hindle, a camera operator.
He said: “Dianne was an amazing wife and mother who embraced life to the full. She was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her but also to the people who watched and welcomed her into their homes each night as if she were part of their family too.
“She will leave a massive void in our lives but, because of the remarkable person she was, she will forever live on in our hearts. The children and I will miss her more than anyone can imagine.”
Roger Johnson, North West Tonight presenter, said: “We are heartbroken by Dianne’s death. It is almost impossible to comprehend. Dianne was North West Tonight. It’s hard to imagine the programme without her.
“Our thoughts are with Ian and all of Dianne’s family. We hope they will find some comfort in the knowledge so many people loved Dianne and will miss her terribly.”
Annabel Tiffin, Johnson’s co-presenter, said: “Di was so talented, so beautiful, so funny and so full of life. On screen she was a star, radiating warmth and good humour. Off screen, she was a wonderful colleague, a loyal friend and I will miss her terribly.”
Aziz Rashid, the head of BBC North West, said: “For more than 20 years, viewers invited Dianne into their homes every night. She was a part of their lives. Just last November during our Plod for Pudsey challenge for Children in Need, Di was out meeting viewers around the region. I saw for myself the incredible reaction she got from the public, which showed how much people cared for her.”
Helen Thomas, the director of BBC England, said: “Dianne had a remarkable career. For more than two decades, she was a key part of one of the most watched regional news programmes in the country. Prior to that, she’d had a successful stint working on air at Radio 1.
“She was a brilliant weather presenter, showed she could do serious journalism with Inside Out and could do the lighter end of broadcasting brilliantly whenever it was needed.
“Above all she was a lovely woman whose sudden and shocking death has robbed the BBC of one of our brightest stars. I’m thinking of all her family and friends at this awful time.”