BBC North West Tonight weather presenter Dianne Oxberry dies aged 51
The beloved presenter was memorably pranked by comedian Peter Kay live on air
BBC weather presenter Dianne Oxberry has died from cancer, her family and colleagues at BBC North West Tonight have confirmed.
The radio and television broadcaster, who passed away aged 51 on Thursday, first rose to prominence on BBC Radio 1, working alongside Steve Wright and joining Simon Mayo's on-air team for his weekly breakfast show.
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Oxberry went on to study meteorology, before joining North West Tonight as a weather presenter back in 1994.
She also presented BBC Radio Manchester's lunchtime show in 2002, before co-hosting the station's breakfast show alongside Eamonn O'Neal between 2006 and 2008.
A recognisable face and voice in British broadcasting, she was also memorably pranked in 2011 by comedian Peter Kay, who crawled onto the North West Tonight weather set live on-air, before declaring, "God love Dianne Oxberry!"
Oxberry's former colleague North West Tonight presenter Roger Johnson said that everyone who works on the programme is "heartbroken" by Oxberry's death.
"So sad to say that my much loved colleague Dianne Oxberry died yesterday, after a short illness, at The Christie Hospital in Manchester," he tweeted. "Everyone at @BBCNWT is heartbroken, but all our thoughts are with her family. Rest in peace."
BBC Breakfast's Dan Walker also tweeted his condolences, adding that "she was as loved and admired in the office as she was by the viewers".
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