BBC Breakfast stars pay emotional tribute to ‘much-loved’ colleague after sad death
BBC Breakfast stars Jon Kay and Nina Warhurst were visibly emotional while paying tribute to a ‘much loved’ late colleague.
Wednesday’s (July 17) show featured a segment dedicated to a BBC presenter who died in 2019.
Dianne Oxberry sadly lost her battle with ovarian cancer, aged just 51.
After receiving the tragic diagnosis on New Year’s Day 2018, Dianne passed away just ten days later.
With the late meteorologist having been a keen flower enthusiast, it was decided for a memorial garden to be opened in her name.
In her role at the Beeb, Dianne presented from the RHS Tatton Flower Show on behalf of North West Tonight for 20 years.
Jon explained: “The Sunshine Garden, named after her was originally designed for a garden show at Tatton Park in Cheshire to raise awareness of the disease.
“But it’s now flourishing in its new home on the Wirral.”
Meanwhile, Dianne’s husband Ian Hindle also made an appearance, as he praised organisers for their poignant tribute to his late wife.
While addressing the camera, Ian said: “The Tatton Flower show is really special, isn’t it?
“She would have never considered that that would have been something that would have happened to her.
“I think she would have been so moved had she had been alive today, to know this had been done in her name.”
He added: “It’s another extraordinary thing to think – it’s a sort of legacy somewhere else that’s been moved but it’s still got Dianne’s name on it.”
Eamonn O’Neal from the Dianne Oxberry Trust, who likewise appeared in the video, said: “I think although she would be slightly embarrassed that it’s happening, I think she would be pleased.”
The garden included sunflowers grown from seeds given out at Dianne’s memorial service.
It also featured a rose commissioned by Ian called Florida Sunset.
In the BBC Breakfast Studio, both Nina and Jon also had kind words for their former colleague.
Nina shared: “We all worked with Dianne, despite being on the telly and doing the weather she was very humble and Eamonn who you saw in that video was absolutely right, although she would have loved the garden she would have been slightly embarrassed about the attention.”
As Jon agreed, Nina continued: “Dianne is very much still remembered by all, I still get people stop me in the street about her.
“That’s just the kind of person that she was.”
BBC Breakfast airs weekdays on BBC One from 6am.
