Tributes for the BBC presenter Dianne Oxberry who has died aged 51

The BBC presenter Dianne Oxberry has died.

Dianne, aged 51, was born in Sunderland and lived in Sale, was one of the most recognised faces on TV in the region after working as a weather presenter on North West Tonight for more than 20 years and presented the BBC NorthWest Regional Current Affairs programme – Inside Out.

Shocked colleagues at the BBC were told this morning that Dianne had died yesterday in The Christie Hospital after a short illness.

Dianne was widely recognised for her work including a nomination for Best Regional Presenter at the Royal Television Society Awards.

Dianne had made her home in Sale, Trafford, with husband Ian Hindle, a camera operator, and their two young children.

Paying tribute Ian 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.”

Aziz Rashid, Head of BBC North West, said: “We are all devastated by this dreadful news.

“The coming days will be difficult but we will do our best to pay tribute to someone who meant so much to us all and made such an enormous contribution to broadcasting in the North West.

“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, 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.”

Dianne played an active part in the Sale community. She switched on the Sale Moor Christmas lights in 2016 and said then that she loved living in the area and working with some fantastic people in the community and at the BBC.

In November, she and colleagues Roger Johnson and Annabel Tiffin led a 100-mile relay walk through streets, villages and town centres of the north west to raise money for BBC Children in Need.

“We are heartbroken by Dianne’s death. It is almost impossible to comprehend,” said Roger today.

“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 added: “This is an enormous shock for all of us. I can scarcely believe Dianne has died.

“She was loved by our viewers, by all of us at North West Tonight. My heart breaks for her family.

“Di was so talented, so beautiful, so funny and so full of life. Onscreen 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.”

Before her hugely successful career in television, Dianne studied meteorology at the Met Office College in Berkshire.

After starting her career at Radio 1, where she worked alongside Steve Wright and Simon Mayo, she became the channel’s first dedicated weather presenter in 1995. Dianne moved north to present Saturday morning children’s TV show ‘The 8:15 From Manchester’ and met husband Ian.

Simon Mayo tweeted: “Devastated to hear this news. She was a wonderful, joyous part of our breakfast team at Radio 1. I loved working with her. My condolences to her family.”

Dianne joined North West Tonight in 1994 and quickly became a household name.

In recent years, she also presented a number of programmes on BBC Radio Manchester including the Breakfast Show and reported for BBC Sport covering the Great North Run and the Manchester 10k.

Dianne was widely recognised for her work including a nomination for Best Regional Presenter at the Royal Television Society Awards.

A book of condolence has been opened at the BBC in Quay House in Media City for those who want to pay a personal tribute to Dianne.