BBC 5Live presenter Rachael Bland has died at the age of 40 after losing her battle with breast cancer. Rachael, who shares two-year-old son Freddie with her husband Steve, had been documenting her journey of her two-year cancer battle with her listeners. On her official Twitter account, her family posted: "Our beautiful, courageous Rachael died peacefully this morning surrounded by her close family. We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You'll never know how much they meant to her. Steve and Freddie xxx."
© Photo: TwitterRachael Bland has passed away aged 40
BBC Radio 5 Live also tweeted: "Mother to Freddie. Wife to Steve. Our treasured colleague Rachael Bland has died. She inspired so many with her blogs, the chart-topping podcast #YouMeBigC and certainly put the can in cancer. We will miss her dearly." The sad news comes two days after Rachael revealed she only had days to live. Taking to social media on Monday, the radio host posted a heartfelt message, which read: "In the words of the legendary Frank S - I'm afraid the time has come my friends. And suddenly. I'm told I've only got days. It's very surreal." She concluded: "Thank you so much for all the support I've received. Debs and lozz will continue with the #youmebigc podcast. Au revoir my friends."
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Rachael recently revealed that she is in a "race against time" to publish a memoir for her little boy before she passes away. "I would really like to see it published before I die. But at the moment it feels like a race against time to get it finished," she told The Telegraph. Last year, the mum-of-one had months of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, Rachael required more surgery after discovering the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.
© Photo: TwitterThe BBC 5Live presenter had incurable breast cancer
The newsreader confessed that she is "not scared of dying" but has fears about leaving Freddie and her husband behind. She shared: "I have to suppress a lot of the darkest thoughts about Freddie growing up without his mummy around." It's been two months since Rachael found out her cancer was incurable. Discussing how she found out the heartbreaking news, she wrote in her blog: "My heart raced as I answered it, knowing a phone call did not bode well. Then came the words 'I am so sorry, it's bad news. The biopsies have come back showing the same cancer is back and is in the skin'."
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