The grieving husband of BBC weather presenter Dianne Oxberry has opened up about her death, revealing she died suddenly from ovarian cancer. The journalist died aged 51 at the Christie Hospital in Manchester earlier this month. Her husband, Ian Hindle, said he was launching a charity in her memory following her "very short battle" with the disease. "The tragic impact was felt not only by her family and friends, but also by the wider public, whose lives she touched across more than 20 years' TV and radio presenting," he said on Tuesday.
Dianne Oxberry died from ovarian cancer this month
Ian, who has two children with Dianne, explained how the money raised would "help families and individuals... suffering from this aggressive disease". He added: "The aim is also to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and its after-effects, particularly where families have suffered sudden loss… which can often be the case with this appalling disease." Speaking about Dianne's devastated friends and colleagues, he continued: "There was a spark in the studio when she was there and I think everyone is very devastated that she has gone. She was very intelligent, she was very sharp and very charismatic and that huge warmth is what listeners and viewers will take away."
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Dianne was last seen on air in mid-December, and her colleagues only found out in the New Year that she had been taken ill. The Sunderland-born presenter worked on BBC North West Tonight since 1994 after a stint as Simon Mayo's sidekick on Radio 1. She also hosted Inside Out North West, and presented programmes on BBC Radio Manchester. Shortly after his wife's death, Mr Hindle 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."