News reader turned firefighter dies at just 46
BBC presenter turned firefighter Beccy Barr has passed away at the age of 46 after a battle with cancer.
Barr's family confirmed the sad news on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Beccy passed away peacefully this morning”.
“She spent her last few days at @SJHospice who provided the most dignified and compassionate care to Beccy and her whole family. Donations to the hospice can be made in Beccy’s memory.”
After 20 years at the British public broadcaster, Barr shocked her loyal viewers announcing she would be leaving her media career behind to follow in her father's footsteps by becoming a firefighter.
In February 2022, she updated her fans on social media, explaining she had received distinction marks in all her training assessments for the Lancashire Fire and Rescue team.
Then in December 2023, Barr revealed that she was diagnosed with “incurable cancer”, writing to her followers at the time, “Two lessons I’ve learned from this distinctly sub-optimal experience: 1) Life is wild. 2) People have an utterly astounding and boundless capacity for love, care and friendship.”
BBC presenter Roger Johnson was one of many who paid tribute to his former colleague, saying, “Beccy was courageous in so many ways.”
“In the way she faced her illness, of course, but she also had the courage to walk away from a successful TV career to retrain as a firefighter."
“She wanted to make a difference and she excelled at that, too.”
Image credits: BBC / X (Twitter)