By Elliott West
“He was charming and relaxed, and managed to combine being a clever, sharp reporter with sympathetic understanding as an interviewer”.
John Simpson
Introduction
Ever since breakfast television became part of the diet of the British public in the early 1980s, viewers have grown to love the presenters and have welcomed them into their living rooms with open arms as they delve into the cornflakes’ packet, boil the kettle or pop a couple of slices of bread in the toaster. These days slick technology has taken over and the BBC has moved its television empire from the familiar roots of Wood Lane to Media City in Manchester. With the Coronation Street set across the way, the red couch has sat a number of memorable presenters who have eventually found pastures new.
Our Bill
One such person who always made our morning much more enjoyable was the formidable Bill Turnbull. An anchorman that just fitted in straight away when he was appointed as a presenter of BBC Breakfast in 2001. Bill brought with him a wealth of experience as a reporter. A man who had covered breaking news in over thirty countries during his impressive journalistic career. These ranged from the 2005 7/7 bombings in London to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina the same year.
Originally hired as a weekend breakfast presenter, Turnbull quickly caught the eye of the production unit and in 2008 was promoted to the weekday editions of the show. His partnership with Sian Williams worked like a dream and it was hard to believe that weren’t just around the others’ houses having a catch-up. Bill was there when the flagship went to pastures new in 2012 as it travelled north to Manchester and remained at the helm for another four years
Background
Bill was born in leafy Guildford, Surrey, the son of William, a barrister and Honor a teacher. Educated at Eton, Turnbull went on to study politics at Edinburgh University and shared a flat with the future Chancellor of the Exchequer and Labour Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. Unlike Gordon, Bill decided to ditch his career and instead his burning desire to become a journalist. Moving to Cardiff, he trained at the University Centre of Journalistic Studies and graduated in 1978.
Quickly spotted for his talent, the suave and sophisticated Bill slipped into radio with ease and went on to work for Radio Clyde, LBC and Capital Radio before he took the leap of faith to work in America for BBC Radio 4. A move that clearly was the right one because he was appointed as the presenter of the Today Programme.
Returning to Britain in 1998, Turnbull went on to work at BBC News 24, the BBC Radio 5 Live weekend breakfast show and was a stand-in for the BBC Six O’Clock News between 2003 and 2005. Appearances on Children in Need and Strictly would follow and he would also go on to host Songs of Praise and his own weekend show on Classic FM.
However, it was during the filming of The Great British Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer in 2017 that Bill started to experience unusual aches and pains. Turnbull initially thought it was due to old age but further medical tests showed that he had developed prostate cancer that had spread to his legs, hips, pelvis and ribs. Never downbeat after his incurable condition, Bill worked in various capacities until he couldn’t. A passionate campaigner for prostate cancer testing, he still managed to run in the 2005 London Marathon in a full beekeeper’s outfit, a hobby of his and would later answer questions on this pastime in a celebrity edition of Mastermind.
Bill’s Legacy
Bill Turnbull could light up a living room and news that he has passed away has touched many. His popularity spanned the age groups, someone who just made the morning commute more bearable and increased sales of tea and coffee. If you could Bill on your cornflakes you would and he was that relative who you would always leave the spare front door key with. A safe pair of hands who had the humour and intelligence to match. Popular and likeable, Turnbull left a little trace of sparkle on the news couch and when you remember him, his smile will always shine through. He was your sunshine on a rainy day, a being that slipped away peacefully at his Suffolk home, aged 66.
