Good Morning Britain’s Susanna Reid revealed Wednesday morning that she was feeling “emotional” as she reflected on the death of her former BBC Breakfast co-host Bill Turnbull. During the March 29 show, the journalist looked back at her 20-year career on breakfast television and talked about Turnbull, who passed away last year. Looking back at her career, she said: “As I look back at 20 years of breakfast telly, I’d just like to say thanks to everybody else who’s been involved on the journey along the way. You don’t do this alone on breakfast telly. “It’s fantastic to have you here,” Reid said to her colleague Ed Balls before a photo of her and Turnbull appeared on the screen. “Obviously, it’s very emotional to see Bill because we’ve lost him and that still remains very painful,” she said. “He taught me everything I know about presenting.”
It’s not the first time Reid has spoken about the loss of Turnbull in recent weeks. She invited former BBC Breakfast star Louise Minchin back on the show in February when the pair exchanged memories of their time with Turnbull on the program. “I miss him all the time, actually,” Reid said. “There are times when I want to message him because of something that’s happened and I’m not able to do that.” Minchin added, “I miss him a lot, we had amazing times. He was a fantastic journalist with such a naughty sense of humor.” Turnbull passed away in August of last year after a long battle with prostate cancer he was diagnosed with in 2017, Hello Magazine reported. A statement at the time revealed he died “peacefully at home surrounded by his family” after a “challenging and committed fight” against the disease.
“Bill was diagnosed in 2017 and has had outstanding medical care from the Royal Marsden and Ipswich hospitals, St Elizabeth hospice, and his GP,” the statement continued. “He was resolutely positive and was hugely buoyed by the support he received from friends, colleagues, and messages from people wishing him luck. It was a great comfort to Bill that so many more men are now testing earlier for this disease.” Turnbull announced in October 2021 that he would be stepping down from his Classic FM radio show due to “health reasons.”
He shared the news on Twitter, saying, “1) With great regret I am taking a leave of absence from my show @classicfm, for health reasons. The road has been a bit bumpy recently, and I need to take some time to focus on getting better. “I’m sorry to do this, as I absolutely love doing the programme, and have hugely enjoyed the past five years. I am very grateful to friends and colleagues @global for the love and support they have shown me. And I will be back, just as soon as I can be.” Turnbull had previously appeared on various popular programs on the BBC and other channels, including Strictly Come Dancing, The One Show, and Good Morning Britain.
