BBC presenter dies aged 45 after devastating cancer battle
Beccy Barr turned her back on her successful journalism career in 2019 in order to join the fire service.
BBC presenter Beccy Barr, who gave up her TV career to become a firefighter, has died aged 45 following a battle with cancer. A statement from her sister shared on her Instagram account on Monday read: " This morning Beccy passed away peacefully at St John’s Hospice in Lancaster. They offered the most dignified and compassionate care for the last few days of her life.
"Beccy led an incredible life that I will post about on her account in the near future along with details of her funeral. For now, I just want to say that I was incredibly blessed to have such an amazing sister.
"She was a very loved daughter, granddaughter and niece. More than anything she was a wonderful mother to Hannah.
"She spent her last few days at @SJHospice who provided the most dignified & compassionate care to Beccy & her whole family. Donations to the hospice can be made in Beccy’s memory."
Beccy had announced her diagnosis in a social media post on Christmas Eve last year and seven months ago she went into more detail in a lengthy LinkedIn post in which she expressed her gratitude to her employers for their support. "Earlier this year I was diagnosed with incurable and (to some extent) treatable cancer," she began.
"Practically, this means I feel well and I’m on an immunotherapy regime that may keep well for a period of time.
"I’m sharing this very personal information because this experience has shown me that people living with cancer can adapt to this new reality at work in fruitful and fulfilling ways. Both to the benefit of the person (me!) and the employer.
"Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, under the very compassionate leadership of Justin Johnston, and my personal friends at work have been phenomenally supportive of me - both in being off work and crucially in using my skills in a new direction as I have returned.
"I’m no doctor, but I am a lapsed economist, and it seems pretty clear that as treatments for cancer develop, more people are living longer with this group of diseases.
"There are important psychological and economic benefits to supporting people to live and work with cancer like a chronic disease where that is possible and desired. I’d be interested to hear the views and experiences of others," she concluded.
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In 2019 Beccy revealed she was quitting her successful career in journalism after 20 years in order to join Lancashire Fire and Rescue - the same service her father Roy was in.
She presented her final bulletin for BBC North West in August 2019 and in February 2022 she qualified as a firefighter.
Prior to joing the BBC she had worked for Bloomberg and CNBC. She began presenting North West Tonight for the BBC in December 2012 and was also a business presenter on BBC RAdio 5 Live for a year from September 2013.
On June 22 she admitted she was clearing out her home in advance of her death. She detailed her plan in reponse to a post on X asking: " How do you even start to clear your parents’ home when both of them have died?"
"This stuff is so personal and individual, but I’m doing it while I’m alive (a privilege of knowing you’re dying) and it feels like an important act of service to my loved ones," she opined.
