BBC North West Tonight presenter turned firefighter Beccy Barr has passed away following a cancer diagnosis that she made public on Christmas Eve last year.
An announcement on Barr’s X (Twitter) said: “Beccy passed away peacefully this morning. 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.”
Lancaster native Barr, who was in her forties, announced her diagnosis on Twitter last December, saying: “Earlier this year I was diagnosed with incurable cancer.
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.”
Barr joined BBC North West Tonight as a presenter and reporter back in March 2013 having spent five years presenting financial news at CNBC in London.
Previously, she was in New York as a reporter with the Bloomberg financial news outlet.
She began her career as a reporter for The Blackpool Citizen before moving to London to join trade paper Money Marketing.
Alongside her role on North West Tonight, Barr has had stints presenting BBC Radio Lancashire’s breakfast programme, as well as covering business news for BBC Radio 5 Live, presenting Sunday Politics North West and reporting for BBC Inside Out.
After nearly 20 years in journalism, Barr undertook a dramatic career change in September 2019, following in her father Roy’s footsteps by joining Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service in September 2019. She said of the move at the time that she was both “excited and terrified,” and carved out a successful career as a firefighter in Blackburn.
Roger Johnson, presenter of BBC North West Tonight, said: “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. My thoughts are with her daughter and family.”
Chris Brindley, editor, BBC North West, added: “It’s extremely sad to hear the news about Beccy. She was a much loved part of the North West Tonight team for several years. Those who worked with Beccy will remember her as an inspiration and those who watched her will remember her as a really talented journalist and presenter. We send all our sympathies to her family.”
Among those paying tributes online were Lancaster and Wyre MP Cat Smith:
Fellow North West Tonight reporter Annabelle Tiffin:
And former Manchester City and Lancaster City winger Trevor Sinclair:
Barr was a Girlguiding leader for many years, and until recently ran a unit at St Paul’s in Scotforth. She was also an active triathlete and participated in IronmanUK and several long-distance athletic events. She is is survived by her daughter, Hannah.
