BBC news presenter Rachael Bland has died after being diagnosed with incurable cancer, her family has announced.
A post on Bland’s official Twitter account said: “Our beautiful, courageous Rachael died peacefully this morning surrounded by her close family. We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You’ll never know how much they meant to her. Steve and Freddie xxx”.
BBC Radio 5 Live also tweeted: “Mother to Freddie. Wife to Steve. Our treasured colleague Rachael Bland has died. She inspired so many with her blogs, the chart-topping podcast #YouMeBigC and certainly put the can in cancer. We will miss her dearly.”
In the words of the legendary Frank S - I’m afraid the time has come my friends. And suddenly. I’m told I’ve only got days. It’s very surreal. Thank you so much for all the support I’ve received. Debs and lozz will continue with the #youmebigc podcast. Au revoir my friends. pic.twitter.com/DhMurbqMJz
— Rachael Bland (@Rachael_Hodges) September 3, 2018
Our beautiful, courageous Rachael died peacefully this morning surrounded by her close family. We are crushed but she would want me to thank everyone who took an interest in her story or sent messages of support. You’ll never know how much they meant to her. Steve and Freddie xxx pic.twitter.com/soq7YHvF9u
— Rachael Bland (@Rachael_Hodges) September 5, 2018
Bland, co-hosted the You, Me and the Big C podcast with Deborah James and Lauren Mahon."
The 40-year-old, was married to her husband Steve for four years and was mother to son Freddie (2). The couple would have celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary on September 14th.
On August 3rd, she said she had been ruled out of clinical trials because of a rise in enzymes.
She wrote on Instagram on: “Another bump in the road. Whilst I was concentrating on my lungs my liver was busy throwing a [SPANNER]in the works.
“An enzyme called ALT has been steadily on the rise since I started trials. It is a sign of liver damage and right now it rules me out of any further trials.
“So we’re chucking everything at it. Change of steroid. No alcohol and liver detox diet. And hoping those numbers start going down again.
“This just got serious. Game face on.”
She added that she had been rushing to complete a memoir for her son, saying: “It’s now a real race against time for me to finish my book For Freddie. If you need me, you’ll find me typing and drinking gallons of water!”
She later wrote on Twitter that she had secured an agent, who was working on finding her a publisher for the memoir.
Bland’s Radio 5 colleague Richard Bacon was among those offering her support on Twitter earlier in the week, writing: “Days. Devastating. Rachael I know saying I’m thinking of you (and our magnificent time together on air, especially all that late night fun) doesn’t change anything.
“But I am and I’m so very sorry. Your podcast has helped change the way people talk about all this. You’re wonderful.”– Agencies
