TV presenter turned firefighter Beccy Barr dead age 46 after cancer battle

Former British TV presenter Beccy Barr, who gave up her role on the BBC to become a firefighter, has died aged 46 following a battle with cancer.

Barr’s family confirmed the news in a post on X, writing “Beccy passed away peacefully this morning”.

“She spent her last few days at @SJHospice who provided the most dignified and compassionate care to Beccy and her whole family.

“Donations to the hospice can be made in Beccy’s memory.”

After 20 years as a broadcaster, Barr stepped down to follow in her father’s footsteps, and join the Lancashire Fire and Rescue team.

In February 2022, she updated her fans on social media, explaining she had received distinction marks in all her training assessments.

“It’s been a crazy ride since I presented my last BBC bulletin in Aug 2019 and joined @LancashireFRS,” she wrote at the time.

“Today I got the final results from my firefighter training and I’m so proud to say I got DISTINCTIONS in all the end point assessments: practical, theory and interview.”

Barr revealed in December 2023 that she 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,” she wrote at the time.

On LinkedIn, Barr told her followers in January of the support she received from the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service since her diagnosis.

“Earlier this year I was diagnosed with incurable and (to some extent) treatable cancer,” she said.

“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.”

Current BBC presenter Roger Johnson paid tribute to his former colleague.

“Beccy was courageous in so many ways,” he told BBC.

“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.”