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BBC presenter Dianne Oxberry died from ovarian cancer

Just Giving Dianne with partner IanJust Giving
Ian Hindle (right) wants to raise awareness about ovarian cancer

BBC journalist Dianne Oxberry died from ovarian cancer, her husband has said.

The former Radio 1 presenter died aged 51 at the Christie Hospital in Manchester earlier this month.

Her husband Ian Hindle said he wanted to raise awareness about the disease and hoped to set up a charity in his wife's memory.

Mr Hindle said money raised would "help families and individuals... suffering from this aggressive disease".

He added: "The aim is also to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and its after-effects, particularly where families have suffered sudden loss which can often be the case with this appalling disease."

Radio 1 DJs outside All Souls Church, London, in 1992. (Back row l-r): Annie Nightingale, Alan Freeman, Dianne Oxberry, Pete Tong, Bob Harris, Nicky Campbell, Johnnie Walker, Alan Robb, Paul Gambaccini, Simon Mayo and unknown. (Front l-r): Steve Wright, Dave Lee Travis, Jakki Brambles, Adrian Juste, Lynn Parsons, Rod McKenzie, Gary Davis, Tommy Vance, Man Ezeke, Nicky Horne, Sybil Ruscoe, Bruno Brookes, Mark Goodier and John Peel.
Radio 1 DJs, including Dianne Oxberry, gathered for the station's 25th birthday in 1992

Oxberry's death on 10 January prompted an outpouring of tributes and reaction, including BBC radio presenter Simon Mayo, who worked with her on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in the 1980s.

"There was a spark in the studio when she was there and I think everyone is very devastated that she has gone," he said.

"She was very intelligent, she was very sharp and very charismatic and that huge warmth is what listeners and viewers will take away."

Plod for Pudsey
Dianne Oxberry took part in a 100-mile relay walk for BBC Children in Need in November

According to Cancer Research UK there are about 7,400 new ovarian cancer cases in the UK every year, with almost six in 10 diagnosed at a late stage.

NHS England says it is one of the most common types of cancers in women and although it mainly affects women over the age of 50 it can sometimes affect younger women.

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Symptoms of ovarian cancer

  • Persistent bloating - not bloating that comes and goes
  • Feeling full quickly and/or loss of appetite
  • Pelvic or abdominal pain (tummy and below)
  • Urinary symptoms (needing to wee more urgently or more often than usual)
  • Changes in bowel habit (eg diarrhoea or constipation)
  • Extreme fatigue (feeling very tired)
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Any bleeding after the menopause should always be investigated by a GP

Source: NHS

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