Dianne Oxberry memorial: Andy Burnham leads stars at service to honour BBC star, 51

Dianne Oxberry died at the age of 51 on January 10 after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Her close friends and loved-ones paid tribute to the BBC favourite in a memorial service held at Manchester Cathedral.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, arrived and looked sombre as he walked into the ceremony.

Andy, 49, spoke inside the cathedral and according to Liverpool Echo, he said: “Dianne was a true friend of the North West of England.

“She had a real care for its people, and its communities, she really did.

“As you have just heard, brought light into our lives every day, even though she was telling us that the Manchester heavens were going to open on us the next day, so how she did that, while still giving us that lift is something that Dianne had.”

North West Tonight’s Roger Johnson attended the service and spoke to colleague Annabel Tiffin as they headed inside.

He paid tribute to Dianne and said: ”I listened to Dianne when I was a student and she was on Radio One, I never told her.

“So, I was utterly starstruck when I came to work at Oxford Road and she was there. I never told her that either.

“She would have just said, ‘Don’t be so ridiculous’.”

BBC Radio Manchester’s Chelsea Norris and journalist Gordon Burns were also in attendance.

Dianne’s husband, Ian Hindle, who she wed in 1993, spoke about his spouse in an interview with the Manchester Evening News earlier this year.

He said the BBC favourite was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which she battled for a “very short” time.

Ian told the newspaper: ”The tragic impact was felt not only by her family and friends, but also by the wider public whose lives she touched across more than 20 years’ TV and radio presenting

He said he wanted to raise awareness of the “appalling” condition and its “after-effects, particularly where families have suffered sudden loss”.

He went on: “Dianne was an amazing wife and mother who embraced life to the full.

“She was an inspiration to all who knew and loved her but also to the people who watched and welcomed her into their homes each night as if she were part of their family too.

Ian set up a crowd funding page to kick start a charity in the name of his late wife.

His target was £1,000 but Dianne’s spouse has already exceeded expectations and has now reached £44,260.

source: express.co.uk