Jonathan Ali, who spent more than 25 years working on BBC Radio Manchester, died at the city’s Christie Hospital yesterday.
Tributes soon flooded in for the journalist, with BBC Breakfast presenter, Dan Walker, revealing he once worked with him.
Dan said Jonathan had been “helpful and kind” when he started out at the beginning of his career.
Alongside a picture of the BBC radio host, Dan wrote: “So sad to hear about the death of Jonathan Ali at The Christie Hospital last night.
“He was a brilliant reporter – largely for @BBCRadioManc – and was so helpful and kind when I first started on his patch.”
Dan added: “He was always incredibly positive and he’ll be missed by many.”
Jonathan had been ill with a rare type of bone and tissue cancer called Ewing Sarcoma, reports Manchester Evening News.
BBC Radio Manchester also paid tribute and tweeted: “We are really sad to announce that our much loved colleague Jonathan Ali has died.
“Jonathan, who was 50, has been a reporter and familiar voice on BBC Radio Manchester for 25 years.
“He loved Greater Manchester and championed Rochdale, Bury and Bolton. He will be greatly missed.”
BBC Radio Manchester’s managing editor Kate Squire said he was “an outstanding journalist”, who was “absolutely passionate about local broadcasting and Greater Manchester” and whose reporting “changed things and had a real impact on people”.
She said: ”He was hard-working, enthusiastic and intelligent and a kind, loving and funny friend,” she said.
“We will miss him terribly and our thoughts are with his family.”
Meanwhile, Dan wished one of his BBC’s colleagues well after he revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Rory Cellan-Jones told his followers about his diagnosis after viewers had noticed his hand shaking during a live broadcast.
The 61-year-old BBC technology correspondent wrote on Twitter: “A couple of people have noticed my hand shaking in my live 5G broadcast today.
“So seems a good time to reveal that I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
“I’m getting good treatment and the symptoms are mild right now – so I’m carrying on as normal. Onwards and upwards!”
Dan walker replied to his tweet, saying: “So sorry to hear this Rory. Keep being brilliant.”
BBC Breakfast continues tomorrow on BBC One at 6am.