Antiques Roadshow star Theo Burrell dies aged 38 after terminal brain cancer diagnosis as her heartbroken husband pays tribute

3 hours ago 9

Antiques Roadshow star Theo Burrell has died at the age of 38.

The TV star, who began appearing on the BBC programme in 2018, was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma in 2022 and passed away on Wednesday.

Her husband Alex shared the news online and penned: 'It is with great sadness that I share the news that Theo passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday afternoon. Neither she nor her medical team foresaw this happening quite so quickly.

'She was an incredible person who fought hard for her family, friends and raising awareness of this cruel disease.

'She saw life events like her son's first day at school and her wedding that a little over 4 years ago we thought she'd never see.

'The cancer community provided so much comfort and strength to her in her darkest moments. But most of all it provided hope and I think what she would want most of all is for other people to find hope in her story.

'Hope that the statistics aren't gospel and that one day they'll be very different.'

Antiques Roadshow star Theo Burrell has died at the age of 38 

The TV star, who began appearing in the BBC programme in 2018, was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma in 2022 and passed away on Wednesday

The pair married in April amid her cancer battle.

At the time Theo took to Instagram to share her big news after they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Edinburgh.

Theo had regularly kept fans updated on her health after she was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma in 2022.

Alongside a photo of her and Alex, Theo penned: 'On 28th March Alex and I celebrated our wedding with our closest family and friends and it was amazing!!

'Not only did we have a lot of fun but it feels so nice to be husband and wife after all these years together.

'With special thanks to @siobhanveneruzzo who took our photographs and picked all the most beautiful spots in Edinburgh for us to pose, @laura.studioh who did my make up and made me feel good despite the steroid weight gain and @cannonballrestaurant and @norloft for hosting our meal and drinks.

'I'm still sleeping off the exhaustion and a cold but it was worth every second!

'Next up I have a scan to get through... But we'll deal with that when the time comes.'

Many of Theo's followers offered their congratulations in the comments, writing: 'Ahhh congratulations to the both of you. You look absolutely gorgeous;

'so happy for you Theo....we married the day before. Beautiful after many years together. You look beautiful. Everything crossed for the scan! xxxx;

Her husband Alex shared the news online and penned: 'It is with great sadness that I share the news that Theo passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday afternoon' 

Theo had regularly kept fans updated on her health after she was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma in 2022 

'Massive congratulations to you both. Looks like a beautiful wedding!;

'Absolutely wonderful. Congratulations and love to you both;'

'Congratulations to you both!! Theo you look beautiful;'

In January, Theo shared she'd undergone surgery on her terminal tumour as she shared a 'gory' snap of her scar.

She penned: 'Forgive me the gory photo but here's my war wound! Healing nicely, and my stitches are now out.'

The antiques expert continued: 'This week I'm seeing my oncology team to discuss my treatment plan, and I will be strutting into the hospital with a head of properly washed hair (well what's left of it!) Taking the wins, however small or large.'

Fans of the BBC show were quick to flood the comments section with well-wishes for Theo, with one penning: 'You are simply incredible, a true fighter.'

Another chimed in: 'Hope you are OK, and sending you good vibes.'

WHAT IS A GLIOBLASTOMA?

Glioblastomas are the most common cancerous brain tumours in adults.

They are fast growing and likely to spread. 

Glioblastomas' cause is unknown but may be related to a sufferer's genes if mutations result in cells growing uncontrollably, forming a tumour.

Treatment is usually surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by a combination of radio- and chemotherapy (chemoradiation).

It can be difficult to remove all of the growth as glioblastomas have tendrils that extend to other regions of the brain. These are targeted via chemoradiation. 

Glioblastomas are often resistant to treatment as they are usually made up of different types of cells. Therefore, medication will kill off some cells and not others. 

The average survival time is between 12 and 18 months.

Source: The Brain Tumour Charity

Theo regularly kept fans updated on her condition after she was diagnosed with terminal glioblastoma in 2022, an aggressive and fast-spreading form of brain cancer. 

'Glioblastoma is a type of cancer that starts as a growth of cells in the brain or spinal cord. It grows quickly and can invade and destroy healthy tissue. Glioblastoma forms from cells called astrocytes that support nerve cells,' according to Mayo Clinic.

The specialist, who joined Antiques Roadshow back in 2018, continued to appear on screen in between treatment for the disease. 

While chemotherapy helped to halt the cancer's progression, Theo was given a two-year prognosis and had spoken openly about it previously.

Theo told Survivor Net: 'The fatigue from the chemo has really flattened me over the last couple of weeks, with regular headaches rearing their ugly heads.

'I also had a seizure-like episode where my vision went funny, which ultimately resulted in me being checked over in the hospital.'

Last September, Theo explained that new scans had shown there were no active cancer cells, writing: 'A couple of weeks ago, I got the news that my scans continue to be clear. 

'There are no active cancer cells rearing their ugly heads, and Temozolomide continues to do its job. I'm extremely lucky to have gotten to this stage with this news.'

Despite the results, the presenter admitted that she was continuing with chemotherapy which was leaving her bedridden for days.  

She said: 'Despite the positive update, I've had an extremely tough time on cycle 10 of chemotherapy, following a small visual seizure.

'The combination of the two had me in bed for days on end, with new side effects that challenged me both mentally and physically.

'The thought of any more chemo is making me miserable. I'm going to give cycle 11 a go and see how I get on.

'So this is a bit of a mixed message - of good news and moans! I'm sending all my friends in the brain tumour community good luck and stable scans. One day at a time, right?' 

Read Entire Article