Theo Burrell, a star of PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, has died just months after getting married.
Videos by Suggest
On July 11, Burrell’s family confirmed the sad news with a heartbreaking Instagram post.
“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,” they wrote.
“She was an incredible person who fought hard for her family, friends, and raising awareness of this cruel disease,” her family added.
According to the BBC, doctors diagnosed Burrell in June 2022 with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor with a typical life expectancy of 12 to 18 months.
The ceramics and glass expert, who worked with Lyon & Turnbull auctioneers in Edinburgh, joined the BBC show (which airs on PBS in the United States) in 2018 to appraise items brought in by the public.
Despite her diagnosis, Burrell was able to celebrate several milestones she never expected to reach. These included her son’s first day of school and her wedding to her husband, Alex, on March 28.
“[It] feels so nice to be husband and wife after all these years together,” she wrote on the marriage on Instagram.
PBS Star Theo Burrell Urged Her Government to Invest More in Cancer Research
In March, Burrell also spoke out in a video for the Department of Health and Social Care, urging the government to invest more in cancer research. Her words were unflinching. “I am running out of treatment options, and I will lose my life to this cancer,” she said. “There’s absolutely no doubt about it.”
Burrell underwent brain surgery and 17 rounds of chemotherapy. Facing her terminal diagnosis, she said, “Things may be too late for me, but I definitely can make peace with that if I know that the situation’s gonna be better for future patients.”
In their announcement, Burrell’s family also praised the cancer community for providing her with “so much comfort and strength in her darkest moments.” Above all, her family shared that Burrell wanted “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.”
“We are heartbroken that we have lost the phenomenal, determined and truly inspiring Theo Burrell to this devastating disease,” Brain Tumor Research Chief Executive Dan Knowles told the BBC.
“She was always very open about her prognosis,” he added. “[Burrell] knew from the outset her cancer was terminal, but she was absolutely determined to make a difference for others. She constantly inspired us with how big her heart was, and we will continue on our mission, driven by everything she taught us.”
Burrell was 39.