A GOOD Morning Britain legend and pioneering presenter has di3d aged 76.
Wincey Willis, who etched her name in history as ITV’s first female national weather presenter, passed away following a battle with dementia.
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Wincey WIllis has di3d aged 76Credit: Getty
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She was ITV’s first female national weather presenter
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Willis checking the local water quality in 2011Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Willis on GMB in 2015Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
The TV icon di3d on December 18 last year but her d3ath was only publicly announced this week.
Willis joined Good Morning Britain in 1983, thanks to a push from broadcasting giant Greg Dyke.
The trailblazing 34-year-old brought a fresh and energetic take to the dull weather forecasts that were the norm at the time.
Wincey lit up screens with her relatable charm making her a household name.
Her spiky mullet hairstyle made her distinctive, winning her the 1986 Head of the Year competition.
Willis became part of a golden line-up that included Anne Diamond, Rustie Lee with her culinary corner, and “Mad Lizzie” Webb’s fitness feature.
The dream team helped Good Morning Britain overtake the BBC’s Breakfast Time.
Her pioneering efforts opened doors for subsequent female weather presenters including Trish Williamson and Ulrika Jonsson, who also expanded into other areas of TV.
At the peak of her career, during the mid-80s, she featured on the game show Treasure Hunt alongside Anneka Rice.
A contract dispute led Willis to resign from TV-am in 1987, after which her television career largely came to a halt.
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In the following years, she dedicated her time as a conservation volunteer aiding endangered species globally.
Willis also hosted radio shows for BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and for BBC Hereford & Worcester.
After being diagnosed with fronto-temporal dementia in 2015, Willis returned to the North East to live in Sunderland.
Her marriage to Malcolm Willis in 1972 ended in divorce.
Born Florence Winsome Leighton, Willis was born in Gateshead, Co Durham, in 1948 before she was adopted by Florence and Thomas Dimmock.
She later picked up her nickname from schoolmates at Hartlepool primary school, who teased her with a chorus of Incy Wincy Spider.
The name stuck and Wincey was born.
She left the school aged 16 and journeyed to France where she completed her baccalaureate before she enrolled at Strasbourg University.
Willis then returned to the northeast in 1975, securing a behind-the-scenes role at Radio Tees in Stockton-on-Tees.
She then made the move to the screen after being invited invited to audition for the position of weather presenter for Tyne Tees regional TV.
And just a year later Wincey was awarded her own series on Granada titled Wincey’s Pets.
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Presenter Jeremy Beadle with weathergirl Wincey Willis (left) and Anne DiamondCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Willis in 1988Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Willis was a trailblazer in the industry for womenCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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Willis at her home Cooley Lodge in 2001Credit: Shutterstock Editorial
